Question: In your opinion, do you believe that the country is moving in the right direction or do you believe it has gotten off on the wrong track?

Post-debate: Oct. 15

All

Dem.

Ind.

Rep.

Men

Women

Right direction

36%

12

35

67

36

36

Wrong track

54%

84

46

19

52

55

Don’t know/Unsure

11%

  4

20

14

13

  9

Post-debate: Oct. 12

All

Dem.

Ind.

Rep.

Men

Women

Right direction

36%

13

34

66

37

34

Wrong track

53%

81

51

18

51

55

Don’t know/Unsure

12%

  6

16

16

12

11

Post-debate: Oct. 7

All

Dem.

Ind.

Rep.

Men

Women

Right direction

34

11

17

67

39

31

Wrong track

54

79

61

21

52

55

Don’t know/Unsure

12

10

22

12

10

14

Pre-debate: Sept 29

All

Dem.

Ind.

Rep.

Men

Women

Right direction

35%

11

19

73

41

31

Wrong track

52%

79

56

17

50

54

Don’t know/Unsure

13%

10

26

10

  9

16

Question: How would you rate the job George W. Bush is doing as President—excellent, good, only fair, or poor?

Post-debate: Oct. 15

All

Dem

Ind.

Rep.

Men

Women

Excellent

16%

 4

  7

34

17

15

Good

28%

 9

43

47

28

28

Only fair

22%

30

27

12

23

22

Poor

31%

54

20

 6

29

33

Don’t know/Unsure (vol)

  3%

 3

  3

 2

  3

  2

Question: How would you rate the job George W. Bush is doing handling the economy—excellent, good, only fair, or poor?

 Oct. 15

All

Dem

Ind.

Rep.

Men

Women

Excellent

 9

 2

 2

21

  9

10

Good

27

10

37

45

29

25

Only fair

23

24

23

22

21

24

Poor

38

62

32

10

38

38

Don’t know/Unsure (vol)

 3

 2

 7

  3

 3

 3

Question: How would you rate the job George W. Bush is doing handling foreign affairs and national security—excellent, good, only fair, or poor?

 Oct 15

All

Dem

Ind.

Rep.

Men

Women

Excellent

20

 6

16

39

27

15

Good

23

 9

32

40

21

25

Only fair

18

24

21

10

16

19

Poor

35

58

27

10

32

38

Don’t know/Unsure (vol)

 3

 3

 5

 2

  4

  2

Question:  Later this year, there will be an election for President of the United States. If the election were held today do you think you would vote for …. or …. [ROTATE] ?  If “unsure,” or “don’t know” ask “which way do you lean?”

Post-debate: Oct. 15

Base= 508 likely voters

All

Dem.

Ind.

Rep.

Men

Women

George Bush,

the Republican Candidate

42

11

43

80

42

42

      lean Bush

  4

  2

  6

  6

 5

  3

John Kerry,

the Democratic candidate

44

78

31

  7

41

47

     lean Kerry

  2

 3

 2

  1

 2

  2

Nader or Other (vol.)

  2

 2

 4

  2

 3

  1

Don’t know (vol.)

  6

 5

15

  4

 7

  6

Post-debate: Oct. 12

Base= 500 likely voters

All

Dem.

Ind.

Rep.

Men

Women

George Bush,

the Republican Candidate

40

 9

34

81

40

39

      lean Bush

  3

 2

 5

  4

  3

  3

John Kerry,

the Democratic candidate

46

81

36

  6

43

49

     lean Kerry

  2

 2

--

  2

 2

  2

Nader or Other (vol.)

  2

 2

  2

--

 3

  1

Don’t know (vol.)

  8

 4

25

  6

10

  7

Post-debate: Oct. 7

Base= 500 likely voters

All

Dem.

Ind.

Rep.

Men

Women

George Bush,

the Republican Candidate

39

 9

26

79

43

36

      lean Bush

  2

 1

--

  4

  2

  2

John Kerry,

the Democratic candidate

47

79

44

10

46

48

     lean Kerry

 2

 4

  2

  1

  3

 2

Nader or Other (vol.)

 2

 1

  6

  2

  4

 1

Don’t know (vol.)

 8

 7

 23

  4

  4

12

Pre-debate: September 29

Base= 489 likely voters

All

Dem.

Ind.

Rep.

