Poll: Cheney choice fails to catch fire with voters
By Keating Holland/CNN
PHILADELPHIA (CNN) -- George W. Bush's lead over Al Gore continues to grow, but while Dick Cheney's reputation as a conservative may turn out to be a net plus for the GOP ticket, there is no evidence that the Cheney choice has had much impact on the voting
public, according to the latest CNN/Time poll.
Bush heads into his party's convention with solid support from the GOP's rank and file -- a stark contrast to four years ago, when nearly half of all Republicans nationwide thought that the party should nominate someone else besides Bob Dole. (Gore's support is not as solid as Bush's, but only a third of Democratic voters think that the party should nominate someone else).
Cheney appears to have a negligible effect on the public -- two-thirds say his
presence on the ticket makes no difference to them -- and, significantly, those
numbers have barely changed since a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll on Monday night, an indication that Cheney's nomination has not caught fire in the past few days.
But the fact that he is very conservative is a net plus. Forty-four percent say that Cheney's
conservative ideology makes them feel more favorably toward Cheney; only 22 percent
say that it makes them feel less favorably toward him.
Cheney's experience as a congressman and secretary of defense is also an advantage, while his connections to an oil company and the fact that he ran Bush's vice presidential selection process are not major concerns.
Cheney's health problems, however, are a net minus, although most Americans are
unconcerned about his history of heart attacks.
The poll, conducted July 26-27, consisted of interviews with 1,255 adult Americans, including 684 likely voters.
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Likely voters' choice for president
Bush 52%
Gore 36
Nader 5
Buchanan 4
Sampling error: +/-3.5% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Likely voters' choice for president
Bush 56%
Gore 41
Sampling error: +/-3.5% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Effect of Cheney choice on your vote
More likely for Bush 18%
Less likely for Bush 13
No effect 66
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Cheney's experience as secretary of defense makes you feel more favorable, less favorable or has no effect on how you feel about him?
More favorable 60%
Less favorable 9
No effect 29
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Cheney's experience as a congressman makes you feel more favorable, less favorable or has no effect on how you feel about him?
More favorable 55%
Less favorable 8
No effect 34
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Cheney's record as conservative makes you feel more favorable, less favorable or has no effect on how you feel about him?
More favorable 44%
Less favorable 22
No effect 32
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Cheney's health problems make you feel more favorable, less favorable or have no effect on how you feel about him?
More favorable 7%
Less favorable 28
No effect 64
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Cheney's experience with an oil company makes you feel more favorable, less favorable or has no effect on how you feel about him?
More favorable 22%
Less favorable 25
No effect 50
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Cheney's running the vice presidential selection process makes you feel more favorable, less favorable or has no effect on how you feel about him?
More favorable 29%
Less favorable 14
No effect 54
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Cheney's lack of military service makes you feel more favorable, less favorable or has no effect on how you feel towards him?
More favorable 6%
Less favorable 25
No effect 65
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Asked of Republicans: Should the GOP nominate someone else?
Yes No
Dole in 1996 48% 48%
Bush Now 18 78
Sampling error: +/-5% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Asked of Republicans: Who should the GOP nominate?
Bush 78%
Someone else 18
Sampling error: +/-5% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Asked of Democrats: Who should the Democratic Party nominate?
Gore 64%
Someone else 33
Sampling error: +/-5% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Are you more interested in conventions this year than in previous years?
Republicans 34%
Democrats 28
Independents 20
Sampling error: +/-6% pts
Former President George Bush's influence on his son's vice-presidential pick
has been a topic of discussion, but Cheney's association with Bush the elder
does not concern most Americans and the former president should get a good
reception when he appears at the GOP convention next week.
Thirty percent say that Cheney's association with the elder Bush makes them feel more favorably toward him; only 16 percent say that it makes them feel less favorably toward Cheney. Most Americans do not think that George W. Bush relies on his father's advice too often, and the elder Bush has a higher favorable rating than his son. One
caveat: more Americans think that the government was better run in the Clinton
administration than during the Bush era.
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Cheney's friendship with Bush's father makes you feel more favorable, less favorable or has no effect on how you feel about him as a running mate?
More favorable 30%
Less favorable 16
No effect 53
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Does Bushy rely too often on his father's advice?
Yes 30%
No 54
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
The government was run better during the Clinton administration or the Bush administration?
Clinton administration 47%
Bush administration 42
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
CNN/TIME POLL
July 26-27
Favorable ratings
Former President Bush 68%
George W. Bush 61
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
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