ABC NEWS/WASHINGTON POST POLL: THE CLINTON IMPEACHMENT

Clinton’s Support Looks Solid; Most Oppose Calling Witnesses

Analysis by Gary Langer, ABC News

Majority support for Bill Clinton is holding solid in the face of his travails, with 55 percent of Americans saying the Senate should not call witnesses at his impeachment trial and nearly two-thirds saying he should be not removed from office.

Views on Clinton's removal have held steady for months, and after nearly a full year of scandal look unlikely to change, given what's known now: Whether they support Clinton or oppose him, 85 percent in this ABC News/Washington Post poll say their minds on the subject are made up.

JOB - As ever, Clinton's support stems chiefly from public perceptions of his job performance, fueled by the strong economy and near-record consumer confidence. Sixty-two percent approve of his work in office, down five points from the weekend of his impeachment but still a strong rating for any president, much less one in these straits.

Most, however, support punishment short of removal: Fifty-seven percent say the Senate should censure, or officially reprimand, Clinton. Unlike views on removal, majority opinion on censure is bipartisan; it's favored by most Democrats, Republicans and independents alike.

ELECTION - With the 2000 election nearly two years off, the risk to a senator in voting for removal is murky. Nationally, 31 percent say they'd be more apt to oppose a senator who'd voted to remove Clinton; fewer, 19 percent, say they'd be more apt to support such a senator.

But party affiliation strongly influences these numbers; so do regional differences -- a vote for removal looks more like a wash in the South, and carries greater potential risk in the Northeast. And the largest group, 48 percent, say the issue won’t make any difference in their vote.

METHODOLOGY - This survey was conducted by telephone Jan. 8-10, 1999, among a random national sample of 923 adults. The results have a 3.5-point error margin. Field work by ICR/International Communications Research of Media, Pa.