LINCOLN INSTITUTE/ COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION October 2000
Q1 Are you currently registered as a Republican, Democrat, or something else? If NO, “thank you” and
terminate the call. If YES, will local records show that you are registered as a Republican, a Democrat,
or something else?
46% REPUBLICAN
49% DEMOCRAT
6% SOMETHING ELSE
Q2 How likely is it that you will be voting in the election this November?
87% DEFINITE
11% VERY LIKELY
1% SOMEWHAT LIKELY
Q Now, I’d like to read you a list of names of people who have been in the news recently. Please tell me
whether you have HEARD of that person, if so, please tell me whether you have a FAVORABLE or
UNFAVORABLE opinion of the person:
Q3 Have you heard of George W. Bush? If YES, do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE opinion of him?
47% FAVORABLE
36% UNFAVORABLE
17% NO OPINION/NEVER HEARD/REFUSED
Q4 Have you heard of Albert Gore? If YES, do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE
opinion of him?
45% FAVORABLE
37% UNFAVORABLE
17% NO OPINION/NEVER HEARD/REFUSED
Q5 Have you ever heard of Mike Fisher? If YES, do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE opinion of him?
19% FAVORABLE
6% UNFAVORABLE
40% HEARD/NO OPINION
35% NEVER HEARD
* REFUSED
Q6 Have you ever heard of Robert P. Casey, Jr.? If YES, do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE opinion of him?
39% FAVORABLE
14% UNFAVORABLE
40% HEARD/NO OPINION
7% NEVER HEARD
* REFUSED
Q7 Have you ever heard of Barbara Hafer? If YES, do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE opinion of her?
45% FAVORABLE
12% UNFAVORABLE
36% HEARD/NO OPINION
7% NEVER HEARD
* REFUSED
Q8 Have you ever heard of Jeff Piccola? If YES, do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE opinion of him?
6% FAVORABLE
5% UNFAVORABLE
27% HEARD/NO OPINION
62% NEVER HEARD
* REFUSED
Q9 Have you ever heard of Ed Rendell? If YES, do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE opinion of him?
31% FAVORABLE
8% UNFAVORABLE
31% HEARD/NO OPINION
29% NEVER HEARD
* REFUSED
Q10 If the election for President of the United States was held today, would you vote for (ROTATE) Republican Party candidate George W. Bush, Democratic Party candidate Al Gore, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader, or Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan?
42% BUSH
42% GORE
4% NADER
2% BUCHANAN
11% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
(Asked of Gore, Nader, and Buchanan Voters:)
Q11 If George Bush has chosen Governor Tom Ridge as his Vice Presidential running mate, who would you be voting for?
3% BUSH
39% GORE
3% NADER
1% BUCHANAN
2% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q12 If the election for President of the United States was held today, and the ONLY candidates were Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore, for whom would you vote?
44% BUSH
44% GORE
12% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q13 If the election for United States Senator from Pennsylvania was held today, would you vote for Republican Rick Santorum, or Democrat Ron Klink?
49% SANTORUM
38% KLINK
12% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q14 If the election for Pennsylvania Attorney General was held today, would you vote for Republican Mike Fisher, or Democrat James Eisenhower?
45% FISHER
23% EISENHOWER
33% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q15 If the election for Pennsylvania Auditor General was held today, would you vote for Republican Katie True, or Democrat Robert P. Casey, Jr.?
25% TRUE
50% CASEY
26% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q16 If the election for State Treasurer were being held today, and the candidates were Republican Barbara Hafer and Democrat Catherine Baker Knoll, for who would you vote?
50% HAFER
30% KNOLL
21% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q17 Did you vote in the last Presidential election (1996 Clinton vs. Dole)?
96% YES
4% NO
1% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q18 If “NO”: Can you tell me why you didn’t vote in that election?
1% DIDN’T LIKE THE CANDIDATES
* DID’T CARE WHO WON
1% TOO BUSY
2% FORGOT
2% DIDN’T CARE
3% OTHER
1% DON’ T KNOW/REFUSED
Q19 Think of the Presidential campaigns of Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore. In your opinion, which candidate has run the most negative campaign?
29% BUSH
27% GORE
44% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q Turning now to issues:
Q20 In general, do you think things in Pennsylvania are going in the right direction, or have they pretty seriously gone off on the wrong track?
64% RIGHT DIRECTION
21% WRONG TRACK
15% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q21 Do you think it is appropriate for medical doctors to form and join a labor union?
28% YES
53% NO
19% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q22 Do you think workers should be allowed invest a portion of their Social Security withholding tax in private accounts – such as an IRA, certificate of deposit, or through the purchase of stock – or should the Social Security system remain as it is with the government making all investment decisions?
52% ALLOW PRIVATE INVESTMENT
38% RETAIN CURRENT SYSTEM
10% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q23 Do you think the current Federal budget surplus should be used to pay down the national debt, should it be spent on new programs, or should Congress cut taxes?
