CBS News Monthly Poll #1, August 2000

This poll, fielded August 4-6, 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. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton, former president George H.W. Bush, and the candidates for the 2000 presidential election, Vice President Al Gore, Texas governor George W. Bush, conservative commentator Pat Buchanan, and consumer advocate Ralph Nader. Respondents were asked to indicate whom they were most likely to vote for, whether that decision was firm, and who they thought would ultimately win the election. Opinions from respondents were also gathered regarding former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, Texas First Lady Laura Bush, and Tipper Gore, wife of Al Gore. Other questions focused on whether Al Gore and George W. Bush cared about the needs and problems of people such as the respondent, whether Gore and Bush were capable of handling complicated problems that a president has to deal with, whether the two men were capable of handling an international crisis, whether they cared about the problems and needs of Black people, whether they were trying to bring together different groups of Americans, and whether they had made it clear as to what they wanted to accomplish during their presidency. Respondents were also asked if Bush and Gore had spent more time during the campaign attacking each other or explaining what they would do as president, whether respondents' views on gun control would impact the way they would vote, and if their views on gun control agreed more with the views of Bush or Gore. Another series of questions dealt with respondent opinions of the Democratic and Republican parties and their handling of social and political issues, including Social Security and education, whether the parties cared about people such as the respondent, which party cared more about Blacks and other minorities, and whether the two parties welcomed people with differing viewpoints. A third series of questions queried respondents about the Republican National Convention. Respondents were asked if they had watched any of the coverage of the convention, which one thing stood out the most in their minds, whether the views expressed by the speakers at the convention represented the views of the Republican Party, and if they had watched or listened to any part of Bush's acceptance speech. Respondents were also asked if their vote would be for a continuation of or a change to President Clinton's policies, whether that vote was a vote against or for Clinton's presidency, or whether their vote had nothing to do with Clinton. Background information on respondents includes age, sex, race, education, religion, access to a computer, voter registration and participation history, political party, political orientation, Hispanic descent, marital status, age of children in household, and family income.