Poll: Bush continues to lead Gore in presidential match-upEducation tops list of voter concernsBy Keating Holland/CNN
January 18, 2000
Web posted at: 6:12 p.m. EST (2312 GMT)
George W. Bush continues to lead Al Gore in a hypothetical match-up,
winning support from 52 percent of all registered voters to 41 percent for Gore. Bush's lead is even larger among those voters most likely to vote in the election.
If the election were held today, Bush would hold a 57 percent to 38 percent advantage over Gore among the voters who say today they are most likely to vote. Bush has a similar advantage over Bill Bradley.
Among Democrats, Gore continues to lead Bradley as the nominee of choice, 59 percent to 30 percent. And Bush leads Arizona Sen. John McCain among Republicans, 61 percent to 22 percent. The other four candidates, Steve Forbes, Orrin Hatch, Alan Keyes and Gary Bauer, are in the single digits.
Education tops the public's list of important issues in this year's
presidential election, with 39 percent saying that education in public elementary and high schools will be extremely important to their vote for president, according to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.
Following education are a series of other domestic issues, including the problems of raising children in today's society (33 percent say it will be extremely important to their vote), health care costs, and Social Security.
Presidential character and integrity was cited as extremely important by 29 percent, along with the amount Americans pay in taxes and moral standards in the country.
Although education ranks high on both parties' lists, different issues matter to Democrats and Republicans. GOPers are more concerned with presidential character and taxes, and Democrats are more concerned with raising children and health costs.
The poll of 1,027 adult Americans, including 887 registered voters, 512 likely voters, 392 registered Republicans and 392 registered Democrats, was conducted January 13-16, 2000.
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
If Vice President Al Gore were the Democratic Party's candidate and Texas Gov. George W. Bush were the Republican Party's candidate, who would you be more likely to vote for?
| Registered Voters: |
| Bush | 52% |
| Gore | 41% |
| Sampling error: +/-4% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
If Vice President Al Gore were the Democratic Party's candidate and Texas Gov. George W. Bush were the Republican Party's candidate, who would you be more likely to vote for?
| Likely voters: |
| Bush | 57% |
| Gore | 38% |
| Sampling error: +/-5% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
If former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley were the Democratic Party's candidate and Texas Gov. George W. Bush were the Republican Party's candidate, who would you be more likely to vote for?
| Registered Voters: |
| Bush | 51% |
| Bradley | 41% |
| Sampling error: +/-4% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
If former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley were the Democratic Party's candidate and Texas Gov. George W. Bush were the Republican Party's candidate, who would you be more likely to vote for?
| Likely voters: |
| Bush | 53% |
| Bradley | 42% |
| Sampling error: +/-5% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
Asked of registered Republicans: Which of the candidates would you be most likely to support for the Republican nomination for president in the year 2000?
| Bush | 61% | Keyes | 3% |
| McCain | 22% | Bauer | 2% |
| Forbes | 5% | Hatch | 1% |
| Sampling error: +/-5% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
Asked of registered Democrats: Which of the candidates would you be most likely to support for the Democratic nomination for president in the year 2000?
| Gore | 59% |
| Bradley | 30% |
| Sampling error: +/-5% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
We'd like to know which issues will be important to you when you vote in this year's presidential election. Please tell me if it will be extremely important to your vote, very important, somewhat important, not too important or not important at all.
| Extremely important: |
| Education | 39% |
| Raising children | 33% |
| Health costs | 32% |
| Social Security | 31% |
| Taxes | 29% |
| Moral standards | 29% |
| President's character | 29% |
| Economy | 28% |
| Gay rights | 8% |
| Trade | 10% |
| Campaign finance reform | 12% |
| World affairs | 17% |
| Sampling error: +/-3% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
| Extremely important issues to Democrats |
| Education | 44% |
| Raising children | 39% |
| Health costs | 38% |
| Social Security | 37% |
| Sampling error: +/-5% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
| Extremely important issues to Republicans |
| Presidential character | 39% |
| Education | 35% |
| Moral standards | 30% |
| Taxes | 29% |
| Sampling error: +/-5% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances or illegal in all circumstances?
| All circumstances | 26% |
| Most circumstances | 17% |
| Few circumstances | 39% |
| No circumstances | 15% |
| Sampling error: +/-3% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
Do you favor or oppose a law which would make it illegal to perform a specific abortion procedure conducted in the last six months of pregnancy known as a "partial birth abortion," except in cases necessary to save the life of a woman?
| Favor | 64% |
| Oppose | 31% |
| Sampling error: +/-3% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
Do you generally favor or oppose affirmative action programs for women and minorities?
| Favor | 58% |
| Oppose | 33% |
| Sampling error: +/-3% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
Do you feel that our national defense is stronger now than it needs to be, not strong enough, or about right at the present time?
| Not strong enough | 39% |
| About right | 52% |
| Too strong | 6% |
| Sampling error: +/-3% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
Should the government spend money to assist low-income families who want to send their children to private or religious schools?
| Yes | 36% |
| No | 60% |
| Sampling error: +/-3% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
Which of these statements comes closer to your own point of view: Protection of the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of curbing economic growth; or economic growth should be given priority, even if the environment suffers to some extent?
| Environment | 70% |
| Economic growth | 23% |
| Sampling error: +/-3% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
Do you personally think gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military, gays should be allowed to serve under the current policy, or gays should not be allowed to serve in the military under any circumstances?
| Let them serve openly | 41% |
| Keep don't ask/dont' tell | 38% |
| Ban them completely | 17% |
| Sampling error: +/-3% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
Do you think marriages between homosexuals should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?
| Yes | 34% |
| No | 62% |
| Sampling error: +/-3% pts |
CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
January 13-16
Do you think gay partners who make a legal commitment to each other should or should not be entitled to the same rights and benefits as couples in traditional marriages?
| Yes | 40% |
| No | 53% |
| Sampling error: +/-3% pts |
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