The original documents are located in Box 64, folder “February 15, 1972 - Attorney General - Missouri Poll Analysis” of the Robert Teeter Papers 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 Gerald Ford donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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.

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COMMITTEE FOR THE RE-ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT

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CO.:FIBENTIAt./EYES O"NLY

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' HE~·fOR.ANDUM FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

SUBJECT: Nissouri Poll Analysis

February 15, 1972

Attached is my analysis of the ca~paign poll conducted in Hissouri. The vendor's report.is included under separate cover.

-GONFIDENTL\t:-/EYES ONLY

Determmed to be an Admmrstrative Marking

NARA, Date 1.9} ~j l>j { l

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Digitized from Box 64 of the Robert Teeter Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

ce::n ~Jr!iTL'...L/r.Yr::. o::r.Y t'Jl.~ ~ lJU L .J..

J ;JJlu :, :·:· s-zs. l ~7 2

800 lntervie\-:::>

'fhe Prcsidcn t i;, tr.Jilin;:; l!u:.;Lie by· 9. 3~~ , Ke-nnedy by 2. 92 <nd 1 >.:1 ~- i)h:--.:y by 2. C:~;

on the t·.: u-·.:;ly b.1l.lo~.s . Ti :erc nn.: a ~;i~niflc;:nt nu:::bcr o[ u:1Jc.cidcc; voters in

c.:1ch of tltcse races (12Z).

On the thrce-t/ay ballots, ~~allacc helps the President <1gains t ::u~kie;, but hurts

hir.~ <l~;. 1 ir!o.t Ire:::;:.!1n.:y .:t:id }:uH<uly. :!u:::~:ie's lt-<Jci clrc!,s fron 10~: to ~-: to'l1ilQ

Humplu:ey' s lend incrcn~; es to t.::~ Gnd Kc:r.ncdy '.s to 6/(. ~-.'all<:lce rcceiv':!s 12-13;~

depending on the particular race. A significant 11% arc still undecided in this

race.

The only groups which give the President a winning nargin over ~uskie in the two­

way races ~re ~epublicnns, ticket-~plitters,-collegc c:clucat0d and t~ose with

$15,000 or hi;;hcr incor::cs. On the r!i:-:on/!iuskic/\:.:J.llace ballot, the President

trails r:us~:ic in the najor mctro~)olitan are.::s and outstate. Ti-..e Ka".sas City

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metropolit<ln area is the t.Jea~~cst area for Nixon. ! .

• At,'arencss of the President's ability to handle issues ranges from 97% to 99%,

compared to approximately 65% for Huskic and 85% for Kcnneciy. These ~wareness

leveis for ~I~;skie and i~cnnedy arc sub!>tantially greater than the na.::ional average.

\-lith Uus:de voters, the President is m~akest on his ability to hnnc:e uner..?lo·y­

ment, drugs, bussing and ~eueral unrest. On each of these issues, the President

receives a high negative response, in ~Om?arison to the ratings ·given to Muskie.

Voters in ~-~issouri support \·:all ace because of econcrdc, 11 populist" issues and

not for reasons of rae~.

Bussing does not appear to be an i1:1portant issue in te~s of voting in Hissouri.

Consid ,~ rin~ o:1ly those persons d1o arc able to rate the ca.-,dicl::.tes, both :-:uskie

and Kennedy receive ~ore favorable r.:J.tinss on bus~ing t~an ti-..c ?res~ccnt. Tte

favorable ratinG for Huskie on bussing is 70% and Kennedy receives G9% favora~lc

response. Nixon's rating is substantially lower at 49% favorajle. This docs not

indicate that the Presicicrit should aclopt the position taken by ~uskie or Ke~n~cly,

but r.:1ther t~1at tiw ?reside~•t 's current position is only bcin•g favcrc.bly received

by hnlf of U1c voters in Hissouri.

The President's approval rating an!ong all voters is 46~~, "-'ith 42/~ cis<lpprovin;.

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This is a significant decline frma his r<1ting in 1970 and is ·also C·:):<sidcra'tlly .I

lower than the national average. The decline is particul~rly prono~nced with

ticket-splitters and voters 65 years ~nd Qlcler. The principal reasocs given for t di~up~rov~ l nre Victn~~ (16~), nnd the econouy (15%). These renso~s were cspa- ;

cially prcv<1lcnt with olJcr voters.

The leading national issues in ~!issouri are Vietnno, the · cc:onc::~y, u:1cmploy:::-:.nt

and cri;::e. The economy <1nd risin~~ prices \·.'ere of ~ore concern to l:i:;her incc::1c

voters. Unemployment was rncntion~d twice as often by black voters. Undecided

voters mentioned race relations, drugs, and moral decay slightly oorc often

th<ln older groups.

Uncmployr:ent is the leading state issue, especially ar.:ong blacks ar:d voters bet\,'ecn

35 and 44 y0nrs. [Juc~tion is the second most irnport~nt stntc prchlem and of

speci2l cc~ccrn in the K~~s~s City nr~a. lligh taxes and cri~~ arc the next cost

i1;:port::nt ~Llt.:! is:.;ucs.

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r-iis ~ouri · · · Janu<try 5-25, 1972

800 lntcrv Lc\:s

In the i;:tl•c:rn::tori.:-,1 r;lcc, J:o:-:d would n.:.rrc•. : l:,· .dcfc.:!t either ~!orris or Til.:1cb·:cll,

llhilc l~in;:; lioulu lose· by a sub :; taati<.:l t:::trt.;in <.~cainst thc:.;c sa::1c opponents . l~ord

fdwul C: c..:;!.;.i. ly d2.Ce;, t i:in~ in t:k! I'rio:1ary.

Tile ;:~prov:il r;:tc for D:::: ::ocr:~tic G:Jvcrnor \·!<.~rrcn !!carne~ is 497, '-'ith Jl,% dis-

'nprov i:11~;. approvin~.

Sun~tor Stu~rt Sy~!in~ton hcs on approval rate of 65% with 16% dis­

The approyal rate for ·Thonas EDglcton is 59Z with 12% disapprovin~.

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