One last straw about "Murphy Brown": Republican pollster Richard Wirthlin says Americans feel warmer toward the TV character than they do toward George Bush, Bill Clinton or Ross Perot.
Vice President Dan Quayle charged that the TV character, who had a baby out of wedlock, is an example of TV promoting values harmful to society.Those polled by Wirthlin, a former BYU professor who was Ronald Reagan's pollster, were asked to rate individuals on a scale from one to 100, with one indicating they saw the character as cold and viewed him or her negatively, and 100 for those who are seen as warm and positive.
Wirthlin said Murphy Brown, played by actress Candice Bergen, got a thermometer reading of 57-58, while Perot was in the "low 50s," Bush in the "high 40s," and Clinton in the "high 30s." Congress got a 37 rating in his most recent test last week, Wirthlin said.
Although he thinks Quayle may have been tapping a potentially rich vein of public unease with the growth of out-of-wedlock births, Wirthlin said Quayle erred in using Murphy Brown as the symbol to drive home the message.,
"While Dan Quayle tried to use Murphy Brown as a symbol of the tearing of the nation's moral fabric, most Americans don't think of her that way," said Wirthlin.
Wirthlin also said that Brown's thermometer rating is a good deal higher than Quayle's, although he did not say by how much.