NEW VA. POLL SHOWS BUSH IS AHEAD
THE PRESIDENT APPARENTLY HAS BENEFITED FROM CLINTON'S LOSS OF SUPPORT TO PEROT.

Published: Monday, November 2, 1992
Section: FRONT , page A7
Type of story: '92 Election News

Source: Associated Press

© 1992 Landmark Communications Inc.

President Bush leads Bill Clinton by 7 percentage points in Republican-leaning Virginia, the result of a surge for Ross Perot rather than an upswing for the president, according to a poll published Sunday.

The poll by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and WWBT-TV Channel 12 shows Bush was preferred by 40 percent - unchanged from a Times-Dispatch/WWBT-TV poll published Oct. 4. Clinton had 32 percent and Perot 12 percent. The rest were undecided, did not answer, or picked other candidates.

Democrat Clinton, in a dead heat with Bush in the last poll, dropped 4 points, losing support to Perot, the Texas billionaire who was at 5 percent when he resumed his independent candidacy about a month ago.

The poll was based on telephone interviews Oct. 26 through 29 with 891 registered voters. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.

The results are in line with a Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research poll released Friday. That poll showed 43 percent of Virginians surveyed preferred Bush; 38 percent favored Clinton; 10 percent backed independent Ross Perot; and 9 percent were undecided.

Virginia hasn't backed a Democrat for president since 1964.

The poll also spotlighted problems for Bush, who at this point in 1988 was poised for a landslide victory in the state.

Among undecided voters, the percentages of those leaning toward the president or Clinton were statistically even at 40 percent and 38 percent, respectively. Twenty-two percent were leaning toward Perot.

And in a sign that Bush's base is eroding, 16 percent of those who said they voted for him four years ago are backing Clinton this year, and 12 percent plan to bolt to Perot.

Virginia operatives for the Bush, Clinton and Perot campaigns put the best face on the findings.

``Kicking butt!'' said Bush-Quayle spokesman Ray Allen, citing momentum from events surrounding the Richmond presidential debate. ``To go from 7 (points) down to 7 up is good regardless of how you got there.''

The Clinton camp, however, said that Bush's performance was anemic for what should be a lock state for the Republican and that Virginia still could go Democratic.

Mike Rau, Virginia coordinator for Perot, said his candidate was pulling votes from Clinton because ``people are trying to come to some conclusion about who would be the strongest agent of change.''

Among other findings:

Ninety percent said it was likely their taxes will be raised regardless of who is elected president.

Nearly 40 percent of the respondents said additional tax revenues should be used to revive the economy and create jobs, followed by 25 percent who said such revenues should go to cut the deficit.

On the federal deficit, specifically, 70 percent said they would be willing to pay an additional $100 a year in taxes to eliminate the deficit by the turn of the century.

Virginians were almost evenly divided over which candidate could most help the economy. Thirty-two percent said Bush; 30 percent said Clinton; 25 percent, Perot.

The president was rated strongest among the three on foreign affairs and national defense. Clinton was seen as doing the most on health care, protecting the environment, civil rights and assuring access to abortion.

Bush is viewed as the most trustworthy; 41 percent chose the president when asked, ``Whom do you trust more?'' Clinton pulled 26 percent; Perot, 17 percent.