Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 6

times MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2002 Poll ST. ELECTION 2002 PETERSBURG TIMESMIAMI HERALD POLL How poll was done The St. Petersburg TimesMiami Herald poll was conducted March 22-28 by Schroth Associates, a Washington polling firm that works primarily for corporate clients but also for Democratic and Republican candidates. The telephone survey of 800 registered Florida voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, with a slightly higher margin among some subgroups. I.

i. I Considering the controversy that followed the 2000 presidential election, would you say you are more likely to vote in this year's election for governor, less likely to vote in this year's election, or will the controversy following the 2000 election have no effect on your decision to vote in this year's election? More likely Less likely No effect Don't know refused 25 2 72 1 EEC General election If the November election for governor were today, which candidate would you vote for? Jeb Bush Janet Reno Undecided 54 37 9 tody battle in Miami. Most voters, 56 percent, also said her health would not affect her ability to serve as governor. Reno fainted at a speech in January in New York and visibly snakes because of Parkinson's disease. "No one thing is driving her disapproval rating," Schroth said.

"Apparently, it's all of them combined that are conspiring to make Florida split their opinion of her performance as attorney general. "In my opinion, she would have the most difficult time of closing the gap, because she's very defined politically, and half of that definition is negative." Gale Despiegler, 64, of Brandon agreed. "It's not that I'm dead set against Janet Reno, I just honest to God don't think she'd have a chance," said Despiegler, a retired nurse who recently left the Republican Party to become a Democrat. "I just think she's got her heart in the right place, she's got Florida first, but I just don't think she has a plan to get from here to there," he said. "You got to have some kind of a plan or something.

She just talks and talks and talks." But McBride has a long climb. Even in his home area of Tampa Bay, Reno has a slight edge, 35 to 32 percent. In McBride's home county, Hillsborough, Reno leads 46 to 26 percent. In Pinellas County, she leads 42-18. On her home turf, Democrat-rich South Florida, Reno overwhelms McBride, 65 to 6 percent.

One-quarter of Democratic voters are undecided in the primary, but winning them all would not push McBride past Reno. The two other Democratic candidates, House Minority Leader Lois Frankel of West Palm Beach and state Sen. Daryl Jones of Miami, got 5 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Frankel said Thursday she's reconsidering candidacy. Nationally, Florida's governor's race is seen in part as a referendum on President Bush, who won Florida in 2000 after the U.S.

Supreme Court stopped a hand recount of the disputed vote. But now he's even more popular here than his younger brother, with seven of 10 voters approving of the "president's job performance. It's a wartime, post-Sept. 11 spike that Democrats will find hard to counter, Schroth said. "(Former Vice President Al) Gore, McBride and Reno are all having difficulties making large inroads against the Bush family right now," he said.

"Things can change, the time between now and the election is an eternity in poli-. tics, but both the brothers start out with large advantages." Times staff writer Steve Bousquet contributed to this report. from 1A had never heard of him. Bush leads McBride 55 to 34 percent But that's not McBride's most immediate problem. Reno holds an even wider lead over McBride in the Democratic primary, 48 to 18 percent.

The poll of Florida voters was conducted between March 22-28 for the St. Petersburg Times and the Miami Herald, the state's two largest newspapers, by Schroth Associates, a Washington polling firm. The telephone survey of 800 registered voters has a margin of error rate of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The poll suggests the Democrats' best hope is to continue to argue Bush is wrong on education, as Reno and McBride have been doing. "This is a point of potential political vulnerability," pollster Rob Schroth said.

"The Democrats have a slight advantage on education, the governor has a negative job approval on education, and education dominates the political landscape. "I think he could be damaged by a credible Democratic candidate. But someone has to make up an 18 to 20 percent gap, which is never easy in American politics." As the campaign season begins in earnest, Bush posts the enviable numbers of a comfortable incumbent even as his job approval ratings have slipped slightly near the end of his first term. Fifty-six percent of voters think he's doing a good job, and he's earned high marks for managing the state's economy. Another 35 percent disapprove of the governor's job performance, compared to 27 percent in 2000 and 16 percent the year before.

