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America's Voices
Aired November 11, 2003 - 14:36 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.
O'BRIEN: And now it's time hear what's on your mind from the state of the economy to Iraq and on to politics, what are Americans saying? Who best to ask then Frank Editor, the editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll. He joins as always us from Princeton, New Jersey where there's ivy all over the place.
Frank, lots of good economic news out last week. How are consumers doing through all of this?
FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: It's filtering through to the average American, Miles. That's what's important.
One way we know this is the question we've been asking at least periodically since World War II, what's the most important problem facing the country? This is where we let Americans tell us what's on their mind then we code it after the interview.
Twenty percent say the economy, 19 percent say war in Iraq, then 12 percent on unemployment and jobs. You can see terrorism and health care below that.
Now what's important is the trend on this. The percent mentioning the economy and unemployment and jobs is actually down. When you combine all of the mentions together, the economy below 30 percent last month, well above 40 percent. So definitely shows that the economy's a little less likely to be weighing on the average American's mind. That has been the case in prior months this year.
Also further evidence that Americans are cognizant of the fact that things are getting better. We asked them, is the economy getting better or worse? Now tracked it for you here going back to August. You can see the numbers are up and down. But to the right-hand side that's a 16-point gap, 53 percent say it's getting better, 37 worse, 16-point positive gap the biggest optimism gap, I'll call it, Miles, since way back in the spring of 2002.
O'BRIEN: The optimism gap, not to be confused with the missile gap and any of the other gaps reported over the years.
It's Tuesday in November. This time next year we'll be electing a president. Good time to ask how the president is doing.
NEWPORT: It's a good time to compare him to his father. You know that Bush is doing that and Karl Rove and the others in the White House. Back at about this point in 1991, Bush the elder, that's the left-hand side, George H.W. Bush had a 56 percent job approval rating. His son now has a 54 percent approval rating. So, Miles, they're roughly the same at this point.
What's different is interesting. The current Bush is getting higher marks on the economy than his father. But his father back in '91 was getting higher marks on international and foreign policy. So it's a different profile but right now the two are the same.
Of course, the problem is for Bush that his father kept going down, down, down from this point. Ended up at 29 percent at one point. The current Bush hoping that doesn't happen next year, of course.
O'BRIEN: All right, let's talk about the current Bush's vice president. Dick Cheney on the cover of "Newsweek" this week. He is a choice that in some quarters is controversial. Does Cheney help or hurt the president?
NEWPORT: We asked the same question about Dan Quayle. You're right, "Newsweek," this week, "How Cheney sold the Iraq war." Not necessarily a charitable portrait of the current sitting vice president.
Should the current president, George Bush, dump Cheney from the ticket. Well among Republicans, and that's what matters, 28 percent say yes. That's a fairly low number but about the same number that said Bush the Elder should dump Quayle. So it looks like about a third of Republicans were dissatisfied then and a third now. But the vast majority of Republicans say keep Cheney and all indications say he'll still be there next year, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Frank Newport, with the Gallup Poll, our ivy leaguer. Thank you very much.
NEWPORT: It's a pleasure to be with you.
O'BRIEN: All right. Our pleasure.
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 November 11, 2003 - 14:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
O'BRIEN: And now it's time hear what's on your mind from the state of the economy to Iraq and on to politics, what are Americans saying? Who best to ask then Frank Editor, the editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll. He joins as always us from Princeton, New Jersey where there's ivy all over the place.
Frank, lots of good economic news out last week. How are consumers doing through all of this?
FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: It's filtering through to the average American, Miles. That's what's important.
One way we know this is the question we've been asking at least periodically since World War II, what's the most important problem facing the country? This is where we let Americans tell us what's on their mind then we code it after the interview.
Twenty percent say the economy, 19 percent say war in Iraq, then 12 percent on unemployment and jobs. You can see terrorism and health care below that.
Now what's important is the trend on this. The percent mentioning the economy and unemployment and jobs is actually down. When you combine all of the mentions together, the economy below 30 percent last month, well above 40 percent. So definitely shows that the economy's a little less likely to be weighing on the average American's mind. That has been the case in prior months this year.
Also further evidence that Americans are cognizant of the fact that things are getting better. We asked them, is the economy getting better or worse? Now tracked it for you here going back to August. You can see the numbers are up and down. But to the right-hand side that's a 16-point gap, 53 percent say it's getting better, 37 worse, 16-point positive gap the biggest optimism gap, I'll call it, Miles, since way back in the spring of 2002.
O'BRIEN: The optimism gap, not to be confused with the missile gap and any of the other gaps reported over the years.
It's Tuesday in November. This time next year we'll be electing a president. Good time to ask how the president is doing.
NEWPORT: It's a good time to compare him to his father. You know that Bush is doing that and Karl Rove and the others in the White House. Back at about this point in 1991, Bush the elder, that's the left-hand side, George H.W. Bush had a 56 percent job approval rating. His son now has a 54 percent approval rating. So, Miles, they're roughly the same at this point.
What's different is interesting. The current Bush is getting higher marks on the economy than his father. But his father back in '91 was getting higher marks on international and foreign policy. So it's a different profile but right now the two are the same.
Of course, the problem is for Bush that his father kept going down, down, down from this point. Ended up at 29 percent at one point. The current Bush hoping that doesn't happen next year, of course.
O'BRIEN: All right, let's talk about the current Bush's vice president. Dick Cheney on the cover of "Newsweek" this week. He is a choice that in some quarters is controversial. Does Cheney help or hurt the president?
NEWPORT: We asked the same question about Dan Quayle. You're right, "Newsweek," this week, "How Cheney sold the Iraq war." Not necessarily a charitable portrait of the current sitting vice president.
Should the current president, George Bush, dump Cheney from the ticket. Well among Republicans, and that's what matters, 28 percent say yes. That's a fairly low number but about the same number that said Bush the Elder should dump Quayle. So it looks like about a third of Republicans were dissatisfied then and a third now. But the vast majority of Republicans say keep Cheney and all indications say he'll still be there next year, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Frank Newport, with the Gallup Poll, our ivy leaguer. Thank you very much.
NEWPORT: It's a pleasure to be with you.
O'BRIEN: All right. Our pleasure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
