CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, December 2000

This poll, conducted December 9-10, 2000, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. The study was conducted to assess respondents' interest in and opinions about the 2000 presidential election. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, as well as their opinions of both candidates, Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush. Those polled were asked whether Bush and Gore would be able to lead the country effectively and whether they would bring together or divide different groups of Americans. The survey also queried respondents on the legitimacy of the election, the way the Bush and Gore campaigns handled the election, the way elections in the United States are run and votes are counted, the need for election reforms, the electoral college, and the effects of the election controversy on the institution of the United States presidency. A number of questions concentrated on Florida's vote recount. Those polled were asked whom voters in Florida intended to vote for and whether the vote count in Florida was fair and accurate. Respondents also commented on the way the courts had handled the lawsuits dealing with the Florida vote, the manual recounts of disputed votes in Florida, and the manual recounts of all ballots in Florida. Their views were elicited on whom they would rather see become president, how much confidence they had in the vote counting, what voting method they used, when they thought the outcome would finally be resolved, whether one of the candidates should concede, and if so, who, and whether they approved of the legislature naming its electors before the outcome had been determined. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, education, race/ethnic identity, political party affiliation, political orientation, marital status, children in the household, andhousehold income.