Men

Women

George Bush,

the Republican Candidate

41

11

35

85

45

38

      lean Bush

  3

 2

--

3

  1 

  4

John Kerry,

the Democratic candidate

43

76

35

5

43

43

     lean Kerry

  2

  3

 3

1

  2

  2

Nader or Other (vol.)

  2

  --

 1

2

  2

  2

Don’t know (vol.)

10

  7

 25

4

  8

11

Question:  Are you satisfied with choice of candidates you have for President in this election or do you wish there were different candidates?

Oct. 15

All

Dem.

Ind.

Rep.

Satisfied

46%

47

34

50

Wish for different choices

50%

50

61

47

Don’t know (vol.)

 4%

 3

  5

  4

Post-debate: Oct. 12

All

Dem.

Ind.

Rep.

Satisfied

46%

47

29

52

Wish for different choices

49%

49

63

45

Don’t know (vol.)

  5%

 4

  8

  4

Post-debate: Oct. 7

All

Dem.

Ind.

Rep.

Satisfied

45%

42

31

55

Wish for different choices

52%

56

60

43

Don’t know (vol.)

  3%

  2

10

  2

Pre-debate: Sept. 29

All

Dem.

Ind.

Rep.

Satisfied

41%

39

21

52

Wish for different choices

54%

59

68

42

Don’t know (vol.)

  5%

 3

11

  6

Question: In deciding their vote for president, people focus on different things. Which one of the following issues is the most important to you in deciding who to vote for for President…?

On that issue, _____, which candidate would do a better job?

Post-debate: Oct. 15

All

Dem

Ind

Rep

Men

Women

Bush

Kerry

N=

The state of the economy

23

31

16

16

26

21

22%

67%

117

national security and the war on terror

44

31

39

61

43

45

67%

26%

223

quality of the environment

 2

 2

--

 2

 3

 1

--

69%

  9

providing health care insurance

12

17

12

   7

13

12

20%

57%

62

improving education

 4

 4

10

3

 3

 5

35%

51%

21

Other (vol)

 2

 2

 5

3

 2

 3

None (vol.)

 1

 1

 4

--

 1

 1

All (vol.)

11

13

14

9

 9

13

Don’t know (vol.)

--

--

--

--

 1

--

Question: Now, in deciding their vote for president, people also focus on different qualities in a candidate.  Which one of the following qualities is most important to you in deciding who to vote for for President…?

And which candidate is better described by that quality…?

Oct. 15

All

Dem

Ind

Rep

Men

Women

Bush

Kerry

N=

Being a strong leader

30

22

36

38

34

27

73

21

152

Understanding the concerns of the average person

20

30

20

 8

18

21

14

74

101

Honest and trustworthy

38

38

34

40

40

37

41

44

195

Other (vol)

 1

--

 2

 1

--

 1

None (vol.)

--

 1

 0

--

--

--

All (vol.)

11

 8

 9

14

 6

14

Don’t know (vol.)

--

 1

--

--

 1

--

Question: Recently two Presidential candidates

 held a debate. Did you personally watch or hear the debate or did you not have the chance?

All

Dem

Ind

Rep

Yes

81%

82

74

82

No

19%

18

27

18

Question: Based on what you saw or read, which candidate do you think did better in the debates?

All

Dem

Ind

Rep

Most important issue is National Security (N=223)

Bush

20%

 6

23

36

25

Kerry

55%

80

42

28

48

Neither (vol)

 2%

 1

 2

 3

  1

Both equally/tie (vol)

15%

 8

17

22

16

Not sure (vol)

 8%

 5

15

10

10

Question: How well is the U.S. military effort in Iraq going…?

All

Dem

Ind

Rep

Sept

04

July

‘04

April

 ‘04

Jan

‘04

Sept

 ‘03

Very well

10%

 4

 7

18

 9

17

17

21

21

Fairly well

32%

15

38

52

31

42

38

48

40

Not too well

29%

40

27

17

31

25

27

19

25

Not at all well

24%

38

22

 9

26

13

12

  8

10

Unsure

 4%

 2

 5

 5

  4

 4

  6

  3

  4

Question:  Considering everything, do you think the United States did the right thing in going to war with Iraq, or do you think it was a mistake?

Party

Gender

October 15

All

Dem

Ind.

Rep

Men

Women

Right thing

42%

16

48

73

45

40

Mistake

53%

79

44

24

52

54

Don’t know (vol.)

 5%

 4

 8

  4

 3

  6