The poll results, however, show a positive reaction to Gore’s selection of Lieberman. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of voters say the choice makes them feel that Gore has the courage to take political risks. A majority (55%) of voters say it impresses them that Gore is willing to show his independence from President Clinton, and about half (49%) say it shows that Gore is a man of faith and has strong moral values.
Is there a downside to having a Jewish candidate on the ticket? When asked how Lieberman religion will affect the votes of people they know, 76 percent say it won’t make much difference.
The pressure is on Al Gore to sway voters with his Thursday night speech at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, the NEWSWEEK poll says. A majority of voters (62%) say they hope to watch the speech, including about one-quarter who say they are politically independent and could therefore be won over by Gore.
During the next several months, one of Gore’s key challenges will be to separate himself from Clinton, the NEWSWEEK poll shows. When asked what Gore needs to do to win their support, voters are most likely to say he must explain his agenda (75%) and explain how a Gore presidency will differ from a Clinton presidency (56%). The Clinton connection ranks as Gore’s most serious weakness as a candidate, the voters say.
The poll was conducted for Newsweek by Princeton Survey Research Associates. It is based on telephone interviews with 750 adults on Aug. 10 and Aug. 11. The margin of error is plus or minus four percentage points.
