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Public opposes legal efforts by Gore to contest Florida certification of Bush as winner, but still divided on whether Bush really won in Florida
GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- In the wake of the certification of George W. Bush as the winner in Florida, and as Al Gore officially takes steps to contest the Florida results, a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll suggests that an increasing number of Americans are ready to see the 2000 election come to an end -- even though about half of all Americans are not sure that Bush really won in Florida. The poll was conducted November 26-27, after Florida's Secretary of State, Katherine Harris, issued the certification, but before Gore gave his reply to the country on Monday evening.
The poll shows that 62% of Americans feel that the election situation has gone on too long, while 37% say they are willing to wait a little longer. Last week, there was significantly more patience from the public -- with a slight margin in favor of waiting, 51% to 48%. Furthermore, by a margin of 56% to 38%, Americans now say that Gore should concede the election, while last week the public was evenly divided -- with 46% on either side of the issue. In addition, 57% of Americans say they disapprove of Gore's efforts to contest the Florida election, while just 40% approve.
In general, these views are highly partisan, with Republicans giving overwhelming support to Bush's position and Democrats giving considerably weaker support to Gore's position. Independents tend to break substantially in favor of Bush.
Public Still Divided on Whether Bush Really Won in Florida
Although Americans favor a Gore concession, just 51% say that Bush really won the election in Florida, while 49% say that they are unsure who won (32%), that Gore won (15%) or that they have no opinion on the matter (2%). Among Americans who favor Bush, 93% are convinced he won in Florida, and only 7% say they are unsure. But 51% of Gore supporters are unsure, while 35% think their candidate won -- with just 13% accepting the official certification of Bush as correct. Among the 18% of Americans who express no preference for either candidate, 53% are unsure who won, and another 5% think Gore won -- leaving just 37% who are convinced by the Florida certification of Bush as victor.
Gore Losing Support
Two weeks ago, Americans approved of the way that Bush and Gore were handling the results of the election by similar margins, but today Americans disapprove of Gore's actions by 54% to 42%, while they approve of Bush's actions by 54% to 41%. Also, when Americans are asked whether they would accept Gore as the legitimate president if he is declared the winner and inaugurated next January, 74% say they would -- compared with 84% who say that about Bush under similar circumstances. Two weeks ago, 79% said they would accept Bush and 82% said they would accept Gore.
One reason that Gore may be losing support is that the public tends to see the events in Florida more benignly than does the Gore camp. Overall, 49% of Americans say they approve of the way Secretary of State Harris has handled the situation there, while 40% disapprove -- virtually the same as the results of a week ago. Furthermore, 54% agreed with her decision to exclude ballots submitted by Palm Beach County after the 5:00 p.m. deadline on Sunday, while only 44% felt she should have given the county more time.
Election Uncertainty Seen as Problem, With No Permanent Harm to U.S.
Despite their growing impatience, Americans continue to regard the election uncertainty as mostly a "major problem" (50%) rather than a constitutional crisis (10%). In addition, another 29% say the current election situation is only a minor problem, and 9% say it is no problem at all. Over the past two weeks, there has been little change in this view. Two weeks ago, 15% of Americans said the election situation was a constitutional crisis, and last week 10% expressed that view -- the same as this week. The number who feel the situation is a major problem was at 49% two weeks ago, then just 44% last week, and has now climbed back to its previous level.
These relatively stable views are reflected in the response Americans give about the potential harm done to the United States because of the election process. Overall, 62% say there has been no permanent harm, although 37% disagree. There are only minor differences in this view among Bush and Gore supporters.
Survey Methods Results are based on telephone interviews with -- 881 -- national adults, aged 18+, conducted November 26-27, 2000. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points. Results based on the subsample of -- 352 -- Gore supporters have a margin of sampling error of +/- 6 percentage points. Results based on the subsample of -- 387 -- Bush supporters have a margin of sampling error of +/- 6 percentage points. Results based on the subsample of -- 131 -- respondents who have no presidential preference have a margin of sampling error of +/- 9 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
teeny-weeny
This poll is post-certification and pre-Gores latest speech
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To: Leroy S. Mort
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The numbers should move more anti-Gore after last night's speech. Anybody seen/heard any over-night survey results (assuming anyone's still polling that quickly)?
Are we now going to live by the polls?? I thought that was leaving with Al Bore....
It's still a public relations battle, my friend. The end of this is inevitable, but the sooner the public opinion tide overwhelms Gore, the sooner he folds. Those who live by the poll, die by it!
The numbers should move more anti-Gore after last night's speech
Agreed. Al Gore has no class. Anybody could see what a jerk he was in that speech. My opinion is that the general public would respond that he's just a loser.
Did anyone hear Rush's parody of Algore's speech? Priceless. Tune it in just to hear that.
51% say that Bush really won the election in Florida ... 15% say that Gore won
Seems pretty clear to me! Nice attempt to spin it though!!
51% say Bush won, 15% say gore won.....No wonder gorleone is humping for more and more spin time on tv...gotta get those numbers up. What a jackass! He actually thinks people like him.
New Democrats (Socialists) live and die by the polls and this is certainly not good news for Gore. In fact, the media is just as poll sensitive because of ratings and they will go with the tide of the polls.
I did not think Gore would ever concede but I bet he concedes by Friday.
I think you are right, but he is in the democrct judical system. Some judge just might want to go down in history as the one who turned the election over.
"In general, these views are highly partisan, with Republicans giving overwhelming support to Bush's position and Democrats giving considerably weaker support to Gore's position."
The first part of this statement is a lie, immediately refuted by the second part of the statement. If all Republicans and some Democrats want Gore to concede, that means that some Democrats and no Republicans want Gore to fight on. Logically, a position supported by members of both parties is "bi-partisan," while one supported only by members of one party is "highly partisan."
