60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll
The Clintons
September 11-15, 2015
· Which comes closest to how you feel about political dynasties in the U.S.? 1. They’re a good thing because good qualities run in families. 2. They’re a bad thing because it concentrates power among too few people, 3. I’m just tired of people named Kennedy, Clinton, and Bush, 4. I just want the best person and I don’t care who their family is.
Americans can take or leave political dynasties.
The possibility of another four years with either a Bush or a Clinton in the White House leaves most Americans unperturbed, at least in theory. When asked whether political dynasties are a good thing or a bad thing, two thirds say they just want the best person and don’t care about who their family is. Another 8% say that they don’t care about political dynasties in general, but they are tired of people named Kennedy, Clinton, and Bush.
Of those who have a stronger opinion, more think political dynasties are a bad thing than a good thing. 15% say political dynasties in the U.S. are bad because they concentrate power among too few people. Just 6% say political dynasties are good because quality runs in families.
Political Dynasties in the United States Are…
A good thing because good qualities run in families 6%
A bad thing because it concentrates power 15
Just tired of people named Kennedy, Clinton, and Bush 8
I don’t care about family, I just want the best person 65
· Do you think Bill Clinton has gotten past the scandals of his presidency to be considered a respected elder statesman, or don’t you think he has?
Younger Americans think Bill Clinton is a respected elder statesman, while older Americans can’t get past his scandals.
Do you think of Bill Clinton more as a respected ex-President or more as the only American president in the twentieth century who was impeached? Most Americans - 54% - think Bill Clinton has gotten past the scandals of his presidency to be considered a respected elder statesman, while 37% don’t think he has.
Not surprisingly, 80% of Democrats think he has gotten past his scandals, while 63% of Republicans do not. But there are age differences as well. Most Americans under 55 – and particularly those under 35 (67%) – think Bill Clinton has gotten past his scandals. Older Americans don’t think he has, and are less likely to think of him as a respected elder statesman.
Has Bill Clinton Gotten Past His Scandals
to Become a Respected Elder Statesman?
Total 18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Yes 54% 67% 56% 56% 40% 43%
No 37 25 31 36 51 51
· Which comes closest to how you feel about reports that the Clinton Foundation accepted substantial financial donations from foreign governments while Hillary Clinton was serving as Secretary of State? 1. It was a conflict of interest that probably influenced her decisions as Secretary of State. 2. It wasn’t relevant to her job and probably did not influence her decisions as Secretary of State.
Most think foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation were a conflict of interest.
Most Americans think that a conflict of interest occurred when the Clinton Foundation accepted financial donations from foreign governments during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State. 53% say it was a conflict of interest that probably influenced her decisions as Secretary of State, while 31% don’t think it was relevant to her job and probably did not influence her decisions.
There are partisan differences. 82% of Republicans and 52% of independents think it was a conflict of interest, though just 34% of Democrats agree.
How Do You Feel About Foreign Donations to the Clinton Foundation
While Hillary Clinton Was Secretary of State?
Total Reps Dems Inds
It was a conflict of interest 53% 82% 34% 52%
It wasn’t relevant to her job 31 11 48 30
· Which one of the following is the most surprising revelation from Hillary Clinton’s emails when she was Secretary of State?
Hillary Clinton’s technological challenges are more surprising than her dance moves.
Among the revelations from the emails retrieved from Hillary Clinton’s private server while she was Secretary of State, none seems to surprise Americans more than her trouble working a fax machine. 23% of Americans choose her tech troubles with this 1980s technology, ahead of the revelation – albeit subjective – that she’s a great dancer (12%). 10% are most surprised that she actually listens to her advisor Sidney Blumenthal. Less surprising to Americans is that she drinks tea with skim milk (7%) or that she watches The Good Wife (7%).
41% of Americans, however, don’t have an opinion on the emails.
Most Surprising Revelation from Hillary Clinton’s Emails
Total Men Women
She has trouble sending faxes 23% 24% 23%
She’s a great dancer 12 11 12
She listens to Sidney Blumenthal 10 10 9
She drinks her tea with skim milk 7 8 6
She watches The Good Wife 7 7 8
Don’t know 41 40 42
· What do you think Bill Clinton was doing during the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon? 1. Consulting with his lawyers in
Washington DC, 2. Meeting Arab donors in New York for his presidential library. 3. Visiting Tony Blair in London 4. On a speaking tour in Australia.
Most Americans don’t know what Bill Clinton was doing on 9/11.
Most Americans don’t know and don’t offer an opinion on what the former President of the United States was doing on the day of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Of those who pick from among the four answers offered, 16% think he was consulting with his lawyers in Washington D.C., while just 12% pick the correct answer: that he was on a speaking tour in Australia. 11% think he was visiting Prime Minister Tony Blair in London, and 9% think he was meeting Arab donors in New York for his presidential library.
What Was Bill Clinton Doing During the 9/11 Attacks?
Total Men Women
Consulting his lawyers in D.C. 16% 16% 16%
On a speaking tour in Australia 12 11 12
Meeting Arab donors in New York 11 12 11
Visiting Tony Blair in London 9 9 9
Don’t know 52 51 53
· Where do you think the Clintons spent most of their summer vacations during their eight years in the White House?
Republicans kept better track of the Clintons’ vacation habits than Democrats.
A majority of Americans don’t remember where the Clintons vacationed most often when they occupied the White House for eight years. While 35% of Americans correctly pick Martha’s Vineyard (which the Clintons visited six times while in the White House), 17% pick Little Rock, Arkansas (where Bill Clinton made his name as governor) 5% pick Jackson Hole, Wyoming (where the Clintons spent their other two vacations), and 21% pick travelling outside the U.S. Another 22% don’t have an answer.
