EMBARGOED for Sunday, May 10 A quarterly, non-partisan survey of public opinion Conducted by Public Policy Resources Laboratory. Texas A&M University Sponsored by Harte-Hanks Communications Inc. Clements performance rating grows more negative By DR. JAMES DYER and KATHY CASTEEI, Texas Poll Gov. Bill Clements' already negative performance rating among Texans has worsened by another II percentage points in just two months, the spring Texas Poll shows. One reason for the continued decline in the governor's popularity may involve his acknowledged role in the Southern Methodist University football scandal. A majority on the poll said the controversy has not affected their view of the governor, but a third said it has lowered their opinion of him. A. telephone survey of 1,082 Texans April 11-25 reveals that only one in four say Clements is doing an excellent or good job as governor (4 percent say excellent, 21 percent say good). A majority of 56 percent rate the governor's job performance as only fair or poor (39 percent say only fair, 17 percent say poor). The rest — 19 percent — have no opinion. Texans were less negative toward the governor last February in the winter Texas Poll. Then, after one month on the job, 36 percent of Texans gave Clements a good or excellent rating and 45 percent gave him a poor or only fair rating. Clements' negative rating approaches the 60 percent negative score given his predecessor Mark White last August, shortly before the November election. Clements has lost ground in his native North Texas. where 22 percent give him a positive rating, compared to 40 percent in February. The governor's support within his own party also is eroding. Republicans split at 41 percent positive and 42 percent negative this time. In February, 53 percent of Republicans gave him a positive rating and 29 percent were negative. There was relatively little change among Democrats' already low assessment of Clements, which went from 22 percent positive in February to 14 percent positive now. Clements also has suffered a significant drop in ratings among ideological conservatiyes and moderates. A third of conservatives now treat him positively, down from 46 percent two months earlier. Among moderates 19 percent give him a positive rating, down from February's 34 percent. The smallest shift conies from liberals, where 26 percent still give him a good or excellent rating, down slightly from the 30 percent who did so last winter. The poll was conducted a few weeks after Clements acknowledged that he and other members of the SMU board of governors knew about illicit payments to SMU football players and permitted them to continue. Here is the question that Texans were asked: "Gov. Clements recently made a public apology for not stopping football recruiting violations while he was on the SMU Board of Governors. Has this fact made you more favorable toward the governor, less favorable, or did it not change your opinion?" More than half (55 percent) said the scandal had not changed their opinions of Clements, but a third (34 percent) said they now think less of the governor. Another 5 percent said they now feel more favorably toward Clements. Six percent had no opinion. The Texas Poll was conducted by telephone by the Public Policy Rsources Laboratory at Texas A&M University for Harte-Hanks Communications Inc. Results from the total sample may vary by as much as 3 percentage points in either direction because of sampling error. P.O. Box 3000, Bryan, Texas 77805
