CBS News Monthly Poll #1, October 1998

This poll, fielded October 3-4, 1998, 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 and his handling of the presidency, as well as their views on the United States Congress, First Lady Hillary Clinton, Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, and Pentagon employee Linda Tripp. Those queried were asked whether they intended to vote in the upcoming November 1998 congressional elections, and for which party's candidates they intended to vote. Respondents were asked how closely they had paid attention to the investigation into the relationship between Clinton and Lewinsky, the resulting "Starr Report," the contents of the transcripts of conversations between Lewinsky and Tripp, and the House Judiciary Committee's handling of the investigation. Faced with the possibility of impeachment hearings, respondents were asked if they believed that Democrats and Republicans would be able to work together in a nonpartisan manner during the inquiry. Respondents were asked to compare the Watergate impeachment inquiry of President Richard Nixon to the current investigation involving Clinton, and to comment on whether the allegations against Clinton were sufficiently serious to warrant impeachment, what their understanding was of the impeachment process, and whether they had discussed the Clinton/Lewinsky situation with their peers. Background information on respondents includes age, race, sex, religion, education, political party, political orientation, marital status, employment status, age of children in household, family income, and frequency of listening to political radio shows.