Washingtonpost.com: Washington Post-ABC News Poll, January 1998

Washington Post-ABC News Poll
Jan. 22-25, 1998

Monday, Jan. 26, 1998

The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll is based on random telephone interviews with 1,537 adults on January 23-25. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Presidential Job Approval | Favorability Rating
Clinton Believability | Media Coverage

1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bill Clinton is handling his job as president?

           -------Approve-----------    -------Disapprove--------   No
           NET   Strongly   Somewhat    NET   Somewhat   Strongly  opin.
1/25/98     59     31         28         37      13        25        4
1/19/98     60     24         36         35      15        19        5
1/13/98     62     NA         NA         31      NA        NA        7
11/12/97    59     NA         NA         35      NA        NA        6
10/13/97    59     NA         NA         36      NA        NA        6
8/27/97     58     NA         NA         37      NA        NA        5
7/8/97      64     NA         NA         31      NA        NA        5
6/8/97      59     NA         NA         36      NA        NA        5
4/24/97     56     NA         NA         39      NA        NA        5
3/25/97     56     NA         NA         33      NA        NA       11
3/9/97      55     NA         NA         41      NA        NA        4
10/8/96 #   58     NA         NA         38      NA        NA        4
10/8/96 ##  59     NA         NA         37      NA        NA        4
9/4/96 ##   57     NA         NA         38      NA        NA        4
8/5/96      59     NA         NA         37      NA        NA        4
6/30/96     56     NA         NA         39      NA        NA        5
5/22/96     58     20         37         39      17        22        3
3/31/96     52     21         30         40      16        25        8
3/17/96     53     19         34         45      19        26        2
3/10/96     55     23         32         40      17        24        4
4/21/96     51     NA         NA         43      NA        NA        6
1/7/96      53     22         31         43      16        28        4
11/19/95    54     NA         NA         41      NA        NA        5
11/13/95    54     20         34         41      20        21        5
10/1/95     52     17         35         43      19        24        5
7/17/95     51     14         37         45      20        25        4
6/8/95      47     NA         NA         45      NA        NA        8
5/14/95     56     20         36         41      23        18        3
3/19/95     52     17         35         45      19        26        3
3/5/95      46     NA         NA         49      NA        NA        4
1/29/95     54     20         34         43      21        22        3
1/4/95      45     13         31         51      22        29        5
12/20/94    44     NA         NA         50      NA        NA        6
11/6/94 ##  52     20         32         43      16        26        5
10/31/94    48     17         31         49      19        30        3
10/23/94    49     18         31         48      19        29        4
10/9/94     45     13         32         51      21        30        4
9/25/94     44     13         31         51      20        31        5
9/11/94     46     15         30         51      19        33        3
8/16/94     44     NA         NA         51      NA        NA        5
8/7/94      47     17         31         47      20        27        5
6/26/94     50     16         34         44      17        28        6
5/15/94     51     19         32         44      17        28        4
3/27/94     57     23         34         41      16        25        3
3/22/94     47     NA         NA         45      NA        NA        7
3/08/94     52     NA         NA         40      NA        NA        8
2/27/94     58     20         38         38      15        23        4
1/23/94     56     22         34         34      14        20       10
1/9/94      59     20         39         36      15        21        4
12/19/93    58     22         36         40      20        20        3
11/14/93    49     16         33         45      20        25        6
10/31/93    52     17         35         41      17        24        7
10/10/93    51     20         31         43      18        25        5
10/3/93     52     19         33         36      14        22       12
9/19/93     51     NA         NA         41      NA        NA        8
8/8/93      45     16         29         51      19        32        4
6/28/93     43     13         29         50      19        31        7
6/15/93     45     NA         NA         48      NA        NA        7
5/23/93     46     17         30         48      18        30        6
4/26/93     59     22         37         39      17        21        2
2/28/93     60     28         32         33      11        22        7
2/23/93     63     28         35         30      11        19        7
2/14/93     54     23         31         31      15        16       15

2. Are you satisfied that Clinton has the honesty and integrity to serve effectively as president?
Yes No No Opin. 1/25/98 51 45 4 10/13/97 55 44 2 3/9/97 53 45 2 10/9/94 53 44 3 8/16/94 53 45 2 1/23/94 63 31 5 1/9/94 60 36 4 1/17/93 74 23 3 11/1/92 # 49 44 7 10/21/92 # 51 41 8 8/23/92 # 52 43 5 7/19/92 # 61 27 11 7/15/92 # 52 40 8 3/18/92 ## 42 45 12 3/11/92 49 41 10

3. Do you approve or disapprove of the way the U.S. Congress is doing its job?
Approve Disapprove No opinion 1/25/98 56 37 8 1/19/98 47 49 5 10/13/97 36 57 7 8/27/97 39 54 7 7/8/97 40 53 6 4/24/97 40 53 7 3/9/97 35 60 5 8/5/96 42 52 7 6/30/96 35 58 7 5/22/96 35 60 5 3/10/96 30 64 6 1/7/96 31 65 5 11/19/95 27 68 5 10/1/95 32 65 3 7/17/95 34 63 3 3/19/95 39 56 5 1/29/95 42 52 6 10/31/94 21 72 8 10/23/94 18 78 4 9/11/94 24 70 5 6/26/94 34 61 5 3/27/94 35 62 3 2/27/94 32 64 4 1/23/94 29 60 11 11/14/93 28 66 6 8/8/93 33 64 3 4/26/93 30 69 2 1/17/93 29 66 6 4/9/92 17 78 5 3/18/92 19 76 5 3/8/92 22 73 6 2/2/92 32 64 4 12/15/91 35 59 6 10/21/91 45 50 5 6/2/91 49 46 5 10/14/90 34 63 3 2/4/90 41 55 4 1/16/90 39 55 6 8/21/89 42 53 5 5/23/89 54 44 2 2/14/89 53 44 3 1/23/88* 43 53 4 6/1/87* 56 40 4 6/22/85* 54 37 9 5/83* 33 43 24 6/81* 38 40 22 6/79* 19 61 20 9/78* 29 49 22 6/77* 34 42 24 6/75* 29 54 17 8/74* 48 35 17 * Gallup

