Poll: Bradley Still An Unknown

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

November 4, 1999 / 10:53 AM
/ CBS

Former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley - who trails Vice President Al Gore in the race for the Democratic nomination - remains unknown to most Americans, according to a new CBS News Early Show poll. But what image he does have is largely defined by his years as a star for the New York Knicks.

OPINION OF BRADLEY

NOW

7/99

Favorable

19%

12%

Unfavorable

8

7

Didn't rate

73

81

Fifty-five percent of adults say they have not heard enough about Bradley to have an opinion of him, and another 18 percent remain undecided. Bradley has gained some recognition in the past 3 months, and those who know him, like him. Nineteen percent view him favorably, compared to 8 percent who view him unfavorably. Twenty-four percent ofDemocrats have a favorable impression of Bradley, and only 7 percent view him unfavorably.

Bradley is much better known as a basketball star than as a senator. When asked the first thing that comes to mind when they hear Bradley's name, 11 percent mention his time in basketball - the most frequent answer - while only 2 mention his Senate career. Men are much more familiar with Bradley as an athlete than are women. Here again, however, few people have definite opinions about Bradley: 57 percent do not associate anything when they hear his name.

Many people have trouble evaluating Bradley when asked about him on a host of presidental characteristics, although among those who do, he has wide bipartisan appeal.

DOES BRADLEY ...?

YES

NO

DON'TKNOW

Understand problems Pres. deals with

43%

24

33

Care about problems of