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CNN Live At Daybreak
America's Voice: 'Electibility' Issue
Aired February 10, 2004 - 06:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The buzz word of this primary season has been "electibility," and we do have some buzz on the word this morning.
So, let's head live to Princeton, New Jersey, and Gallup Poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport.
Good morning - Frank. What kind of numbers do you have for us today?
FRANK NEWPORT, GALLUP POLL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Well, good morning, Carol.
We're out there polling again nationally. Bush officially, I believe or unofficially, began the campaign when he was on "Meet the Press" this weekend -- actually a slight uptick for Bush in the polls. Right now, Kerry does better than his opponents when we pit him against Bush, as he has been doing.
But the race has now come back from where Kerry was ahead last weekend to where it's roughly dead even between Bush and Kerry if this hypothetical trial heat was held today. You can see that on the left- hand side.
Notice that Bush actually does a little better against Edwards and a little better against Clark. And on the right-hand side there, 10 points Bush would beat Howard Dean.
So, clearly, Kerry does a little better when pitted against Bush. But basically, you can see how even this election is at this point. The whole country is even.
Bush's job approval rating, we're not sure this had a lot to do with the "Meet the Press" appearance, because a lot of our interviewing over the weekend was done Friday and Saturday. But notice the slight uptick. He was at 49, last week 52. Statistically, that's not a great change. This is job approval rating.
But, Carol, anytime an incumbent is back up above that symbolic 50 percent line, it's certainly better than being below it, and that's where Bush is at the moment.
COSTELLO: Well, something that certainly maybe an issue in the campaign: same-sex marriage. And you do have some numbers on whether Americans feel that that should be legalized or maybe a new constitutional amendment should be proposed.
NEWPORT: Indeed. A lot of observers are now opining, Carol, that that could become a real issue in this campaign this year.
We've got some interesting data. Now, all of the polling shows that Americans are opposed to the concept of same-sex marriage. When you ask them about it, should it be valid or not, this is our weekend results: 59 percent of Americans say no. That's consistent with most polling.
However, there's a 12 -- this is key. There's a 12-point drop when we asked Americans, well, then, should there be a constitutional amendment to that effect -- that is defining marriage as just between a man and a woman. We only find 47 percent of Americans favor this, less than half, that kind of amendment. Other polling shows the same thing.
Bottom line here, Carol, is that while Americans are uneasy with same-sex marriage, they're also uneasy with this whole idea of amending the U.S. Constitution, at least the majority are. And so, that's kind of where the issue is going to play out as we watch these politicians dance around it in the months to come -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Interesting. Frank Newport live from Princeton, New Jersey. We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired February 10, 2004 - 06:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The buzz word of this primary season has been "electibility," and we do have some buzz on the word this morning.
So, let's head live to Princeton, New Jersey, and Gallup Poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport.
Good morning - Frank. What kind of numbers do you have for us today?
FRANK NEWPORT, GALLUP POLL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Well, good morning, Carol.
We're out there polling again nationally. Bush officially, I believe or unofficially, began the campaign when he was on "Meet the Press" this weekend -- actually a slight uptick for Bush in the polls. Right now, Kerry does better than his opponents when we pit him against Bush, as he has been doing.
But the race has now come back from where Kerry was ahead last weekend to where it's roughly dead even between Bush and Kerry if this hypothetical trial heat was held today. You can see that on the left- hand side.
Notice that Bush actually does a little better against Edwards and a little better against Clark. And on the right-hand side there, 10 points Bush would beat Howard Dean.
So, clearly, Kerry does a little better when pitted against Bush. But basically, you can see how even this election is at this point. The whole country is even.
Bush's job approval rating, we're not sure this had a lot to do with the "Meet the Press" appearance, because a lot of our interviewing over the weekend was done Friday and Saturday. But notice the slight uptick. He was at 49, last week 52. Statistically, that's not a great change. This is job approval rating.
But, Carol, anytime an incumbent is back up above that symbolic 50 percent line, it's certainly better than being below it, and that's where Bush is at the moment.
COSTELLO: Well, something that certainly maybe an issue in the campaign: same-sex marriage. And you do have some numbers on whether Americans feel that that should be legalized or maybe a new constitutional amendment should be proposed.
NEWPORT: Indeed. A lot of observers are now opining, Carol, that that could become a real issue in this campaign this year.
We've got some interesting data. Now, all of the polling shows that Americans are opposed to the concept of same-sex marriage. When you ask them about it, should it be valid or not, this is our weekend results: 59 percent of Americans say no. That's consistent with most polling.
However, there's a 12 -- this is key. There's a 12-point drop when we asked Americans, well, then, should there be a constitutional amendment to that effect -- that is defining marriage as just between a man and a woman. We only find 47 percent of Americans favor this, less than half, that kind of amendment. Other polling shows the same thing.
Bottom line here, Carol, is that while Americans are uneasy with same-sex marriage, they're also uneasy with this whole idea of amending the U.S. Constitution, at least the majority are. And so, that's kind of where the issue is going to play out as we watch these politicians dance around it in the months to come -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Interesting. Frank Newport live from Princeton, New Jersey. We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