4. I'm going to read you a few names. For each, please tell me if you have a favorable or unfavorable impression of that person, or perhaps you don't know enough to say. How about (Read name)?
Summary table: Favorable Unfavorable No opinion Bill Clinton 54 42 5 Al Gore 55 29 16 Full wording and Trend (where available): Bill Clinton Favorable Unfavorable No opinion 1/25/98 54 42 5 1/19/98 59 35 6 1/12/98 59 33 7 10/13/97 59 37 4 9/10/97 57 38 5 3/9/97 60 38 3 9/4/96 ## 58 38 4 6/30/96 56 38 5 10/30/95 54 41 6 7/17/95 59 38 3 6/8/95 53 43 4 3/19/95 55 42 3 10/31/94 51 44 5 5/15/94 57 40 3 3/27/94 59 37 4 1/23/94 60 32 8 11/14/93 58 37 5 11/11/93 52 43 6 8/8/93 56 39 5 4/26/93 59 29 12 2/23/93 59 30 11 1/17/93 68 20 11 10/18/92 # 56 36 8 9/27/92 # 55 36 9 8/23/92 ## 54 36 10 7/19/92 ## 58 23 18 7/8/92 52 33 15 6/7/92 41 38 21 3/18/92 37 37 26 3/11/92 39 31 30 2/2/92 37 24 39 1/27/92 23 11 66 10/21/91 13 9 78 Al Gore Favorable Unfavorable No opinion 1/25/98 55 29 16 1/19/98 48 36 17 10/13/97 45 40 15 9/10/97 49 33 19 4/24/97 53 29 19 3/9/97 56 29 15 3/19/95 57 27 16 10/31/94 41 37 22 5/15/94 58 27 15 3/27/94 57 25 18 11/14/93 56 28 15 8/23/92 ## 52 19 29 7/19/92 ## 55 12 33

5. (and 6) As you may know, allegations are being reported that Clinton had an affair for a year and a half with a 21-year-old intern worker at the White House. Clinton has denied it. Are you inclined to think Clinton did or did not have an affair with an intern at the White House, or don't you know enough about it to say? (IF NO OPINION:) Well, if you had to guess, are you inclined to think Clinton did or did not have this affair?
-----Think he did----- -----Think he didn't--- No NET Think so Lean yes NET Think not Lean no opin. 1/25/98 57 44 14 34 23 11 8

7. Do you think the question of whether Clinton had an affair with a 21-year-old intern at the White House is an important issue, or not important? (IF IMPORTANT, THEN ASK:) Do you think it's very important, or somewhat important?
----Important Issue---- NET Very Somewhat Not important No opinion 1/25/98 47 33 14 52 1

8. If this affair did happen, would you want Clinton to remain in office as president, or would you want him to resign the presidency?
Remain in office Resign presidency No opinion 1/25/98 59 36 5

9. If this affair did happen and if Clinton did not resign, is this something for which Clinton should be impeached, or not?
Should be Should not be No impeached impeached opinion 1/25/98 30 64 5

10. (and 11) There also are allegations that Clinton, through one of his advisers, told the woman to lie in a legal document about whether she had an affair with him. Are you inclined to think Clinton did or did not tell this woman to lie in a legal document, or don't you know enough about it to say?
-----Think he did----- -----Think he didn't--- No NET Think so Lean yes NET Think not Lean no opin. 1/25/98 46 31 15 44 27 17 10

12. Do you think the question of whether Clinton told this woman to lie in a legal document is an important issue, or not important? (IF IMPORTANT, ASK:) Do you think it's very important, or somewhat important?
----Important Issue---- NET Very Somewhat Not important No opinion 1/25/98 76 60 15 22 2

13. If Clinton did tell this woman to lie in a legal document, would you want him to remain in office as president, or would you want him to resign the presidency?
Remain in office Resign presidency No opinion 1/25/98 36 59 5

14. If Clinton did tell this woman to lie in a legal document, and if Clinton did not resign, is this something for which Clinton should be impeached, or not?
Should be Should not be No impeached impeached opinion 1/25/98 50 43 7

15. There are also allegations that Clinton himself lied by testifying under oath that he did not have an affair with the woman. If Clinton lied in this way, would you want him to remain in office as president, or would you want him to resign the presidency?
Remain in office Resign presidency No opinion 1/25/98 32 63 5

16. If Clinton lied by testifying under oath that he did not have an affair with the woman, and he did not resign, is this something for which Clinton should be impeached, or not?
Should be Should not be No impeached impeached opinion 1/25/98 55 40 5

17. In its coverage of the intern story, do you think the news media has treated Clinton fairly or unfairly?
Fairly Unfairly No opinion 1/25/98 49 42 8

18. You may have heard or read that a former Arkansas state employee named Paula Jones has charged Clinton sexually harassed her in 1991 while he was still governor. Clinton has denied the charge. Just your best guess -- do you think that Jones was or was not sexually harassed by Clinton, or don't you know enough about it to say?
Was harassed Was not harassed No opinion 1/25/98 32 35 34 1/19/98 28 33 38 7/8/97 21 27 52 5/27/97 23 21 56 1/15/97 24 29 47 6/8/94 18 34 48 5/15/94 17 35 47
* indicates percentage of less than .5
# Likely voters
## Registered voters