Texas Poll show both candidates have strengths

By STEVE RAY / Harte-Hanks Texas Poll Syndicate /Copyright 1996 Harte-Hanks Communications

Likely voters in Texas think President Clinton would do a better job with the economy and protecting the environment than Republican candidate Bob Dole.

But they give Dole higher marks on fighting crime and dealing with illegal drug use, according to the most recent Harte-Hanks Texas Poll. Clinton and Dole ranked about the same on health care, the federal deficit and dealing with Iraq.

"Republicans are usually considered tougher on crime and drugs," said Allan Saxe, a government professor at the University of Texas in Arlington who specializes in presidential politics.

"But the economy is so good that it is one of the top issues in the campaign...and President Clinton is getting the credit."

The poll asked likely voters how they would rate Clinton's handling of several major issues. They also were asked how they thought Dole would handle the same issues.

The poll, conducted Oct. 7-19, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. The Office of Survey Research of the University of Texas surveyed 1,001 adult Texans for Harte-Hanks Communications Inc.

While Clinton is leading by double digits nationwide in most polls, The Texas Poll showed both Clinton and Dole in a neck-and-neck battle for the support of Texans.

National and statewide polls have shown that the economy has become one of the biggest issues of the presidential campaign.

"The economy has consistently been a top concern of Texans," said Ty Meighan, Texas Poll director. "The economy is generally good here, and a large number of Texans give Clinton credit for it."

Clinton takes credit for steady economic growth, low interest rates and a federal deficit that has steadily spiraled downward in his administration.

Dole says the country needs a 15 percent tax cut that he claims would stimulate the economy &emdash; and he denies charges that it would increase the deficit.

But mainly Texans who make more than $50,000 a year agree that Dole would be better on the economy. And more Anglo Texans and Republicans agree with Dole's positions on the economy.

Clinton's handling of the economy is preferred by Democrats and independents and by Texans who make less than $50,000 a year.

That's good news for Democrats, said Texas Land Commissioner Garry Mauro who heads the Clinton-Gore re-election campaign in the state.

"As important as crime and drug use are, most people don't list those as the top issues," Mauro said. "The top issues are the economy and the environment, and the Dole message has put him in the minority position. That will be reflected on Election Day."

But Texas Railroad Commissioner Barry Williamson, the Dole-Kemp campaign co- chairman, said Texans were more likely to agree with Dole on all the issues, including his economic plan.

Findings of The Texas Poll include:

- Forty-four percent of likely voters thought Clinton had done a good job dealing with the economy compared with 38 percent who thought Dole would do a good job. Nineteen percent thought Clinton had done a poor job compared with 21 percent who believed Dole would handle the economy poorly.

- Forty-three percent thought Clinton had done a good job with the environment, while 13 percent said he had done a poor job. Twenty-six percent thought Dole would be good on environmental issues, and 21 percent thought he would do a poor job.

- Forty percent said Dole would do a good job of dealing with crime compared with 43 percent who thought Clinton had done a good job on that issue. Twenty-seven percent said the President had done a poor job but only 11 percent said Dole would do a poor job in dealing with crime.

- Thirty-eight percent of Texans said Dole would do a good job of dealing with illegal drug use compared with 23 percent who thought Clinton would do a good job. Forty-two percent said Clinton had performed poorly on dealing with illegal drug use compared with 16 percent who thought Dole would do a poor job.

- Texans gave Clinton and Dole almost even ratings on whether they would do a good job with health care, dealing with Iraq and the federal budget deficit.

Analysts expressed some surprise at the ratings on some issues, especially on the federal deficit and crime.

Clinton boasts that he has cut the federal deficit in half, and many economists say Dole's 15 percent tax cut proposal would increase the deficit.

Still, only 33 percent of Texans thought Clinton had done a good job in dealing with the federal budget deficit, and 36 percent thought Dole would do a good job. Thirty-six percent of likely voters Texans thought Clinton had done a poor job.