35% PAY DEBT
5% SPENT ON NEW PROGRAMS
35% CUT TAXES
21% COMBINATION
4% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q24 Presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore have each pledged to cut taxes if elected. Which candidate do you trust more to follow through on that pledge?
42% BUSH
35% GORE
4% BOTH
15% NEITHER
4% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q25 Do you favor across-the-board tax cuts or targeted tax cuts?
56% ACROSS-THE-BOARD TAX CUTS
33% TARGETED TAX CUTS
11% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q26 Presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore have each promised to provide government
assistance in paying for prescription mediation for our nation’s older citizens. Which candidate do you
trust more to keep his promise?
37% BUSH
42% GORE
5% BOTH
9% NEITHER
7% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q27 Thinking of George W. Bush and Al Gore’s plans to help older citizens pay for prescription drugs,
which plan more closely reflects your view of how a prescription assistance program should be
established?
34% BUSH
32% GORE
21% UNFAMILAR WITH PROPOSALS
14% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q28 Who do you think will do the best job of handling the nation’s economy, George W. Bush or Al Gore?
41% BUSH
44% GORE
3% BOTH
12% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q29 Do the various scandals associated with President Bill Clinton make you MORE LIKELY or LESS
LIKELY to vote for Al Gore?
2% MUCH MORE LIKELY
3% SOMEWHAT MORE LIKELY
5% TOTAL MORE LIKELY
9% SOMEWHAT LESS LIKELY
18% MUCH LESS LIKELY
26% TOTAL LESS LIKELY
67% MAKES NO DIFFERENCE
2% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q30 Would you FAVOR or OPPOSE partial public financing of elections for Governor of Pennsylvania through the creation of a STATE INCOME TAX check-off system, similar to the Presidential income tax check-off?
14% STRONGLY FAVOR
18% SOMEWHAT FAVOR
31% TOTAL FAVOR
17% SOMEWHAT OPPOSE
30% STRONGLY OPPOSE
47% TOTAL OPPOSE
21% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q31 Would you FAVOR or OPPOSE having the option of buying all of your telephone service – local and long distance – from one company?
45% STRONGY FAVOR
19% SOMEWHAT FAVOR
64% TOTAL FAVOR
9% SOMEWHAT OPPOSE
14% STRONGLY OPPOSE
22% TOTAL OPPOSE
14% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q32 Do you SUPPORT or OPPOSE using public funds to pay for scholarships for students to attend the public, private, or parochial school of their choice?
30% STRONGLY SUPPORT
18% SOMEWHAT SUPPORT
48% TOTAL SUPPORT
14% SOMEWHAT OPPOSE
27% STRONGLY OPPOSE
40% TOTAL OPPOSE
12% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q33 Do you SUPPORT or OPPOSE the concept of charter public schools?
28% STRONGLY SUPPORT
23% SOMEWHAT SUPPORTS
51% TOTAL SUPPORT
9% SOMEWHAT OPPOSE
21% STRONGLY OPPOSE
30% TOTAL OPPOSE
19% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q34 Would you SUPPORT or OPPOSE allowing businesses in Pennsylvania to take a tax credit on their state income tax if they make a charitable contribution to public, private, or parochial elementary and secondary schools?
32% STRONGLY SUPPORT
25% SOMEWHAT SUPPORT
57% TOTAL SUPPORT
9% SOMEWHAT OPPOSE
20% STRONGLY OPPOSE
29% TOTAL OPPOSE
14% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q35 Do you AGREE or DISAGREE that Pennsylvania should begin taxing consumers on Internet and catalog out-of-state purchases?
21% STRONGLY AGREE
13% SOMEWHAT AGREE
34% TOTAL AGREE
14% SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
43% STRONGLY DISAGREE
57% TOTAL DISAGREE
10% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q Now a few questions for statistical purposes:
Q36 What is your age please?
3% 18-29
22% 30-44
34% 45-59
40% 60 OR OLDER
1% REFUSED
Q37 When it comes to politics, do you consider yourself to be a CONSERVATIVE, a MODERATE, or a LIBERAL?
44% CONSERVATIVE
42% MODERATE
10% LIBERAL
3% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q38 What is your current household income?
5% BELOW $15,000
15% $15,000 – $30,000
22% $30,000 – $50,000
15% $50,000 – $75,000
9% $75,000 – $100,000
7% ABOVE $100,000
27% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q39 What is your main ethnic heritage or background?
89% WHITE or CAUCASIAN
5% AFRICIAN AMERICAN
* HISPANIC
* ASIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER
1% NATIVE AMERICAN
2% OTHER
3% REFUSED
Q40 Are you:
34% MAINLINE PROTESTANT
35% CATHOLIC
12% EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN
1% EASTERN ORTHODOX
2% JEWISH
* MORMON
2% AGNOSTIC OR ATHIEST
11% OTHER/NONE
3% REFUSED
Q48 Gender (by observation)
46% MALE
54% FEMALE
