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Analysis of Gallup Polls With Frank Newport
Aired June 17, 2003 - 15:09 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Americans are apparently becoming more pessimistic, once again, about the chances for lasting peace in the Middle East despite those moves. That is one of the findings of a new Gallup Poll.
Let's learn more from Gallup's editor-in-chief, Frank Newport. He joins us from Princeton, New Jersey. Frank, so the poll is showing people more pessimistic?
FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: That's right, unfortunately. It may be realistic, it may be pessimistic. The key here, Judy, was, in May, we saw an uptick in Americans' optimism about peace in the Middle East. In fact, it was the highest we have seen it in a long time, over 50 percent -- just barely.
I mean we just over the weekend asked the same question again, and the results have come right back down again. Just 38 percent of Americans now say there will ever be peace in the Middle East between the Israelis and the Arab nations. But that's about what we had seen previously.
I guess the key I'm pointing out here is that the optimism was apparently short lived on the part of the American public. Hopefully it will come back up again.
WOODRUFF: And so what would you say are the most -- some of the most important problems people say they want to see dealt with in the Middle East?
NEWPORT: Well, it's -- in the Middle East, the Americans are clearly in favor of the U.S. being involved. They want the U.S. to remain very, very neutral.
Now, in terms of the most important problem, Judy, in general, it's not really the Middle East here. Domestically, this isn't a great shock, that's important. But it's the economy.
That's what George W. Bush has been out pushing, as we've seen in the news clips from his speeches. Thirty percent economy; 12 percent unemployment. This is the general question we've been asking since World War II.
We just finished asking it again. What's the most important problem facing the country? There comes terrorism and the war, those kinds of things, but they're quite low on the totem poll as far as Americans are concerned. There is a little ray of optimism here, Judy, which I think is important to point out. When we ask Americans is the economy getting better or getting worse, the Bush statements that he's been making about optimism, well, look there. If you look at the very top there, it's 45 percent getting better, 43 percent worse.
That's significant, because the net difference is a slight positive. You can see the trend below that has been negative. So maybe we're seeing a little hope in the part of the public.
One other point, Judy. Politically, Bush's overall approval is at 63 percent. His economic approval rating 48 percent. A 15-point gap. That explains why Bush is out talking about the economy.
WOODRUFF: But the White House has to be happy about the trend. Last question, completely changing gears, Frank.
There is a new book out. The latest "Harry Potter" book. What do you find when you ask people whether they're more interested in that or the Hillary Clinton book?
NEWPORT: Well, that's a fascinating question. You know "TIME" magazine had Hillary Clinton on the cover -- what was it, a week or two ago.
This week, who is on the cover? It's "Harry Potter." So clearly those are the two dueling books. One a real person, one fiction, of course.
And the public favors "Harry Potter." It's fictional. Everyone anticipates it will be higher in terms of sales.
We put the question to people. Thirty-seven percent said they'd rather read "Living History," Judy. We already got an e-mail from some people saying they don't believe the 37. That seems to be high.
But that's what people tell us. It is very political. Judy, go to your local bookstore this weekend and if they veer over to that "Harry Potter" table, you're pretty sure they're Republicans. If they veer over to the Hillary Clinton table, they're Democrats.
WOODRUFF: So that's how it breaks down?
NEWPORT: That's right.
WOODRUFF: OK. All right. Frank Newport, with the Gallup organization. Good to see you, Frank. Thanks very much.
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 June 17, 2003 - 15:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Americans are apparently becoming more pessimistic, once again, about the chances for lasting peace in the Middle East despite those moves. That is one of the findings of a new Gallup Poll.
Let's learn more from Gallup's editor-in-chief, Frank Newport. He joins us from Princeton, New Jersey. Frank, so the poll is showing people more pessimistic?
FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: That's right, unfortunately. It may be realistic, it may be pessimistic. The key here, Judy, was, in May, we saw an uptick in Americans' optimism about peace in the Middle East. In fact, it was the highest we have seen it in a long time, over 50 percent -- just barely.
I mean we just over the weekend asked the same question again, and the results have come right back down again. Just 38 percent of Americans now say there will ever be peace in the Middle East between the Israelis and the Arab nations. But that's about what we had seen previously.
I guess the key I'm pointing out here is that the optimism was apparently short lived on the part of the American public. Hopefully it will come back up again.
WOODRUFF: And so what would you say are the most -- some of the most important problems people say they want to see dealt with in the Middle East?
NEWPORT: Well, it's -- in the Middle East, the Americans are clearly in favor of the U.S. being involved. They want the U.S. to remain very, very neutral.
Now, in terms of the most important problem, Judy, in general, it's not really the Middle East here. Domestically, this isn't a great shock, that's important. But it's the economy.
That's what George W. Bush has been out pushing, as we've seen in the news clips from his speeches. Thirty percent economy; 12 percent unemployment. This is the general question we've been asking since World War II.
We just finished asking it again. What's the most important problem facing the country? There comes terrorism and the war, those kinds of things, but they're quite low on the totem poll as far as Americans are concerned. There is a little ray of optimism here, Judy, which I think is important to point out. When we ask Americans is the economy getting better or getting worse, the Bush statements that he's been making about optimism, well, look there. If you look at the very top there, it's 45 percent getting better, 43 percent worse.
That's significant, because the net difference is a slight positive. You can see the trend below that has been negative. So maybe we're seeing a little hope in the part of the public.
One other point, Judy. Politically, Bush's overall approval is at 63 percent. His economic approval rating 48 percent. A 15-point gap. That explains why Bush is out talking about the economy.
WOODRUFF: But the White House has to be happy about the trend. Last question, completely changing gears, Frank.
There is a new book out. The latest "Harry Potter" book. What do you find when you ask people whether they're more interested in that or the Hillary Clinton book?
NEWPORT: Well, that's a fascinating question. You know "TIME" magazine had Hillary Clinton on the cover -- what was it, a week or two ago.
This week, who is on the cover? It's "Harry Potter." So clearly those are the two dueling books. One a real person, one fiction, of course.
And the public favors "Harry Potter." It's fictional. Everyone anticipates it will be higher in terms of sales.
We put the question to people. Thirty-seven percent said they'd rather read "Living History," Judy. We already got an e-mail from some people saying they don't believe the 37. That seems to be high.
But that's what people tell us. It is very political. Judy, go to your local bookstore this weekend and if they veer over to that "Harry Potter" table, you're pretty sure they're Republicans. If they veer over to the Hillary Clinton table, they're Democrats.
WOODRUFF: So that's how it breaks down?
NEWPORT: That's right.
WOODRUFF: OK. All right. Frank Newport, with the Gallup organization. Good to see you, Frank. Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
