Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Polls: Jobs top character Date: Wed, 4 Nov 92 16:16:30 EST Message-ID: \SE A;NATION;ELECTIONS '92;EXIT POLLS \SS (WS) \HD Polls: Jobs top character \BY ASSOCIATED PRESS Voters worried about the economy and intent on changing the country's course made clear yesterday that those concerns transcended any doubts they had about Democrat Bill Clinton. Forty-three percent of voters surveyed as they left the polls cited jobs and the economy as issues that mattered most to them in deciding on a presidential candidate. And more than half of that group voted for Mr. Clinton. Only 8 percent cited foreign policy, President Bush's strongest suit, when asked which one or two issues mattered most. Fourteen percent mentioned taxes, a cornerstone of the president's campaign. Despite Mr. Bush's assertions that he would never raise taxes again, more than half those questioned didn't believe him. Voters were equally resistant to Mr. Bush's argument that the Arkansas governor couldn't be trusted, the four major television networks' Voter Research and Surveys poll suggested. They did, however, respond to Mr. Clinton's relentless talk of change; 38 percent said they strongly wanted a candidate who "will bring about needed change." Six in 10 of that group voted for Mr. Clinton. The VRS poll is conducted for ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC. Overall, about 14,000 voters filled out questionnaires. The margin of error is generally about 3 percentage points, plus or minus. Mr. Clinton made demographic inroads that Democrats have only dreamed about for years. He was matching Mr. Bush in the South. He was drawing the lion's share of votes from women, independents, the young, the elderly and those who didn't vote in 1988. The Democratic candidate was pulling back more than half of his party's long-lost Reagan Democrats: the blue-collar, Rust Belt voters who had helped elect Republican presidents since 1980. Mr. Bush was ahead among white evangelical Christians, the most affluent Americans and people whose financial situation improved in the past four years. About a quarter of the surveyed voters fit in that last category; more than a third said their situation was worse. Overall, 80 percent said the economy is poor or not good. Reflecting a thirst for specifics evident since the leadoff New Hampshire primary, 25 percent said their choice was strongly influenced by which candidate had "the best plan for the country." More than half of that group picked Mr. Clinton. "The price of admission for George Bush was having something relevant to say about people's economic concerns. He never gave the voters their due on that score," Democratic pollster Geoffrey Garin said. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM