Dole's Approval Rating Up

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, May 17) -- Sen. Robert Dole's announcement this week that he would resign his Senate seat has improved his standing among the public, but does not appear to have helped him in the presidential race.

A new CNN/TIME poll, conducted Wednesday and Thursday, found Dole's approval rating has climbed 7 percentage points, from 46 percent to 53 percent.

But that does not translate into support from voters. If the election were held today, 56 percent of all registered voters would vote for President Bill Clinton and 34 percent would choose Dole, according to the new CNN/TIME survey. A week ago, Clinton's lead was 50-38 percent.

The results are based on interviews with 1,009 adult Americans, including 808 registered voters. The margin of sampling error ranged from +/- 3 to +/-3.5 percentage points.

A majority of the general public agrees with Dole's decision to step down from the Senate. Fifty-four percent say the Kansas Republican should have resigned; 34 percent say he should have remained in the Senate.

Nearly eight in ten registered voters say that Dole's decision to leave the Senate would not affect their vote. Eleven percent say his announcement would make them more likely to vote for Dole, while 9 percent say it would make them less likely to choose Dole.

Poll: Most Americans Support Dole's Decision -- May 16, 1996

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Dole's Approval Rating Up

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