So "in general," the views are not highly partisan. "In general" (i.e., by 6 to 10), most people support the bi-partisan view that Gore should concede.
They have lived by the polls, they will die by them. This is our best offense against Gore's putsch. WE need more polls showing "declining support" for Gore's moves. Luntz? Others?
What a jackass! He actually thinks people like him.
Yeah, well, we just had a real poll. It's called an election. And half the losers in this "poll" didn't vote.
Politically, non-voters don't exist. That's one of the real problems with these "polls".
We've got to remember, we can die by the polls, too.
"Are we now going to live by the polls?? I thought that was leaving with Al Bore...."
If the polls help us usher him out the door, then let's use them just one more time!
Al Gore has three big problems. First he lost the certified vote, even under the amended rules rewritten by the Florida Supreme Court after the election.
Second, the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the Bush appeal is very bad news for the Gore campaign. Just as the Friday Nov. 17 decision by the Florida Supreme Court was an early indication of their decision to rule favorably for Gore, this past Friday's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is an early indication of their likely intention to overturn the Florida Supreme Court's decision.
Third, both the Bush campaign and the Florida Legislature have made it clear the Legislature will act to preserve and protect the Bush victory, if necessary, and there is NOTHING Al Gore can do to prevent this. When you add it all up, George W. Bush will be the next President. The remaining question is how the process plays itself out.
Regardless what we may see and hear from the various courts in Florida, it really all comes down to what happens in the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court of Florida and the various district courts have mostly failed to uphold the law, and instead created new laws without the slightest thoughts towards legislation legality. The Bush attornies have taken the proper steps by taking their case to the U.S. Supreme Court, and all we may hope for is the upholding of the law, and the illegality of changing the rule of law as has been done in Florida.
Today Gore said with a very nervous giggle that polls don't matter any more, this is now a legal matter.
Well, how convenient! When it goes their way, the will of the people is the only important thing, but now it is irrelevant.
I predict the polls will continue to slide against Gore every day now.
How much worse can it get for Gore. Read between the lines.
Although Americans favor a Gore concession, just 51% say that Bush really won the election in Florida, while 49% say that they are unsure who won (32%), that Gore won (15%) or that they have no opinion on the matter (2%).
Ignoring the liberal slant, the numbers say still say that of those that had an opinion 51% favored Bush, while only 15% favored Gore. And this was before his last few idiotic appearances.
I did not think Gore would ever concede but I bet he concedes by Friday.
You may have hit the nail on the head. Gore does not want a bad USSC ruling. He'll do anything to cut a deal. Also, I'm sure the Dems don't want that ruling either because those 7 FSC Justices would face impeachment, as would all these other judges that have BROKEN THE LAW. I'm no lawyer, but I truly believe these activist judges should be jailed. They have abused their power for political gain.
Gore and his people don't really care about the future of the democRAT party! The only reason they are using every DIRTY trick in the book to try and win this election, even if it damages ANY chance of a political future on their part, is that he and his cronies want to retain control of the DOJ, FBI, IRS, INS, BATF and Military so that they don't GO TO JAIL FOR MURDER AND TREASON. Notice how almost all of the top people in his administration that have actually come forward to actively support this effort are tied to the MURDER of Ron Brown? Coincidence???
I don't think gwhore will ever concede. Period. I think he will just be forced to give it up. But I do not think we will EVER hear the word concede spill out of his snivelly little mouth on national television. Never. He has gone too far, has too much to lose, and has put too many people out to walk the plank for him. Remember, "I never had sex with that woman!..." Gwhore learned from the best. He said he would concede if the votes showed him a loser this past Sunday when Katherine Harris certified the election. Did he? No. He is a desperate, mentally-ill delusional liar. He will take people down with him with this pit bull mentality just like clinton did with the lies surrounding Monica Lewinsky. (No offense intended toward pit bulls! Dogs have tons more class and integrity and honesty than either of those two in the Blighthouse right now...)
"by a margin of 56% to 38%, Americans now say that Gore should concede the election.."
Concede Al.
It's the will of the people.
I just heard on Fox where the number of ballots counted by machine in Florida is considerably less than the number that are now in play !
Gee, where'd all the "extra ballots" come from ?
If everything was supposed to be machine counted first, then hand counted, there should NOT be ANY extra ballots over the number counted by machine !
I agree with you, but I can see how he could rationalize that since all the counts weren't completed and included in the cert., it leaves him an out, when it comes to his declaration that he would abide by the certification of the results of the 3 county hand recount. Mark my words, before Friday, Gore will concede. Some of the Dems are already jumping ship and running for cover. 2002 is right around the corner. The rest of the Dems will be calling for him to concede "for the good of the nation" by week's end (meaning I have an election to run two years). You can see the pressure from others is already forcing the goofball to act even more irrationally than normal. Time will tell.....
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the issue before the USSC was the FSC's ruling re the hand-counting etc vs Fla election law.
If that's the case, and it's ruled in GW's favor, wouldn't that negate the results of the hand-count (going back to the machine count totals), even though they're already certified and in effect negate any action by any Fla judge to either extend any counts or issue any order in non-compliance with the Fla election laws?
If this is true then it's CHECKMATE!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the issue before the USSC was the FSC's ruling re the hand-counting etc vs Fla election law.
My understanding is SCOTUS refused to consider the legality (or lack thereof) of the handcounts. They DID agree to consider whether or not FSC justasses violated the law by re-writing the Forida election stature after the election--specifically with regard to the deadline for counting ballots.
stature=statute...my bad
Perhaps we'd best email the Demo's and tell them we won't vote for them (no kidding) unless Gore steps down, that he's an embarrassment to the Party. LOL mailblaster.com
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