NYTIMES article,,,,,,,,,,The most striking finding in the survey is the extent to which voters have
reservations about Mr. Bush's preparedness. Their concerns may reflect
their knowledge that Mr. Gore has served as vice president for eight
years and, before that, was in the House and Senate for 16 years. By
contrast, Mr. Bush did not hold public office until he was elected
governor of Texas in 1994.
Lynn Eagleeye, a poll respondent from Bay Village, Ohio, said in a
follow-up interview today that she was an independent but leaning
toward Mr. Gore. "Gore has had more experience in the arena, but I
think they would both make good presidents," said Mrs. Eagleeye, 57, a
real estate agent. "Experience comes with the job and comes with time.
It's not just the president running the country, it's his team of advisers. I
liked the job Bush's father did with foreign policy, and I think George W.
has a good adviser in that area."
Saying the debate could sway her opinion, she added, "Coolness under
fire is one thing I'll be looking at."
But others, especially Republicans, were not daunted by Mr. Gore's
longer record of public service. "Even though Gore has been vice
president, I don't feel like he's done a lot," said Wanda Stucky, 63, a
homemaker in Bolivar, Ohio. "I liked Bush's father and I think some of
that ability and knowledge has rubbed off on him. Gore just does not
impress me as a leader."
Thomas Reynolds, 64, a repairman from Somerset, Ky., said he was a
Republican but was still torn between the candidates. "Bush is probably
not as prepared for the presidency as Gore," Mr. Reynolds said, "but I
think he could be an effective president. You learn as you go, and Bush
as the experience of governing Texas."
Still, in the poll, many voters gave Mr. Gore far higher marks for being
ready to take over.
When respondents were asked if each candidate had prepared himself
well enough for the presidency or needed more time to do more, Mr.
Gore was seen by 71 percent of voters as having prepared himself well
enough, while 24 percent said he needed to do more. But Mr. Bush was
seen as well prepared by just under half, 49 percent, while 43 percent of
voters said he needed to prepare more.
On their capacity to negotiate with world leaders, 68 percent said Mr.
Gore could do that effectively, while 48 percent said that of Mr. Bush.
Mr. Gore was also viewed as more capable of dealing with Congress.
Seventy-one percent of registered voters said Mr. Gore had the skills
needed to work with both Democrats and Republicans in Congress; 59
percent said the same of Mr. Bush.
Yet for all the concerns about Mr. Bush's lack of preparedness, voters
thought that he had the potential to be an able leader. Of the poll
respondents who favor Mr. Gore, for example, only 20 percent said Mr.
Bush was adequately prepared for the presidency. Still, 40 percent of
Gore backers said Mr. Bush would make an effective leader.
Despite the closeness of the race, there were underlying trends that
appear to favor Mr. Gore. For the first time, the balance between Mr.
Bush's favorable and unfavorable ratings — long one of his most potent
advantages — has begun to erode while Mr. Gore's has improved
markedly.
Mr. Bush is seen favorably by 43 percent of voters and unfavorably by
30 percent, a positive balance of 13 points. But just before the national
convention, Mr. Bush was seen favorably by 44 percent and unfavorably
by 26 percent, a positive balance of 18 points.
In the latest poll, Mr. Gore is seen favorably by 49 percent of voters and
unfavorably by 28 percent, a positive balance of 21 points. Before the
conventions, Mr. Gore was seen favorably by 36 percent of voters and
unfavorably by 35 percent, essentially a draw.
Yet for all his gains in likability, Mr. Gore said he intended to emphasize
issue differences in the debate, a reflection, perhaps, of the fact that on
most issues, the poll found that Americans still side with Democrats.
Voters say they like the direction the country has been moving and are
not eager to change course. Their concerns continue to be health care,
including Medicare, followed by education, Social Security and taxes.
Mr. Gore holds sway with voters on health care, prescription drugs and
caring about the average American, while Mr. Bush does better on
strengthening the military and lowering taxes.
A plurality of voters said the high price of heating oil affected them
personally. But while the topic has consumed a significant amount of
energy on the campaign trail, neither Mr. Bush nor Mr. Gore was given
an advantage by voters who were asked which one could bring about
lower prices.
In a finding that may be cause for concern among Republican candidates,
the poll found that Mr. Bush's candidacy has not helped the overall image
of his party. Forty-nine percent of voters say they hold a favorable view
of the Republicans, while 44 percent hold an unfavorable view. By
contrast, 58 percent of voters say they hold a favorable view of the
Democratic Party, while 36 percent hold an unfavorable view.
But on one important issue — education — Mr. Bush may have helped
his party with his nonstop appearances at schools. As recently as July,
voters were more likely to view the Democrats as better able than the
Republicans to improve education, by a margin of 45 to 33, a 12-point
Democratic advantage. In the current poll, that gap has closed to seven
points. |
