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Poll Analysis With Frank Newport

Aired June 24, 2003 - 15:21   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 time now back in the United States to find out how the American public views some of the major news events making headlines. With me now from the Gallup organization in Princeton, New Jersey, is the editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll, Frank Newport.
Frank Newport. Frank, first of all, do Americans think the war over Iraq was worth fighting?

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Well, it's a key question. We keep monitoring the data, Judy, because of all the news that we're getting back, American casualties, British casualties. People think that that support is going to slip. It hasn't.

The latest polling came from ABC-"Washington Post" just out. "Was the war worth it?" Well, it's still up at almost to two-thirds level.

About 64 percent. It had been a little higher than that during the war itself at about 70. But that 64 is still very robust. So, so far, we're not finding any sign, Judy, of real deterioration in support for the Iraq war from the public.

WOODRUFF: All right. I'm going to turn you to Medicare. The Senate, as we know, is in its second week of debating some questions surrounding Medicare. Part of that debate, Frank, has to do whether to privatize parts of Medicare. What is the public saying about it?

NEWPORT: Well, that's a key issue in the Senate and the House. A big partisan debate. Seniors, the ones who matter right now in terms of voting, the ones who are using Medicare, overwhelmingly say leave it a government program. Don't privatize it.

Younger Americans say privatizing is OK. The latest poll we have here from the Harvard School of Public Health, the Kaiser Foundation, asked that. Sixty-three percent say keep it a government-run program. These are seniors, mind you, and they want it not privatized, Judy. No question about it.

WOODRUFF: All right. A very different question, Frank. And that is, in the next few days we expect the Supreme Court to issue a ruling on the state of Texas' anti-sodomy law. When you asked the American people their views on opposing whether they oppose or favor laws that make homosexual acts illegal, what do they say?

NEWPORT: Well, this is going to be a crucial landmark ruling. The public has shifted dramatically over the last four or five years. Right now the majority say it's their private right to do what they want to do. Sixty percent say it should be legal for gays and lesbians to engage in homosexual activity.

And that's a major shift. You can see from just 1996, when it was less than a majority. If that's what the Supreme Court rules, the public will say that's a correct decision.

WOODRUFF: And last but not least, Frank, yesterday's decision by the Supreme Court upholding a form of affirmative action. What should we expect the public reaction to that be? We know it's too quick to get any polls back on it, but what would you expect?

NEWPORT: Well, the key issue I keep saying today when people ask me this is it's a huge divide by race. Black Americans are all in favor of a lot of affirmative action and whites are very cautious. They're very sensitive to the issue; they're very careful about it.

If this means that affirmative action programs are not increased and stay the same, you can see in the left-hand column there most whites will be OK with it. But if it leads to more affirmative action programs, we could see some resistance from whites. A very sensitive issue and one of the most race divisive issues that we poll about -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right. Frank Newport with the Gallup Organization. Always good to talk to you. We learn something every week. Thank you very much.

NEWPORT: Thank you, Judy.

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 24, 2003 - 15:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well time now back in the United States to find out how the American public views some of the major news events making headlines. With me now from the Gallup organization in Princeton, New Jersey, is the editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll, Frank Newport.
Frank Newport. Frank, first of all, do Americans think the war over Iraq was worth fighting?

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Well, it's a key question. We keep monitoring the data, Judy, because of all the news that we're getting back, American casualties, British casualties. People think that that support is going to slip. It hasn't.

The latest polling came from ABC-"Washington Post" just out. "Was the war worth it?" Well, it's still up at almost to two-thirds level.

About 64 percent. It had been a little higher than that during the war itself at about 70. But that 64 is still very robust. So, so far, we're not finding any sign, Judy, of real deterioration in support for the Iraq war from the public.

WOODRUFF: All right. I'm going to turn you to Medicare. The Senate, as we know, is in its second week of debating some questions surrounding Medicare. Part of that debate, Frank, has to do whether to privatize parts of Medicare. What is the public saying about it?

NEWPORT: Well, that's a key issue in the Senate and the House. A big partisan debate. Seniors, the ones who matter right now in terms of voting, the ones who are using Medicare, overwhelmingly say leave it a government program. Don't privatize it.

Younger Americans say privatizing is OK. The latest poll we have here from the Harvard School of Public Health, the Kaiser Foundation, asked that. Sixty-three percent say keep it a government-run program. These are seniors, mind you, and they want it not privatized, Judy. No question about it.

WOODRUFF: All right. A very different question, Frank. And that is, in the next few days we expect the Supreme Court to issue a ruling on the state of Texas' anti-sodomy law. When you asked the American people their views on opposing whether they oppose or favor laws that make homosexual acts illegal, what do they say?

NEWPORT: Well, this is going to be a crucial landmark ruling. The public has shifted dramatically over the last four or five years. Right now the majority say it's their private right to do what they want to do. Sixty percent say it should be legal for gays and lesbians to engage in homosexual activity.

And that's a major shift. You can see from just 1996, when it was less than a majority. If that's what the Supreme Court rules, the public will say that's a correct decision.

WOODRUFF: And last but not least, Frank, yesterday's decision by the Supreme Court upholding a form of affirmative action. What should we expect the public reaction to that be? We know it's too quick to get any polls back on it, but what would you expect?

NEWPORT: Well, the key issue I keep saying today when people ask me this is it's a huge divide by race. Black Americans are all in favor of a lot of affirmative action and whites are very cautious. They're very sensitive to the issue; they're very careful about it.

If this means that affirmative action programs are not increased and stay the same, you can see in the left-hand column there most whites will be OK with it. But if it leads to more affirmative action programs, we could see some resistance from whites. A very sensitive issue and one of the most race divisive issues that we poll about -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right. Frank Newport with the Gallup Organization. Always good to talk to you. We learn something every week. Thank you very much.

NEWPORT: Thank you, Judy.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com