Not likability. But for a very large group of voters, character is an important consideration. And it’s one that has worked to George W. Bush’s advantage.
     Sixty-seven percent of likely voters say the candidate’s character is very important in their vote choice — slightly more, even, than the 59 percent who say issues are very important. And among those who call character critical, Bush leads by a 23-point margin.

Very Important?
Very important in your vote:		Vote Preference
	All	Bush	Gore
Character	67%	59%	36%
Issues	59%	49%	47%
Likability	26%	56%	40%

Further polling will show whether the revelation of Bush’s DUI arrest 24 years ago affects judgments of his character. Reports of trouble in the distant past usually don’t have much influence on a politician’s ratings. People tend to care more about current behavior, especially when it’s relevant to the official duties someone holds or seeks.
     Still, anything can be significant in a race this close: Heading into the campaign’s final weekend, Bush has 48 percent support, Gore 45 percent in the latest ABCNEWS tracking poll, with 3 percent for the Green Party’s Ralph Nader, 1 percent for the Reform Party’s Pat Buchanan.
     People who are most apt to call character very important in their vote are in many ways natural Bush supporters. They include 82 percent of Republicans and conservatives, and 87 percent of conservative white Christians, the “religious right.” Older people are also a bit more apt to call character very important.
     At the same time, character’s also very important to two-thirds of independents and white Catholics, historically the two most important swing voter groups.
     But the importance likely voters give to character doesn’t mitigate the importance of the issues. When “issues” vs “personal qualities” are tested head-to-head, more people say issues are important. And the strongest predictor of vote choices is political party identification — a factor that by definition is based more on issues than on an individual candidate’s personal character.
    

Components of Character
“Character,” of course, is a broad word. Another question picks it apart, asking people which one attribute is most important to them — honesty, leadership, experience, empathy, or character overall. The first four can be seen as individual components of a person’s overall character.
     In that list, “honesty and trustworthiness” prevails, followed closely by “knowledge and experience” and strong leadership. Empathy and overall “strong personal character” are well down the list.
    

Status Quo Gore’s Best Shot
If Bush has character working for him, and is competitive on issues, it’s fair to ask why the race is still so close. One reason: Broad satisfaction with the status quo, which works to Gore’s advantage.
     More than six in 10 likely voters say they’re satisfied with the way things are going in the United States at this time — and that group favors Gore by 61 percent to 33 percent. Bush comes back among those who are dissatisfied; there are just 35 percent of them, but they favor him by a margin of 73 percent to 20 percent.
     This basic assessment of the nation’s status — after eight years of a Clinton/Gore administration — is another factor that’s clearly influencing vote choices, and one that’s keeping Gore in the contest. Indeed exploiting this view — if he can do it in the campaign’s last days — seems his best shot.

How Are Things Going?
How are things going in the US?		Vote Preference
	All	Bush	Gore
Satisfied	62%	33%	61%
Dissatisfied	35%	73%	20%

Wild Cards in the Electorate
While Bush continues to hold a slight numerical advantage in the contest, the race is still very close — easily close enough for turnout to make a critical difference.
     For instance, adding more union voters, blacks or big city voters to the mix could bring Gore into a tie or even the lead; these are all strongly pro-Democratic groups, and could be especially important in some of the battleground states.
     And there are the wild cards. Ralph Nader’s getting just 3 percent support, but half his voters may change their minds, and they favor Gore over Bush as a second choice by 2-1.
     Moreover, a steady 10 percent of voters remain lightly committed, saying they don’t feel strongly about their preference and also might change their minds (or are outright undecided). Nothing may matter as much as where they settle down — a judgment that likely will include all these factors — issues, character, and the state of the nation as well.
    

Methodology
This poll was conducted by telephone Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2000 among a random national sample of 1,280 likely voters. The results have a three-point error margin. ABCNEWS and The Washington Post are sharing data collection for this tracking poll, then independently applying their own models to arrive at likely voter estimates. Field work by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.

Previous ABCNEWS polls can be found in our Poll Vault.