CBS NEWS POLL
THE 9/11 HEARINGS, THE WAR ON TERROR AND THE 2004 CAMPAIGN
March 30 – April 1, 2004 q1 How much attention have you been able to pay to the 2004 Presidential campaign -- a lot, some, not much, or no attention so far? *** REGISTERED VOTERS *** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 43 44 44 40 39 40 39 40 13 11 12 15 5 5 4 6 0 1 0 0
A lot Some Not much No attention so far DK/NA
Mar04a % 40 39 17 5 0
q2 Is your opinion of John Kerry favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough about John Kerry yet to have an opinion? Favorable Not favorable Undecided Not heard enough Refused 31 29 26 13 1 5 63 21 10 1 53 7 28 12 0 32 19 29 18 2 28 29 23 18 2
q3 Is your opinion of George W. Bush favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough about George W. Bush yet to have an opinion? Favorable Not favorable Undecided Not heard enough Refused 39 42 16 2 1 82 6 11 1 0 6 75 16 1 2 29 44 22 4 1 43 39 15 2 1
q4 How likely is it that you will vote in the 2004 election for President this November -- would you say you will definitely vote, probably vote, probably not vote, or definitely not vote in the election for President? Definitely vote Probably vote Probably not vote Definitely not vote DK/NA 85 12 2 1 0 88 10 1 0 1 85 14 1 1 0 81 12 4 2 1
CBS News Poll: The 9/11 Hearings, The War on Terror and The 2004 Campaign
3/30-4/1/2004
2
q5 If the 2004 presidential election were being held today and the candidates were John Kerry, the Democrat, and George W. Bush, the Republican, would you vote for John Kerry or George W. Bush? [CANDIDATES' NAMES WILL ROTATE] ** REGISTERED VOTERS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 48 6 85 49 43 89 9 33 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 3 2 1 2 4 5 3 4 10
John Kerry George W.Bush Other (Vol.) Won't vote (Vol.) Depends (Vol.) DK/NA
Mar04a % 43 46 1 1 2 7
q6 Is your mind made up or is it still too early to say for sure? AMONG THOSE WHO CHOSE A CANDIDATE Kerry Bush Total Voters Voters 74 75 74 25 25 26 1 0 0
Mind made up Too early to say for sure DK/NA
71 29 0
q10 Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as President? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** 49 84 19 47 44 11 75 44 7 5 6 9
Approve Disapprove DK/NA
51 42 7
q11 Do you feel things in this country are generally going in the right direction or do you feel things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track? Going in the right direction On the wrong track DK/NA 36 57 7 69 25 6 13 81 6 29 61 10 38 54 8
q13 Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling foreign policy? Approve Disapprove DK/NA 42 49 9 77 14 9 17 76 7 36 52 12 45 45 10
q14 How about the economy? Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling the economy? Approve Disapprove DK/NA 37 56 7 71 21 8 13 85 2 30 59 11 38 54 8
CBS News Poll: The 9/11 Hearings, The War on Terror and The 2004 Campaign
3/30-4/1/2004
3
q15 Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling the situation with Iraq? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 44 78 20 37 49 17 74 52 7 5 6 11
Approve Disapprove DK/NA
Mar04a % 49 43 8
q16 Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling the campaign against terrorism? Approve Disapprove DK/NA 58 34 8 89 7 4 34 57 9 53 35 12 64 28 8
q17 How would you rate the condition of the national economy these days? Is it very good, fairly good, fairly bad or very bad? Very good Fairly good Fairly bad Very bad DK/NA 3 47 31 17 2 7 73 16 3 1 0 27 42 30 1 3 43 35 16 3 2 47 34 15 2
q19 Do you think George W. Bush says what he really believes most of the time, or does he say what he thinks people want to hear? ** REGISTERED VOTERS ** Says what he believes 52 81 32 45 Says what people want to hear 43 16 63 49 DK/NA 5 3 5 6
51 45 4
q20 If George W. Bush is re-elected President in November do you think the economy will get better, get worse, or stay about the same? Get better Get worse Stay about the same DK/NA 25 27 44 4 51 4 42 3 6 50 41 3 20 25 49 6 30 23 43 4
q21 If George W. Bush is re-elected President in November do you think he is likely or not likely to protect the country from terrorist attack? Likely Not likely DK/NA 72 20 8 90 4 6 57 34 9 71 21 8 78 19 3
