State and National Public Survey, September 1998

January 1, 1998

September 19 and 20, 1998
N=304 Registered Voters
Margin of Error: +/-5.5 %

If the election for the first congressional district were held today, would you vote for the Republican Ron Santa, Democrat Patrick Kennedy, Reform party candidate James Sheehan, or Legalized Freedom party candidate Charles Picerno? 11% Santa, 64% Kennedy, 3% Sheehan, 3% Picerno 19% don't know or no answer (first district only)

If the election for the second congressional district were held today, would you vote for Republican John Matson, Democrat Robert Weygand, or the Reform party candidate Tim Miller? 11% Matson, 61% Weygand, 2% Miller, 26% don't know or no answer (second district only)

If the election for governor were held today, would you vote for the Republican Lincoln Almond, Democrat Myrth York, Cool Moose party candidate Robert Healey, or Reform party candidate John Devine? 41% Almond, 35% York, 9% Healey, 2% Devine, 13% don't know or no answer

If the election for lieutenant governor were held today, would you vote for the Republican
Bernard Jackvony, Democrat Charles Fogarty, Green party candidate Jeff Johnson, or Reform party candidate John Carlevale? 26% Jackvony, 34% Fogarty, 4% Johnson, 2% Carlevale, 34% don't know or no answer

If the election for attorney-general were held today, would you vote for the Republican
Nancy Mayer or Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse? 40% Mayer, 46% Whitehouse, 14% don't know or no answer

If the election for secretary of state were held today, would you vote for Republican Edward Lopez or Democrat James Langevin? 13% Lopez, 59% Langevin, 28% don't know or no answer

If the election for treasurer were held today, would you vote for the Republican
Jim Bennett, Democrat Paul Tavares, or Reform party candidate Victor Moffitt? 18% Bennett, 35% Tavares, 7% Moffitt, 40% don't know or no answer

We are interested in how people are getting along financially these days. Would you say that you (and your family living there) are: 56% better off, 16% worse off financially than you were a year ago, 28% don't know or no answer

Now looking ahead--do you think that a year from now you (and your family living there) will be: 36% better off financially, 6% worse off, 47% just about the same as now, 11% don't know or no answer

Now turning to business conditions in the state as a whole--do you think that during the next twelve months we'll have: 53% good times financially, 18% bad times, 29% don't know or no answer

Looking ahead, which would you say is more likely--that in the state as a whole: 50% we'll have continuous good times during the next five years or so, 24% that we will have periods of widespread unemployment or depression, or what, 26% don't know or no answer

About the big things people buy for their homes--such as furniture, a refrigerator, stove, television, and things like that. Generally speaking, do you think now is a: 72% good, 9% bad time for people to buy major household items, 19% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Bill Clinton is doing as president? 22% excellent, 45% good, 17% only fair, 13% poor, 3% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job John Chafee is doing as U.S. Senator? 14% excellent, 49% good, 22% only fair, 5% poor, 10% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Jack Reed is doing as U.S. Senator? 16% excellent, 48% good, 19% only fair, 4% poor, 13% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Patrick Kennedy is doing as U.S. Representative? 14% excellent, 46% good, 19% only fair, 9% poor, 12% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Robert Weygand is doing as U.S. Representative? 9% excellent, 46% good, 17% only fair, 4% poor, 24% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Lincoln Almond is doing as governor? 15% excellent, 43% good, 27% only fair, 10% poor, 5% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Bernard Jackvony is doing as lieutenant governor? 4% excellent, 32% good, 20% only fair, 4% poor, 40% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Jeff Pine is doing as attorney general? 14% excellent, 44% good, 23% only fair, 11% poor, 8% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Jim Langevin is doing as secretary of state? 16% excellent, 42% good, 13% only fair, 2% poor, 27% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Nancy Mayer is doing as general treasurer? 17% excellent, 45% good, 20% only fair, 5% poor, 13% don't know or no answer

Generally speaking, would you say things in Rhode Island are going in the right direction, or have they gotten off on the wrong track? 72% right direction, 17% wrong track, 11% don't know or no answer

President Clinton has been accused of personal misconduct in regard to an affair with Monica Lewinsky. Do you believe that he:

a) misled the general public about this affair? 69% yes, 15% no, 16% don't know or no answer

b) lied to the grand jury? 62% yes, 15% no, 23% don't know or no answer

c) committed perjury in his testimony? 53% yes, 22% no, 25% don't know or no answer

d) engaged in conduct unbecoming of a president? 69% yes, 21% no, 10% don't know or no answer

Based on his behavior, do you think President Clinton should:

a) resign from office? 31% yes, 60% no, 9% don't know or no answer

b) be impeached? 17% yes, 75% no, 8% don't know or no answer

c) be censured or reprimanded by Congress? 63% yes, 26% no, 11% don't know or no answer

If President Clinton comes to Rhode Island this Fall to campaign for state Democratic candidates, would he be: 38% an asset, 38% a liability, 24% don't know or no answer

Do you believe that Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr used unfair tactics in his search for information about the President? 65% yes, 23% no, 12% don't know or no answer

Do you feel the Starr Report provided unnecessary sexually explicit material? 76% yes, 16% no, 8% don't know or no answer

Regardless of how you vote, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or something else? 11% Republican, 31% Democrat, 46% Independent, 6% Other, 6% don't know or no answer