Republicans seem to know more than Democrats about the Clinton’s vacation habits while in office. 45% of Republicans correctly pick Martha’s Vineyard, compared to 39% of Democrats.
Where Did the Clinton’s Spend Summer Vacation
While in the White House?
Total Reps Dems Inds
Martha’s Vineyard, MA 35% 45% 39% 29%
Travelling outside the U.S. 21 20 20 21
Little Rock, AR 17 16 21 16
Jackson Hole, WY 5 3 2 8
Don’t know 22 16 18 26
· Bill and Hillary Clinton celebrated their 40th anniversary this fall. Which one of the following is the main reason they are still together? 1. Because they remain deeply in love. 2. Because breaking up would be too complicated. 3. Because staying together is good politics for both of them. 4. None of my business.
Why are Bill and Hillary still together? Republicans say it’s politics, Democrats say butt out.
The Clintons may represent the ultimate Washington power couple, but few Americans think they are together because of true love. Half of Americans say it’s none of our business, while 38% say because it’s good politics for both of them. Just 6% each say either it’s because they’re deeply in love (6%) or because breaking up would be too complicated (6%).
Not surprisingly, Republicans are more cynical than Democrats. 56% of Republicans think they are still together because it’s good politics, while most Democrats (55%) say it’s none of our business.
Why Are Bill and Hillary Still Together?
Total Reps Dems Inds
It’s good politics 38% 56% 30% 35%
Because they’re deeply in love 6 2 8 6
Because breaking up is complicated 6 6 5 6
None of my business 48 35 55 50
· What code name do you think the Secret Service used for Hillary Clinton when Bill Clinton was President?
Evergreen or Eagle?
Americans are apparently not experts in presidential codenames. When asked to pick out the correct codename for Hillary Clinton when she was First Lady, just a quarter correctly pick “Evergreen” (24%), while nearly as many pick her husband Bill’s codename, “Eagle” (23%). Fewer – 13% - pick “Elite”, while 10% pick “Energy” – the codename for Chelsea Clinton.
Although they weren’t old enough to vote while Bill Clinton was in office, younger Americans are surprisingly well-versed in Clinton codenames. 34% of Americans under 30 can correctly identify Hillary Clinton’s codename as Evergreen, compared to just 22% of Americans thirty and over.
What Was Hillary Clinton’s Code Name as First Lady?
Total 18-29 30+
Evergreen 24% 34% 22%
Eagle 23 26 22
Elite 13 16 13
Energy 10 11 9
Don’t know 30 13 35
· Which comes closest to how you would feel if Hillary Clinton became the next president of the United States? 1. like the idea of having another Clinton in the White House. 2. I hate the idea of having another Clinton in the White House. 3. I’d like a Clinton in the White House, but let’s wait for Chelsea.
Not everyone likes the idea of another Clinton in the White House.
Many Americans are not enthused about the idea of another Clinton in the White House. While 33% of Americans like the idea, slightly more - 39% - say they hate the idea of another President Clinton. Another 12% like the idea, but they’d rather skip Hillary and jump to her daughter Chelsea.
Results are predictably partisan. 71% of Republicans hate the idea of another Clinton in the White House when they think of Hillary Clinton, while 60% of Democrats like the idea.
How Would You Feel if Hillary Clinton
Became the Next President?
Total Reps Dems Inds
I hate the idea of another Clinton 39% 71% 17% 37%
I like the idea of another Clinton 33 11 60 26
Let’s wait for Chelsea 12 8 9 16
Don’t know 16 10 14 21
· Which Clinton do you think is the most talented?
Americans think Bill is the most talented Clinton.
Which Clinton is most talented – Bill or Hillary? By a margin of 19 points, Americans pick Bill Clinton at 38%, while 19% pick Hillary. Both men and women pick Bill Clinton over Hillary as the Clinton who is most talented, but women are more apt to go with her: 23% of women pick Hillary, compared to 15% of men.
Daughter Chelsea garners just 11% of Americans, behind another Clinton with a very different resume from the other three. 16% of Americans pick George Clinton – the ringleader of the band Parliament-Funkadelic – as the most talented Clinton of the four.
Which Clinton is the Most Talented?
Total Men Women
Bill 38% 46% 30%
Hillary 19 15 23
Chelsea 11 9 13
George 16 17 15
______
This poll was conducted by telephone from September 11-15, 2015 among a random sample of 1,013 adults nationwide. Data collection was conducted on behalf of CBS News by SSRS of Media, PA. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones.
The poll employed a random digit dial methodology. For the landline sample, a respondent was randomly selected from all adults in the household. For the cell sample, interviews were conducted with the person who answered the phone.
Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish using live interviewers. The data have been weighted to reflect U.S. Census figures on demographic variables.
The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher and is available by request. The margin of error includes the effects of standard weighting procedures which enlarge sampling error slightly.
This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
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60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll
The Clintons
September 11-15, 2015
VF-01. Which comes closest to how you feel about political dynasties in the U.S.? 1. They’re a good thing because good qualities run in families, 2. They’re a bad thing because it concentrates power among too few people, 3. I’m just tired of people named Kennedy, Clinton, and Bush , 4. I just want the best person and I don’t care who their family is.
** TOTAL RESPONDENTS **
Total Men Women
% % %
They’re a good thing because good qualities run in families 6 5 6
They’re a bad thing because it concentrates power among too few people 15 17 14
I’m just tired of people named Kennedy, Clinton, and Bush 8 10 6