Pew Poll: Gore Winning On Issues
A new national presidential poll that gives Democrat Al Gore a slight edge over Republican rival George W. Bush indicates the vice president's emphasis on issues is resonating.
The survey by the independent Pew Research Center for the People and the Press - conducted over a span of more than two weeks - gives Gore a 47-to-41 percent lead among registered voters and a 48-to-43 percent lead among likely voters. Both results are within the poll's margin of error.
In one of the poll's most interesting findings, 45 percent of voters surveyed said they have decided to choose a president based on his position on the issues, compared to 36 percent who expressed this opinion in June.
| Bush Still Polls Well Among Men Ask men why they like George W. Bush and they're likely to say he speaks his mind, has the courage to take an unpopular stand and seems like a pretty regular guy. “He seems like the kind of guy who, if things got tough, wouldn't be afraid to roll up his sleeves and pick up a shovel to help out,” said Bush supporter Jerry Klaverweiden, a 55-year-old independent from Illinois. If Bush has been able to depend on one group of voters throughout the year, it has been men. Even as he waged his “compassionate conservative” campaign to split the women's vote that normally leans Democratic, he's held a 10 to 20 point lead in polls with men. Bush does very well among younger men while older men tend to be more divided, polls suggest. White men still favor Bush by more than 10 points in some polls. “The reason Bush has done well with men is character,” said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. “He has a strong lead among men for being a good leader and for being politically honest.” Jim Parker, a 45-year-old technician from Roanoke, Va., said Bush just gives him a good comfortable feeling. “He just seems genuine,” Parker said. “There's nothing false about him. I just like him.” (AP) |
In their poll summary, the Pew researchers say Gore appears to have shored up his stands on two of the top three issues - protecting Social Security and improving health care. On the other top-tier issue of education, the study notes that Bush has made some progress, but voters trust Gore more on this issue, too.
The other finding in the survey concerns independent voters, who appear to be almost evenly split between the two major candidates. The researchers note this is unlike September 1988, when Bush's father began his post-convention comeback with a 48-to-42 percent lead among independents in his race against Michael Dukakis.
In keeping with the predictions o many political observers who deem this race too close to call, many swing voters remain on the fence less than two months from Election Day. The Pew poll found that nearly one out of every three independents committed to one of the candidates say they might still change their minds, a number that has changed very little since before the conventions.
As Gore consolidates support among his Democratic core constituents, he appears to have made gains among senior citizens, African-Americans and lower-income voters. The poll also shows he enjoys increased support from voters the poll groups as - socially conservative Democrats, who appeared likely to defect to the GOP a year ago because of the scandal surrounding President Clinton. The poll also notes that while so-called "Clinton fatigue" actually appears to be growing, it is centered on Mr. Clinton himself, and not his vice president.
As for the Texas Governor, staunch conservatives still give him their strong support, but he has lost ground among populist Republicans, who are not as affluent at other GOP groups - and moderate Republicans. The poll notes Bush has also lost his large lead among affluent voters, whites, men, and college graduates.
As has been the case throughout this campaign, the best news for Bush comes when voters are asked about the candidates' personal qualities. More of those surveyed viewed the Texas governor as a strong leader as opposed to Gore. They also saw Bush as having more political courage than Gore. But 56 percent of those polled said they like the vice president more now than at the start of the year, compared to 46 percent who said the same about Bush.
The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press polled 2,800 adults nationwide between Aug. 24 and Sept. 10, including 2,000 registered voters and 1,500 voters most likely to cast ballots.