January 20, 1999
Web posted at: 12:19 a.m. EDT (0019 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, January 19) -- Americans who watched President Bill Clinton's State of the Union address on Tuesday night reacted as favorably to it as they did to the 1998 speech, according to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.

The speech appears to have particularly swayed speech watchers' views of Clinton -- a majority of them had a negative view of Clinton as a person before the speech, but more than half had a positive view of him afterward.

Speech watchers' views of the economy also rose significantly after they heard the speech. But the address did little to boost the speech viewers' confidence in Clinton's ability to carry out his duties, although that was high to begin with.

More than half -- 56 percent -- said they had a very positive reaction to the speech, slightly higher than the 52 percent of his audience last year who felt that way. Twenty-four percent of speech viewers said the speech made them less likely to support his removal from office; most reported that the speech did not affect their views of the impeachment trial.

Three-quarters said that the proposals Clinton announced on Tuesday night would save Social Security for the 21st century.

The survey of 454 adult Americans who watched the speech was conducted between 10:30 and 10:40 pm EST on January 19, 1999 and has a margin of sampling error of +/- five percentage points.

Question 1: How confident are you in Bill Clinton's ability to carry out his duties as president -- very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not confident at all?

                  Before    After
                  Speech    Speech

Very confident      49%     55%
Somewhat confident  25      24
Not confident       25      21

Question 2: Thinking about Bill Clinton as a person, do you have a positive or negative opinion of him?

             Before   After
             Speech   Speech

Positive      38%      51%
Negative      56       46

Question 3: How would you rate economic conditions in this country today -- as excellent, good, only fair or poor?

                 Before   After
                 Speech   Speech

Excellent          27%      40%
Good               60       49
Only fair          11        9
Poor                2        2

Question 4: What was your overall reaction to Clinton's speech tonight -- very positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative, or very negative?

                   1999     1998 
                                 
Very positive       56%      52% 
Somewhat positive   27       32  
Negative            16       16  

Question 5: Overall, which of the following statements comes closest to how you feel about most of the proposals made by Clinton in his speech this evening -- (A) they are good proposals and will be accomplished (B) they are good proposals but will not be accomplished, or (C) they are not good proposals

Good/will happen       50%
Good/will not happen   38                  
Not good                6                  

Question 6: Do you think that the proposals Clinton made tonight for Social Security will or will not save Social Security for the next century?

Yes      75%
No       18

Question 7: How did President Clinton's speech this evening affect your view of what should happen in the Senate impeachment trial -- (A) it made you more likely to feel he should be removed from office (B) it did not change your view (C) it made you less likely to feel he should be removed from office.

More likely to support    5%
Less likely to support   24
No change                70

Tuesday January 19, 1999

• Clinton ignores impeachment, calls for Social Security reform
• In State of Union response, GOP promises to stick to 'practical matters'
• Social Security tops Clinton State of Union address
• Clinton: 'State of our union is strong'
• Transcript: Clinton's State of the Union speech
• Transcript: Republican response to the State of the Union address
• Poll: Most State of the Union viewers liked the speech
• White House lawyer derides impeachment case as weak
• White House drops plans to use House Democrats in defense
• Senate Dems: Defense presentation was 'powerful'
• Transcript: White House Counsel Ruff's opening statement
• Gov. Bush begins second term in Texas
• Supreme Court decisions on death, long-distance and Ticketmaster
• Congressional clash looms on taxes, Social Security
• Ventura's appointment to wildlife post withdraws under pressure
• Clinton legal team contrasts with House prosecutors
• With crime down and economy up, America's mood is cheery
• Jones' team says old lawyers abandoned her, should get nothing
• Dunn, Largent to give GOP response to Clinton speech
• Witness in Willey case pleads innocent to making up story
• Sosa, activists to attend State of Union
• Mortgage company head says Clinton announcement a surprise

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