REPORT SUMMARY
In just two months, the wide margin of public support for the Clinton economic package has narrowed dramatically, and Americans are now closely divided over whether Clintonomics will pay dividends in the long run.
The public is further split on whether President Clinton can get his package passed in Congress, and most Americans say they will hold the Republican party responsible if the Clinton plan fails there. Republican opposition leader, Bob Dole, is given an approval rating comparable to Clinton’s among those who can evaluate him, but he is held in wide esteem by the growing number of Americans who say they oppose the Clinton plan.
The latest Times Mirror survey finds support for the Clinton economic plan has shrunk to a 10-point margin (46% favor, 36% oppose). In contrast, in late February, the plan was favored by a 31-point margin (58% to 27%). Even more significantly, the poll finds that public optimism about the long term benefits of the Clinton approach has eroded over the past two months.
