Poll: Bush maintains single-digit lead over Gore

By Keating Holland/CNN

May 1, 2000
Web posted at: 5:28 p.m. EDT (2128 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- George W. Bush continues to maintain a single-digit lead over Al Gore in a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, with the Texas governor currently winning 49 percent of all likely voters to 44 percent for the vice president.

The poll, based on interviews with 1,003 adult Americans, including 499 likely voters, was conducted Friday through Sunday. It gives no indication that the Elian Gonzalez case has had a measurable effect on the presidential election.

Add in independent candidates Pat Buchanan (Reform Party) and Ralph Nader (Green Party) and the race changes slightly, with Bush winning by a 47 percent to 41 percent lead over Gore, and Buchanan and Nader each garnering 4 percent.

Buchanan takes twice as many votes from Bush as he does from Gore; Nader's voters come from the Gore camp by a similar 2-to-1 margin.

Bush's favorable rating is eight points higher than Gore's and has grown slightly since the primary season, while Gore's has dropped. Bush has an advantage over Gore on issues such as taxes and crime; Gore has the edge -- although only a narrow one -- on traditional Democratic issues such as Social Security, health care and education. On the gun issue, Bush has a six-point lead.

Bush	49%
Gore	44%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Bush	47%
Gore	41%
Buchanan	4%
Nader	4%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

	Favorable	Unfavorable
Bush	61%	33%
Gore	53%	38%
Sampling error: +/-3% pts

	Now	February
Bush	61%	57%
Gore	53%	59%
Sampling error: +/-3% pts

	Bush	Gore
Crime	52%	32%
Taxes	47%	38%
Gun issue	43%	37%
World affairs	43%	42%
Economy	43%	44%
Health care	37%	49%
Education	41%	46%
Soc. Security	41%	46%
Sampling error: +/-3% pts

Arizona Sen. John McCain remains popular with Democrats and independents and one in five current Gore voters say they would consider voting for Bush if he picked McCain as his running mate. Overall, McCain and Bush have identical 61 percent favorable ratings, but McCain is viewed favorably by a majority of Democrats, while Bush manages only a 35 percent favorable rating among members of the opposite party.

Other GOP members of Congress, however, do not fare as well. Only 42 percent of the general public approves of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling their job.

Q: Opinion of John McCain
Favorable	61%
Unfavorable	18%
Sampling error: +/-3% pts

Q: Favorable Ratings
	Favorable	Unfavorable
Bush	61%	33%
McCain	61%	18%
Sampling error: +/-3% pts

Q: Favorable Ratings
	Bush	McCain
Republicans	92%	69%
Independents	9%	59%
Democrats	35%	55%
Sampling error: +/-3% pts