MSNBC/VNS 1998 National-South-LA exit poll

        National   Southern   Louisiana
        Vote for House   Vote for House   Vote for Senate
        in today's election   in today's election   in today's election
        Democratic Republican   Democratic Republican   Breaux Donelon
Size of Categories   candidate candidate   candidate candidate   (Democrat) (Republican)
National % Southern % Louisiana % category % of category % of category   % of category % of category   % of category % of category
      Are you:                
49 50 47 Male 45 52   40 58   57 38
51 50 53 Female 51 46   48 48   70 27
      Are you:                
82 76 66 White 42 55   34 63   54 43
10 16 32 Black 88 11   88 11   86 7
5 6 1 Hispanic/Latino 59 35   50 45   0 0
1 1 0 Asian 54 42   0 0   0 0
1 1 1 Other 59 34   0 0   0 0
      To which age group do you belong?                
13 14 11 18-29 48 48   35 62   0 0
29 30 32 30-44 49 49   46 52   66 30
30 31 29 45-59 50 46   46 50   59 36
28 25 28 60+ 44 54   44 54   68 32
      1997 total family income:                
8 8 14 Under $15,000 57 39   55 41   68 15
18 19 24 15,000-$30,000 53 44   50 46   72 26
26 27 21 30,000-$50,000 48 49   39 59   62 35
25 27 21 50,000-$75,000 44 54   40 57   63 36
12 12 9 75,000-$100,000 47 51   44 53   0 0
12 8 11 $100,000 or more 44 53   37 57   0 0
      No matter how you voted today, do you usually think of yourself as a:                
37 35 54 Democrat 87 11   85 13   85 11
36 38 28 Republican 9 90   8 91   26 72
27 27 18 Independent/Other 45 48   41 52   54 38
      Education                
5 5   Did not complete high school 57 41   0 0      
22 23   High school graduate 49 47   46 52      
27 29   Some college, but no degree 45 51   42 53      
27 27   College graduate 44 53   37 59      
18 16   Postgraduate study 52 45   37 58      
      Are you:                
37 49   Protestant 37 60   33 63      
27 16   Catholic 51 45   48 49      
18 20   Other Christian 47 51   45 51      
3 1   Jewish 78 21   0 0      
7 7   Something else 58 33   55 34      
9 7   None 65 32   42 51      
      On most political matters, do you consider yourself:                
19 15 18 Liberal 81 16   71 24   78 10
50 47 39 Moderate 54 43   56 41   75 20
31 38 42 Conservative 17 80   17 81   44 55
      Compared to two years ago, is your family’s financial situation:                
41 42 38 Better 58 40   55 42   78 21
13 13 11 Worse 39 57   30 66   0 0
45 44 49 About the same 41 55   37 60   55 38
      Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?                
41 43 42 Approve 30 67   25 73   61 33
55 53 54 Disapprove 60 36   54 41   63 35
      Was one reason for your vote for Congress today:                
30 36   To express support for Republican control of Congress 7 92   7 92      
29 27   To express opposition to Republican control of Congress 89 10   87 11      
35 32   Neither 46 49   50 47      
      In the 1996 election for President, did you vote for:                
48 41 57 Bill Clinton (Dem) 81 17   77 18   87 7
38 46 32 Bob Dole (Rep) 9 89   10 88   21 78
7 5 3 Ross Perot (Ref) 36 57   0 0   0 0
3 2 4 Other 33 45   0 0   0 0
5 5 3 Did not vote 50 43   0 0   0 0
      Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bill Clinton is handling his job as President?                
55 49 60 Approve 74 23   75 22   87 8
43 49 38 Disapprove 14 83   14 84   28 69
      Is your opinion of Bill Clinton as a person:                
35 32   Favorable 80 17   82 14      
61 65   Unfavorable 28 68   20 76      
      Was one reason for your vote for Congress today:                
18 16 22 To express support for Bill Clinton 87 11   83 14   88 4
21 26 21 To express opposition to Bill Clinton 7 90   8 90   16 81
60 56 53 Neither 50 46   45 50   69 28
      Should Congress impeach Bill Clinton and remove him from office?                
33 41 34 Yes 12 85   11 86   28 69
63 54 62 No 67 30   65 31   82 13
      Should Bill Clinton resign from office?                
