---
"title": "Topline"
"description": "Character Study Topline   Total ALL BUSH (n=585) ALL GORE (n=745) Bush Family (n=89) Bush Intellect (n=176) Bush Different (n=320) Gore Lies (n=269) Gore Scandal (n=344) Gore Comp. (n=132) Medium Newspapers 60% 63% 58% 59% 64% 64% 60% 52% 69% Television 30 27% 33% 21 25 29 28 41 24 Evening News 11 10 13 […]"
"date": "2000-07-27"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Benjamin Wormald"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/journalism/2000/07/27/topline-36/"
---

# Topline

Character Study Topline

|  | Total | ALL<br> BUSH<br> (n=585) | ALL<br> GORE<br> (n=745) | Bush<br> Family<br> (n=89) | Bush<br> Intellect<br> (n=176) | Bush<br> Different<br> (n=320) | Gore<br> Lies<br> (n=269) | Gore<br> Scandal<br> (n=344) | Gore<br> Comp.<br> (n=132) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Medium** |
| Newspapers | 60% | 63% | 58% | 59% | 64% | 64% | 60% | 52% | 69% |
| Television | 30 | 27% | 33% | 21 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 41 | 24 |
| *Evening News* | 11 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 16 |
| *Morning Shows* | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| *Sunday Shows* | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| *Prime T. Talk* | 12 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 20 | 4 |
| Internet | 10 | 10 | 9 | 20 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 7 |
| **Total** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** |
|  |
|  | Total | ALL<br> BUSH<br> (n=585) | ALL<br> GORE<br> (n=745) | Bush<br> Family<br> (n=89) | Bush<br> Intellect<br> (n=176) | Bush<br> Different<br> (n=320) | Gore<br> Lies<br> (n=269) | Gore<br> Scandal<br> (n=344) | Gore<br> Comp.<br> (n=132) |
| **Story Type** |
| News Story | 51% | 48% | 53% | 47% | 45% | 49% | 62% | 44% | 63% |
| Op-ed | 9 | 14 | 6 | 26 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 7 |
| Editorial | 6 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 7 |
| Analysis | 30 | 35 | 27 | 24 | 38 | 37 | 19 | 34 | 22 |
| Candidate Int. | 4 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
| **Total** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** |
|  |
|  | Total | ALL<br> BUSH<br> (n=585) | ALL<br> GORE<br> (n=745) | Bush<br> Family<br> (n=89) | Bush<br> Intellect<br> (n=176) | Bush<br> Different<br> (n=320) | Gore<br> Lies<br> (n=269) | Gore<br> Scandal<br> (n=344) | Gore<br> Comp.<br> (n=132) |
| **Source** |
| Journalist | 50% | 57% | 44% | 64% | 57% | 54% | 39% | 50% | 41% |
| Analysis | 40 | 42 | 38 | 30 | 41 | 45 | 33 | 46 | 28 |
| Opinion | 10 | 15 | 6 | 34 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 13 |
| Voter | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 5 | \* | 6 |
| Expert | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Camp. Surrogate | 12 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 22 |
| Candidate | 25 | 19 | 30 | 7 | 15 | 24 | 35 | 28 | 24 |
| Other Media | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Other | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| **Total** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** |
|  |
|  | Total | ALL<br> BUSH<br> (n=585) | ALL<br> GORE<br> (n=745) | Bush<br> Family<br> (n=89) | Bush<br> Intellect<br> (n=176) | Bush<br> Different<br> (n=320) | Gore<br> Lies<br> (n=269) | Gore<br> Scandal<br> (n=344) | Gore<br> Comp.<br> (n=132) |
| **Evidence** |
| Voter Interaction | 3% | 6% | 1% | 5% | 7% | 5% | 1% | \*% | 5% |
| Public Record | 31 | 11 | 46 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 35 | 64 | 21 |
| Recent Remarks | 7 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 1 |
| Camp. Platform | 9 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 12 |
| Tactics/Rhetoric | 13 | 21 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 19 |
| Opponent Attack | 8 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 18 | 8 | 2 |
| Friends’ Remarks | 1 | 3 | \* | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | \* | 2 |
| Past Personal Life | 2 | 5 | \* | 15 | 7 | 1 | \* | 0 | 1 |
| Poll | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Other | 5 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| No Evidence | 19 | 25 | 15 | 52 | 31 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 24 |
| **Total** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** |
|  |
|  | Total | ALL<br> BUSH<br> (n=585) | ALL<br> GORE<br> (n=745) | Bush<br> Family<br> (n=89) | Bush<br> Intellect<br> (n=176) | Bush<br> Different<br> (n=320) | Gore<br> Lies<br> (n=269) | Gore<br> Scandal<br> (n=344) | Gore<br> Comp.<br> (n=132) |
| **Context** |
| Tactics/strategy | 45% | 36% | 52% | 33% | 26% | 42% | 64% | 50% | 37% |
| Leadership | 29 | 28 | 29 | 9 | 45 | 24 | 23 | 31 | 34 |
| Electability | 6 | 9 | 5 | 17 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| Rebuttals | 17 | 24 | 10 | 33 | 12 | 29 | 5 | 10 | 24 |
| Other | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 6 | \* | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| **Total** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** |
|  |
|  | Total | ALL<br> BUSH<br> (n=585) | ALL<br> GORE<br> (n=745) | Bush<br> Family<br> (n=89) | Bush<br> Intellect<br> (n=176) | Bush<br> Different<br> (n=320) | Gore<br> Lies<br> (n=269) | Gore<br> Scandal<br> (n=344) | Gore<br> Comp.<br> (n=132) |
| **Timing** |
| February | 23% | 28% | 19% | 44% | 14% | 31% | 18% | 21% | 15% |
| March | 37 | 25 | 47 | 29 | 32 | 20 | 43 | 57 | 31 |
| April | 16 | 21 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 29 | 14 | 7 | 17 |
| May | 8 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 14 |
| June | 16 | 14 | 17 | 9 | 24 | 10 | 16 | 15 | 23 |
| **Total** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** |