Like many Americans, Utahns are not happy with the direction the country is headed. But unlike voters in other states, they aren't taking it out on President Bush, the latest Deseret News/KSL-TV poll shows.
Pollster Dan Jones & Associates found in a recent survey that 77 percent of Utahns think the United States is on the wrong track. Only 19 percent said the country is on the right track, while 3 percent didn't know.While those in other states are at least partly blaming Bush for the country's economic woes - a dissatisfaction reflected in polls in those states - that isn't the case in Utah, one of the few states in the nation where Bush holds a comfortable lead over Democratic rival Bill Clinton.
As reported previously, Jones found that Bush leads Clinton 44 percent to 28 percent. Independent Ross Perot is favored by 13 percent of Utahns.
So, it is clear that a number of Utahns support Bush even though they believe the nation is on the wrong track.
Indeed, Jones found that 63 percent of those who said they are Republicans say the nation is on the wrong track, yet 75 percent of Utah Republicans still support Bush.
The poll of 610 Utahns was conducted Sept. 29-30. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.0 percent.
The poll was taken before the presidential debates, so the three men's performances in the televised contests are not reflected in the results.
While Utahns are not happy with how things are going nationally, they are pleased with how things are going in Utah.
Jones found that 50 percent think Utah is on the right track. Forty-four percent think Utah is going in the wrong direction, while 6 percent don't know.
While Utah has suffered a number of defense-related job losses, overall the Utah economy is much better than its national counterpart.
The 50 percent right-track rating is good news for local politicians who seek re-election to the Legislature, county commissions or other state offices.
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(Poll)
Do you thing things in this country are generally headed in the right direction, or have they pretty seriously gotton off on the wrong track?
Right direction 19%
Wrong track 77%
Don't know 3%
Do you think things in this state are generally headed in the right direction, or have they pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track?
Right direction 50%
Wrong track 44%
Don't know 6%
Sample size: 610 Error: +/- 4%
Conducted Sept. 29-30 1992
Conducted by Dan Jones & Associates