CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, March 2004

This poll, conducted March 10-13, 2004, is part of a seriesof monthly polls that solicit public opinion on political and socialissues. Views were sought on the 2004 presidential campaign, as wellas President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency,foreign policy, the economy, the situation with Iraq, and the campaignagainst terrorism. Respondents were asked whether the country wasgoing in the right or wrong direction, whether the result of the warwith Iraq was worth the human and economic costs, whether Iraq was athreat to the United States prior to the war, and whether the UnitedStates made the right decision in taking military action against Iraq.Several questions asked whether the terrorist attacks of September 11,2001, had a negative or positive impact on the economy, whether theeconomy and the respondent's own financial situation was better orworse than when President Bush first took office four years ago, andthe effect of the Bush administration's policies on jobs, taxes, thecountry's level of safety from terrorism, and the cost of prescriptiondrugs for the elderly. Opinions were solicited on the seriousness ofthe current budget deficit, how serious of a problem it would be inthe future, and whether the tax cuts enacted in 2001 should be madepermanent, even if they increased the budget deficit in the future.Respondents were also polled on how much attention they paid to the2004 presidential campaign, the likelihood that they would vote,whether they planned to vote for President George W. Bush, Democraticcandidate John Kerry, or Independent candidate Ralph Nader, whetherthey had made their mind up yet, who they expected to win, the issuethey most wanted candidates to discuss, and whether it was acceptableto use images of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks inpolitical campaigns. A series of questions addressed respondents'level of confidence in the ability of President Bush and John Kerry tocorrectly handle an international crisis and make decisions about thenational economy, and whether each candidate's election would increasejobs, improve the economy, protect the country from terrorism, andensure the future of Social Security benefits. Those polled also gavetheir opinions of the Democratic and Republican parties, and VicePresident Dick Cheney. Additional topics addressed whetherhomosexuality was a choice, whether respondents favored or opposed aconstitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, whether lawsregarding marriage and civil unions should be determined by state orfederal governments, and whether the issue of gay marriage should be apart of the election campaign. Background variables include sex, age,education, ethnicity, household income, religion, marital status,number of other telephone lines in household, political partyaffiliation, political orientation, and voter participation andregistration history.