40 48 40 Yes 16 81   13 84   32 67
56 48 56 No 71 26   70 26   84 10
      Should Congress censure Bill Clinton?                
43 45 42 Yes 37 60   28 67   52 44
49 47 48 No 58 38   54 43   71 25
      How much has the Clinton/Lewinsky matter hurt Bill Clinton's ability to lead the country effectively?
33 39   A great deal 18 79   14 83      
30 28   Somewhat 48 49   42 54      
18 16   Not much 68 28   68 27      
18 15   Not at all 80 16   79 17      
      Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress have handled the Clinton/Lewinsky matter?
35 43   Approve 13 84   13 85      
62 53   Disapprove 68 29   65 31      
      Do you think Congress should:                
39 46   Proceed with impeachment hearings 15 83   13 84      
58 51   Drop the whole matter 70 26   67 28      
      Do you think the condition of the nation’s economy is:                
15 15   Excellent 75 23   80 15      
68 67   Good 48 49   46 53      
14 15   Not so good 27 72   25 74      
2 2   Poor 24 69   0 0      
      During the next year, do you think the nation's economy will be:                
18 21   Better 70 28   68 28      
23 21   Worse 33 62   29 70      
58 55   About the same 47 50   46 52      
      Do you think things in the country today are:                
59 53   Generally going in the right direction 61 36   64 34      
37 43   Seriously off on the wrong track 27 69   27 72      
      Is your opinion of Hillary Rodham Clinton:                
57 48   Favorable 70 27   70 27      
40 48   Unfavorable 15 81   13 83      
      Is your opinion of Newt Gingrich:                
36 44   Favorable 16 82   15 82      
58 50   Unfavorable 68 28   65 31      
      Are you currently married?                
68 70   Yes 42 54   36 60      
32 30   No 58 38   52 44      
      Do you have any children under 18 living in your household?                
35 36   Yes 47 50   42 54      
65 64   No 48 49   40 57      
      Do you work full time for pay?                
64 64   Yes 48 48   40 55      
36 36   No 47 51   43 54      
      Do you or does someone else in your household belong to a labor union?                
22 14   Yes 61 35   48 45      
78 86   No 44 53   40 57      
      Do you regularly use the Internet?                
40 41   Yes 50 47   43 54      
60 59   No 46 51   48 51      
      Are you gay, lesbian or bisexual?                
4 4   Yes 65 32   0 0      
96 96   No 47 50   46 52      
      Do you consider yourself part of the conservative Christian political movement also known as the religious right? (white respondents only)
13 19 22 Yes 24 73   21 77   34 65
82 77 76 No 52 45   47 49   70 25
      Thinking about life in America in the 21st century, are you:                
14 14   Excited 65 33   66 30      
39 35   Optimistic, but not excited 56 42   56 42      
39 40   Concerned, but not scared 38 57   36 62      
8 10   Scared 29 69   35 65      
      If these were the presidential candidates in 2000, who would you vote for:                
38 36   Vice President Al Gore (Dem) 87 10   89 8      
52 58   Texas Gov. George W. Bush (Rep) 18 79   19 79      
      How likely is an economic recession in the U.S. in the next two years?                
14 16   Very likely 34 62   34 65      
45 44   Somewhat likely 45 52   40 59      
34 33   Not too likely 55 43   57 40      
3 3   Not at all 66 32   0 0      
      In the last two years, do you think this congress has accomplished:                
18 21   More than usual 45 53   41 58      
34 32   Less than usual 62 34   64 33      
45 44   About the same 38 59   36 63      
      Would you like your child to grow up to be President?                
29 32   Yes 52 45   51 46      
68 64   No 46 52   43 55      
      Which one issue mattered most in deciding how you voted for U.S. House?                
20 19   Education 66 32   56 41      
13 14   Taxes 28 68   25 68      
5 5   Clinton/Lewinsky matter 44 55   0 0      
12 12   Social Security 57 39   46 46      
6 5   Health care 68 30   0 0      
18 22   Moral and ethical standards 15 81   14 84      
14 13   Economy/Jobs 63 34   61 37      


Last Updated on 11/8/98
By Rick Weil