House Republicans' Ratings on Education Are Slipping, Pollster Says
By Dan Balz
Washington Post
Monday, April 22, 2002; Page A04
House Republicans got some bad news last week when they were told their strong poll numbers on education were beginning to slip.
GOP pollster David Winston briefed the Republicans on a new poll showing that voters see House Democrats as better able to handle education issues, according to GOP sources. Three months ago the two parties were at parity.
The GOP's improvement on the education issue over the past two years has been one of the most important shifts in the balance of power between the two parties. Historically, Democrats have enjoyed a substantial margin in the eyes of the voters, but President Bush's advocacy for education reform helped change his party's image.
Now, with the education debate relatively quiet, Republicans are suffering. A party strategist familiar with the Winston briefing said the shift was "big enough to raise concern" for Republicans as they look toward the fall elections. "It's not a positive sign," the strategist said.
Winston urged Republican lawmakers to start talking about education more frequently by stressing elements of the bipartisan reform bill signed by Bush at the end of last year: accountability and reading. "When we talk about education, we move the numbers positively," the GOP strategist said. "When we don't, they tend to slip."
Bush's standing on education has not been affected, according to the poll.
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