Poll: More Americans Satisfied With Clinton's Explanation
But peoples' opinion of the president falls sharply
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Aug. 17) -- By a 53-39 percent margin, Americans say they are satisfied with President Bill Clinton's explanation of his relationship with ex-White House intern Monica Lewinsky, according to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll.
But the survey, taken immediately after Clinton's Monday night speech, found a 20-point drop in the percentage of people who hold a favorable opinion of Clinton -- from 60 percent in a CNN poll Aug. 10-12 poll to 40 percent now. Forty-eight percent of people have an unfavorable view of Clinton.
Sixty-three percent agreed with the president that his relationship with Lewinsky was a private matter.
The survey was based on interviews with 633 adults who watched Clinton's speech, and has a margin of sampling error of +/- 4 percentage points.
About two thirds of people contacted watched the speech, on par with a State of the Union message.
Here are some of the numbers:
How Clinton Is Handling
His Job As President
Approve 62%
Disapprove 32
Opinion of Clinton
Favorable 40%
Unfavorable 48
Impeach Clinton and
Remove Him From Office
Favor 25%
Oppose 69
Should Clinton Resign?
Yes 23%
No 72
Did Clinton Break the Law?
Yes 48%
No 42
Clinton's Relationship
With Lewinsky...
Private matter 63%
Public matter 37
Lost Confidence In Clinton?
Yes 33%
No 65
Confidence In Clinton
Lost confidence 33%
Gained confidence 17
No change 46
Did Clinton Tell Jury Whole
Truth and Nothing But the Truth?
Yes 35%
No 46
Should Speech and Testimony
End Lewinsky Matter?
Yes 65%
No 31
Should Clinton
Have Apologized?
Yes 58%
No 37
|
News
Clinton
Players