CBS News Poll: The 9/11 Hearings, The War on Terror and The 2004 Campaign
3/30-4/1/2004
4
q23 Do you think John Kerry says what he really believes most of the time, or does he say what he thinks people want to hear? ** REGISTERED VOTERS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % Says what he believes 29 10 52 24 Says what people want to hear 54 76 33 56 DK/NA 17 14 15 20
Mar04a % 33 57 10 will get
q24 If John Kerry is elected President in November do you think the economy better, get worse, or stay about the same? Get better Get worse Stay about the same DK/NA 34 16 39 11 12 32 44 12 58 3 31 8 29 12 43 16 36 11 42 11
q25 If John Kerry is elected President in November do you think he is likely or not likely to protect the country from terrorist attack? Likely Not likely DK/NA 60 27 13 39 50 11 80 9 11 58 25 17 61 27 12
q26 (John Kerry and George W. Bush have begun their campaigns for the November election.) What do you think George W. Bush has been spending more time doing in his campaign - explaining what he would do as president or attacking John Kerry? Explaining Attacking Don't/No answer 41 43 16 62 26 12 28 57 15 36 46 18
q27 What do you think John Kerry has been spending more time doing in his campaign explaining what he would do as president or attacking George W. Bush? Explaining Attacking Don't/No answer 31 53 16 10 78 12 51 34 15 31 49 20
q28 Do you think either of these candidates for President -- John Kerry or George W. Bush -- has attacked the other unfairly? IF YES, ASK: Who attacked unfairly? Kerry Bush Both equal (vol.) No, neither Don't know/No answer 21 12 21 31 15 40 1 21 26 12 6 20 18 38 18 17 14 24 28 17
q29 Have you seen or heard any John Kerry or George W. Bush presidential campaign commercials on television or radio in the last month? Yes No Don't know/No answer 78 22 0 81 19 0 76 24 0 77 23 0
CBS News Poll: The 9/11 Hearings, The War on Terror and The 2004 Campaign
3/30-4/1/2004
5
q30 Do you think the result of the war with Iraq was worth the loss of American life and other costs of attacking Iraq, or not? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 37 65 17 32 54 24 75 59 9 11 8 9
Worth it Not worth it DK/NA
Mar04a % 42 51 7
q31 Do you think removing Saddam Hussein from power was worth the loss of American life and other costs of attacking Iraq, or not? Dec03c 54 37 9
Worth it Not worth it DK/NA
47 43 10
80 11 9
24 65 11
40 48 12
q32 Looking back, do you think the United States did the right thing in taking military action against Iraq, or should the U.S. have stayed out? Mar04a 58 37 5
Right thing Stay out Don't know/No answer
55 39 6
82 14 4
32 63 5
53 39 8
q33 As a result of the United States' military action against Iraq, do you think the United States is more safe from terrorism, less safe from terrorism, or hasn't it made any difference? Feb04b 42 19 36 3
More safe Less safe No difference Don't know/No answer
36 22 38 4
59 10 27 4
24 31 41 4
29 24 44 3
q34 Do you think Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon? Sep03b 43 42 15
Yes No DK/NA
36 47 17
43 38 19
30 57 13
36 46 18
q35 Do you think of the war with Iraq as part of the war on terrorism, or do you think of it as separate from the war on terrorism? IF PART OF WAR ON TERRORISM: Is it a major part of the war on terrorism, or a minor part of the war on terrorism? Feb04b 44 12 40 4
Major part of war on terror Minor part of war on terror Separate from war on terror DK/NA
34 16 44 6
54 17 25 4
26 10 58 6
25 20 47 8
CBS News Poll: The 9/11 Hearings, The War on Terror and The 2004 Campaign
3/30-4/1/2004
6
q36 Do you think the Bush Administration has clearly explained how long U.S. military forces will have to remain in Iraq, or haven't they done that yet? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 15 29 3 15 79 64 93 78 6 7 4 7
Clearly explained Haven't done that yet Don't know/No answer
Sep03b % 17 76 7
q37 How long do you think the Unites States troops will have to remain in Iraq -- for less than a year, one to two years, two to five years, or will the U.S. troops have to stay in Iraq for longer than five years? Dec03b 15 34 31 12 8
