ABC News/Washington Post Poll #1, May 2006

This poll, conducted May 11-15, 2006, is part of a
continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on the
presidency and on a range of other political and social issues.
Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way President
George W. Bush was handling the presidency and issues such as the
federal budget deficit and the economy, whether they approved of the
way the United States Congress and their own representative were doing
their jobs, and which political party they trusted to handle the main
problems the country would face in the next few years. Several
questions asked how closely respondents were following the upcoming
November 2006 election, whether they would vote for a Democratic or
Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives,
the reasons for their choice, and which political party they hoped
would win control of Congress. Views were also sought on the war in
Iraq, and whether the Bush administration intentionally misled the
American public in making its case for war with Iraq. A series of
questions asked respondents whether the country, their state, and
their local community were headed in the right direction, how
satisfied they were with their life, and whether they felt optimistic
about the future. Those polled also gave their impressions of Senator
Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton, and Senator John
McCain, as well as the likelihood that they would vote for Hillary
Clinton and John McCain if they ran for president in 2008. Additional
questions addressed Hillary Clinton's views on issues, whether she
possessed qualities such as leadership and trustworthiness, and
whether Bill Clinton had too much political influence over her. Other
topics addressed illegal immigration, Bush administration policies,
the recent increase in gasoline prices, and the secret collection of
domestic telephone records by the National Security Agency.
Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level,
household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy,
voter registration status, religious preference, and whether
respondents considered themselves born-again or evangelical
Christians.