Poll: Forty-five percent say they will vote against GoreBy Keating Holland/CNN
June 15, 1999
Web posted at: 6:12 p.m. EDT (2212 GMT)
WASHINGTON (June 15) -- Vice President Al Gore faces a difficult task as he prepares to officially declare his presidential candidacy on Wednesday. Forty-five percent of all Americans say they definitely will not vote for him next November if he wins the Democratic nomination -- regardless of who the GOP puts up against him.
With only 18 percent saying they will definitely vote for him, Gore must win over nine out of 10 Americans who haven't made up their minds about him in order to get a majority of the public backing him in the general election next year.
By contrast, only 27 percent say that they will definitely vote against Texas Gov. George W. Bush if he wins the GOP nod in 2000. Twenty-four percent say they will definitely vote for Bush and 41 percent say their vote depends on who the Democrats nominate.
But it's far too early to simply hand the keys to the Oval Office over to Bush. The number of Americans who say they will definitely vote for Bush has dropped eight points since March as the country has become more familiar with him.
Nonetheless, a majority say that Bush would do a better job handling the economy and handling foreign affairs than Gore would.
The survey of 1,022 adult Americans was conducted June 11-13 and the margin of sampling error is+/- three percentage points, unless otherwise noted.
Questions and results
Thinking about Al Gore, which of the following statements best describes your chances of voting for him as president: 1. You will definitely vote for him regardless of who the Democratic/Republican Party nominates? 2. Your vote for him depends on who the Democratic/Republican Party nominates? 3. You will definitely not vote for him regardless of who the Democratic/Republican Party nominates?
Definitely will | 18% |
Depends on opponent | 30 |
Definitely will not | 45 |
Thinking about George W. Bush, which of the following statements best describes your chances of voting for him as president: 1. You will definitely vote for him regardless of who the Democratic/Republican Party nominates? 2. Your vote for him depends on who the Democratic/Republican Party nominates? 3. You will definitely not vote for him regardless of who the Democratic/Republican Party nominates?
Definitely will | 24% |
Depends on opponent | 41 |
Definitely will not | 27 |
Thinking about George W. Bush and Al Gore, does the following statements best describes your chances of voting for him as president: You will definitely vote for him regardless of who the Democratic/Republican Party nominates?
| Now | March |
Bush | 24% | 32% |
Gore | 18 | 20 |
Thinking about George W. Bush and Al Gore, does the following statements best describes your chances of voting for him as president: You will definitely not vote for him regardless of who the Democratic/Republican Party nominates?
| Now | March |
Bush | 27% | 27% |
Gore | 45 | 40 |
Regardless of which presidential candidate you support, please tell me whether you think Al Gore or George W. Bush would better handle each of these issues?
| Bush | Gore |
Economy | 55% | 35% |
Foreign policy | 53 | 36 |
 |