Less than a year One to two years Two to five years More than five years DK/NA
8 22 35 26 9
7 31 35 22 5
7 19 37 27 10
9 17 33 28 13
q38 What is your impression of how the war against terrorism is going for the United States right now -- very well, somewhat well, somewhat badly, or very badly? Oct03a 10 53 22 9 6
Very well Somewhat well Somewhat badly Very badly DK/NA
11 53 23 11 2
23 63 9 3 2
2 48 33 16 1
8 49 26 13 4
q39 Do you think the policies of the Bush Administration have made the United States safer from terrorism, less safe from terrorism, or have the policies of the Bush Administration not affected the U.S.'s safety from terrorism? Mar04a 62 17 17 4
Safer Less safe Not affected DK/NA
53 20 22 5
79 8 11 2
35 30 28 7
48 21 25 6
q40 Was the Bush Administration paying enough or not enough attention to terrorism before September 11, 2001? May02b 22 67 11
Paying enough attention Not Paying enough attention Don't know/No answer
17 72 11
28 57 15
8 85 7
16 72 12
q41 Was the Clinton Administration paying enough or not enough attention to terrorism before they left office? Paying enough attention Not Paying enough attention Don't know/No answer 16 71 13 9 82 9 25 62 13 15 68 17
CBS News Poll: The 9/11 Hearings, The War on Terror and The 2004 Campaign
3/30-4/1/2004
7
q42 Do you think the Bush Administration did all it could to prevent the 9/11 terrorist attacks, or could they have done more? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 23 39 11 20 67 50 80 68 10 11 9 12
Did all it could Could have done more Don't know/No answer
q43 Do you think the Clinton Administration did all it could before they left office to prevent the 9/11 terrorist attacks, or could they have done more? Did all it could Could have done more Don't know/No answer 17 71 12 12 79 9 21 67 12 18 67 15
q44 Do you think the intelligence agencies -- the FBI and CIA -- did all they could to prevent the 9/11 terrorist attacks, or could they have done more? Did all they could Could have done more DK/NA 13 79 8 17 74 9 9 87 4 13 77 10
q45 Do you think the Bush administration has focused too much on the Iraq war and not enough on the Al Qaeda terrorists, OR too much on the Al Qaeda terrorists and not enough on the Iraq war, OR has the balance been about right? Jan04a % 40 2 50 8
Too much on Iraq Too much on Al Qaeda Balance about right Don't know/No answer
41 3 48 8
20 3 73 4
55 4 32 9
46 3 43 8
q46 How closely have you been following news about the hearings in Washington investigating the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001? Have you been following it very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all? Very closely Somewhat closely Not too closely Not at all DK/NA 16 42 31 10 1 16 42 33 9 0 15 45 30 9 1 16 41 30 12 1
q47 Overall, do you think the White House is or is not cooperating with the hearings investigating the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States? Is cooperating Is not cooperating Don't know/No answer 56 29 15 79 10 11 42 47 11 50 29 21
CBS News Poll: The 9/11 Hearings, The War on Terror and The 2004 Campaign
3/30-4/1/2004
8
q48 When it comes to what they knew prior to September 11th, 2001 about possible terrorist attacks against the United States, do you think members of the Bush Administration are telling the truth, are mostly telling the truth but hiding something, or are they mostly lying? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 24 45 11 19 59 49 66 60 11 1 19 14 6 5 4 7
Entire truth Hiding Lying DK/NA
May02b % 21 65 8 6
q49 Does what the Bush Administration knew prior to September 11th, 2001 matter now, or not? Yes, it matters No, doesn't matter DK/NA 57 41 2 46 53 1 64 33 4 59 38 3
q50 Is terrorism something a president can do a lot about, or is that beyond any president's control? Can do a lot about Beyond president's control Don't know/No answer 52 40 8 52 44 4 57 34 9 47 43 10 45 46 9
Total Respondents Registered Voters Total Republicans Total Democrats Total Independents
UNWEIGHTED 1024 834 312 334 378
WEIGHTED
799 305 337 382