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1554429
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Second Debate: Polling Information
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1554429
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Second Debate: Polling Information
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collections
White House Special Files Unit Files
Ford - Carter Debates Files
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Campaign debates
International relations
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Presidential campaign, 1976
Public opinion polls
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1976-10-31
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1976
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1976-10-01
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1976
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The original documents are located in Box 2, folder "Second Debate: Polling Information"
of the White House Special Files Unit Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 2 of the White House Special Files Unit Files at the Gerald R. Ford Présidential* library
SECOND DEBATE
GENALD FORD LIBRARY
PRO CARTER
PRO FORD
moverator
50
09
Anti-HAK and Nixon
51
Carter's would let
D
=
Communists in Italian Govt.
115
Fireside Chat
1.1
Negotiated with Soviets from strength
120
EASTERN
European
25
Weapons to
01
30
Iran
he
to
35
Won't sell China arms
41
01
45
16
$
bh
09
anti-Ford
nuclear policy comments re SAI
55
we are weak
09
65
Korea
HAK criticism
Panama Canal
70
TL
"
Delay in releasing Mayagues details
Mayaguez
75
14
1L
Arab Boycott
08
Mia's
79
Arab Boycott
30
85
End Carter
End President's
Closing remarks
Closing Remarks
06
HAS SEEN.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 1, 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR:
MIKE DUVAL
FROM:
FOSTER CHANOCI
SUBJECT:
Polling Information on Foreign Policy/
National Defense
Teeter Polls from Market Opinion Research
1.
Foreign Policy and National Defense are low priority issues.
2.
The President enjoys a 5: 3 advantage over Carter on the
ability to handle foreign policy and defense matters.
3.
The President's advantage is due to incumbency and
experience. People do not offer a positive reason
for preferring the President. Therefore, it is to our
advantage to make this area an issue if we can articulate
accomplishments which give people a reason to support
the President.
4.
Republicans traditionally receive higher ratings in this
area.
5.
By a 5:3 margin, people are against defense cuts. But,
if asked to cut the budget, people agree that about 8%
could be cut without jeopardizing our security. Forty
percent cannot place the President on the defense spending
issue. Sixty percent cannot place Carter on the defense
spending issue.
6.
The public disapproves of the general foreign policy by
a slight plurality. Those who approve have no reason.
Disapprovers cite :
Kissinger
10%
Isolationist reasons.
25%
Interventionist reasons
10%
-2-
7.
In the priority states, we are doing below our normal vote
with people in the Midwest and West who cite foreign
policy as an important issue. Those same people do not
like Kissinger.
8.
The public wants us to be number one and wants to see
evidence that detente benefits us.
9.
Those who disapprove of Kissinger are on the idealogical
extremes. The public wants to see evidence of the
President's running foreign policy, not Kissinger.
10.
The President should not be an apologist for our international
situation -- Congress is responsible for our defense cuts;
the Russians are responsible for inflaming the trouble spots
in the world.
-3-
National Yankelovich Poll on Foreign Policy
1.
Half of the public see detente benefiting the Russians more.
Half of the public see detente benefiting both parties equally.
2.
The public strongly agrees that:
A)
We should not get involved in a country's internal
affairs.
B)
We should not aid countries just because they are
anti-Communist.
C)
We should withold aid from countries supporting
our enemies.
D)
We should not aid corrupt regimes where aid does not
reach the people.
E)
Our domestic needs should take priority over the
needs of people in foreign countries.
F)
We need more cooperation on food, energy, and
economic problems.
3.
The public less strongly agrees that:
A)
We should work more closely with our allies.
B)
Our foreign policy should be more moral (consistent
with American values).
C)
The United Nations is ineffective.
D)
We should work more closely with Peking without
abandoning Taiwan.
E)
We must end our dependence on foreign countries
for raw materials.
F)
We must learn to "get along" better with countries
different than our own.
-4-
4.
The public is strongly divided on the subject of arms sales:
A)
They favor sales because of job creation and inc reased
international influence.
B)
But, they fear sales which might get us involved in
another Vietnam and which encourage military
governments.
C)
Vietnam is viewed as a dark moment in American
history and we should never have been there (by 70%).
5.
Seventy percent of the people are worried because the U.S.
is losing power and respect in the world.
6.
The public will compromise morality for self-interest but
they don't want to.
7.
The public classifies themselves as:
Interventionists
44%
Moderates
33%
Isolationists
23%
-5-
Potomac Associates National Poll
1.
The general public sees the world situation facing the
country and the prospects for peace as slightly
worsening.
2.
Confidence in our armed forces has risen as has a willingness
to maintain the U.S. in a dominant military position.
3.
The public sentiment for defense spending and military
bases abroad has increased while military aid, economic
aid and UN support are decreasing. Those against
military spending and bases tend not to be our
constituents (liberals, blacks, union members, and
under 30). Our constituents do fear that the Russians
are getting stronger at a faster rate than we are.
4.
Although a large majority agree we should improve
relations with Russia (trade, SALT, other cooperative
agreements), few people trust them.
5.
More people think that our alliances are improving in
the last two years, but they find that they could be
stronger.
-6-
Conclusions
The average voter is best described as a cautious internationalist.
He is uneasy about the present and the future, and therefore,
supportive of being as strong as possible militarily. Vietnam
left a bad taste which on the one hand encourages a desire to be
strong and respected while on the other hand a reticence to
become involved. There is no cause in the world which Americans
would lay down their lives at present.
The electorate favors more cooperation in the areas of food, energy,
and economic planning. They want to see us once again standing for
what's right in the area of human values. But, they want us to be
more selfish in our decision-making.
We are on the right side of the major issues in foreign policy and
defense but people need a reason to be proud of their country and
their President's leadership. We must be strong and we must be
right. Our policy must first protect ourselves and then strive to
achieve goals for other people which we set for ourselves, which
ultimately benefits ourselves as well.
Carter's thematic approach restores a moral tone which people
are longing for; to be friendlier with our allies, to stand up for
what's right, to be tougher on our enemies, and not to get involved
where it's unnecessary.
We must level with the people inthe debate:
1. We must be strong enough to keep the peace.
2. We must cooperate with other countries where it benefits the United States.
3. We must stand up for human rights wherever we can so people can
be proud again.
4. We must face the fact that it is a hostile and difficult world where
we must often settle for less than perfection to protect the safety of
our nation.
HARRIS POLL (10/4)
Positive
-- A narrow, 43 to 38 percent, plurality reject Carter's proposal
to cut defense spending $5-7 billion.
-- A 61 to 23 percent majority want our defense preparation to be
better than any other country even if this means increasing
defense spending.
-- A 73 to 16 percent majority want the U.S. to continue to try to
achieve detente.
-- A 80 to 10 percent majority support efforts to get a SALT
agreement.
-- By 50 to 25 percent the public rejects the suggestion that
agreements with Russia and China be slowed down.
-- A 63 to 19 majority want the U.S. to strengthen military security
arrangements with our allies.
Negative
-- A 56 to 26 percent (2 to 1) majority favors the U.S. cutting back
on our arms sales abroad even if other countries continue to sell.
Voters fear that these sales will trigger small wars that will
ultimately involve the U.S.
-2-
-- A 79 to 9 percent majority wants the Administration to consult
more with Congress and bring the public more into the foreign
policy process.
-- A 62 to 19 percent majority favors the U.S. insisting that some
of our allies -- - - such as South Korea -- end corruptionand
repression in their countries.
Opportunity
-- A 74 to 14 percent sizable majority would favor the U.S. taking
the lead setting up an international police force to crack down
on hijackers and terriorists.