From: x <x@x.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 09:13:22 -0700 (PDT)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: The greatest threat to democracy ...
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19691231160000.0075d564@shell15.ba.best.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


... is not restrictive crypto regulations.
It's Radio Free Disney.


Clinton's Job Approval Rating Up 
Broad Support for Strikes 
By Gary Langer
ABCNEWS Polling Analyst
Aug. 21 - Americans overwhelmingly support
the U.S. strikes against suspected terrorist sites
in Afghanistan and Sudan, and by a 2-1 margin
they reject the suggestion that President Clinton
ordered the attack to divert attention from the
Monica Lewinsky scandal, an ABCNEWS poll
has found. 

Job Approval Up
Eighty percent support the missile attack,
and 64 percent believe Clinton ordered it
"mainly to fight terrorism," not because
he wanted to turn attention away from the Lewinsky case.
Thirty percent subscribe to the "Wag the Dog" theory;
that's been about the size of Clinton's hard-core
detractors since the Lewinsky scandal broke.
        Thursday night's survey found a five-point increase
in Clinton's job
approval rating,
to 65
percent-his
best in ABC polling since early April. And 68 percent say
they trust him to handle the U.S. response to
terrorism-even though, in an ABCNEWS poll
Wednesday night, a record low of 24 percent rated him
as "honest and trustworthy."
        
             Support for the strikes
                 
                                  Yes
                                       No
 Support the missile strike
                                 80% 
                                      14% 
 Trust Clinton to handle terrorism
                                 68% 
                                      28% 
 Approve of Clinton's job performance
                                 65% 
                                      32% 


Will Strikes Reduce Terrorism?
The public divides evenly on whether the missile strikes
will reduce terrorism directed against the United States, or
increase it. Among those who expect the strikes to reduce
terrorism, 98 percent are in support. But even among
those who expect it to increase terrorism, 68 percent
support the U.S. missile strikes nonetheless. Support also
is non-partisan, drawing eight in 10 Democrats,
Republicans and independents alike. 
        Finally, 55 percent said they do think the Lewinsky
matter is interfering with Clinton's ability to serve
effectively as president. But considerably fewer-about
half that number-think it's interfering "a great deal."
        This survey was conducted by telephone Thursday
night among a random national sample of 510 adults. The
results have a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 points.
Field work by Chilton Research Services of Horsham, Pa.