CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #4, September 1998

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This poll is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton, his leadership, and his morals, the United States Congress, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde. Respondents were asked whether they intended to vote in the upcoming 1998 congressional elections, how much attention they had paid to the campaigns, and whether their electoral behavior had been influenced by the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal. A series of questions were asked about the relationship between Clinton and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Those queried were asked how closely they had followed the investigation, whether the relationship was a public or a private matter, whether Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's investigation had been impartial, whether Clinton encouraged Lewinsky to lie under oath, and what should happen to Clinton if it was proven that he obstructed justice. A series of questions addressed the videotape of Clinton's testimony before a grand jury that was released to the public September 21, 1998. Topics covered the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee's decision to release the tape, how much of the tape respondents had watched, whether Clinton appeared to be cooperative during his testimony, and whether it was appropriate for the lawyers to ask about specific details of Clinton's sexual relationship with Lewinsky. Respondents were also asked a series of questions about the ramifications of this scandal. Topics covered whether Clinton would resign, be impeached, or censured, whether impeachment hearings should be held, who was to blame for Congress' inability to work in a nonpartisan manner, the scandal's effect on the Clinton administration and the congressional agenda, and whether Clinton could still be an effective president. An additional question addressed the Major League Baseball race to win the homerun title. Respondents were asked whether they wanted Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals or Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs to win, or for the race to end in a tie. Background information on respondents includes age, sex, race, ethnicity, education, religion, political party, political orientation, voter registration and participation history, marital status, employment status, family income, and age of children in the household.