Perhaps more troubling for Bush is that Florida voters are divided over whether the state is headed in the right direction. And 51 percent do not like the way Bush has handled education and the public schools. Bush's two biggest education initiatives abolishing the Board of Regents, which oversaw the state university system, and providing taxpayer-funded vouchers to send children to private schools are not popular. Fifty-six percent favor restoring a Regents-like system. And 53 percent of voters oppose vouchers, which provide public money for private school tuition for students in failing public schools and are part of Bush's "A Plan." "When it first came out, I said that's not such a bad idea, giving people a choice," said retired teacher Eunice Van Wyck, 75, of Tampa, a Republican who plans to vote for Bush.

"But the more I hear about it, and the more I read about it, I just feel it's going to ruin public educa- George W. Bush Jeb Bush Do you approve or disapprove of the job Jeb Bush is doing as governor? Approve Disapprove 35 4. Don't knowrefused 9 George W. Bush Do you approve or disapprove of the job George W. Bush is doing as president? Approve Disapprove Ik uon i Knowreiusea 97 Afl Janet Reno Thinking back, do you approve or disapprove of the job Janet Reno did as U.S.

attorney general? Don't knowrefused 7 Do you approve or disapprove of the job the Florida Legislature is doing? Approve Disapprove Don't know TT Jeb Bush Approve Disapprove 46 kV.1 i 48 i2 Jeb Bush 55 Bill McBride 34 Undecided 11 Jeb Bush 59 Lois Frankel 26 Undecided 15 Jeb Bush 58 Daryl Jones 24 Undecided 18 tion" she said. "If they're going to subsidize private schools, then public schools are going to lose. They need every penny they can get" While Bush gets mixed marks on education, just 30 percent think the Republican is too conservative. He remains popular among important swing voters: More than one in four Democrats said they would vote for the Republican over Reno or McBride. So would just over half of women and at least 45 percent of independents, groups that Democrats have counted on in the past.

Working women, another group the Democrats badly need, are sharply divided between Bush and Reno or McBride. "It's been iffy, but I think he's done pretty well," said Susie Free-hauf of Hobe Sound, the mother of three and a registered independent Numbers like that will make it difficult for the Democrats to oust him in November. And Reno has even more obstacles to overcome. Nearly half of voters call her too liberal, including three-quarters of Republican women who will sometimes cross party lines. Voters also are evenly split over Reno's tenure as attorney general: 47 percent approve of her job performance and 46 percent disapprove.

That shows 93 percent of vot-, ers know Reno and have an opinion about her but are sharply divided. Schroth said that McBride has reason to be encouraged by that division. Even though 54 percent of voters did not recognize McBride's name, he should have a better chance of taking swing votes away from the governor and luring more Democrats back to their party nominee if he were to upset Reno, Schroth said. "His image glass is practically empty. Hers is almost full.

You would reason he has a greater opportunity to increase his numbers than she does," he said. Reno's two most indelible episodes as U.S. attorney general are not dramatically hurting her. Only about one-third of those polled said they wouldn't vote for her because of her handling of the Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas, or the Elian Gonzalez cus World's strength And the experts Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Don't know 7 I won't vote for Jeb Bush because of the role he played following the 2000 election. Agree Disagree 007 Don't know 8 Janet Reno is too liberal for me.

Agree Disagree 44 Don't know 9 I am concerned that Janet Reno cannot be an effective governor because of her health problems. Agree Disagree 56 Don't know 6 I won't vote for Janet Reno because of the actions she took during the Branch Davidian crisis in Waco, Texas. Don't know 7 I won't vote for Janet Reno because of her role during the Elian Gonzalez situation. Don't know 6 Tallahassee Jacksonville Gainesville CENTRAL: Orlando Bush: 63 Reno: 30 McBride: 35 AREA: Jeb Bush is too conservative for me. Agree Disagree I II Willi 1 1 I mi Agree Disagree Agree Disagree Tampa Democratic Primary If the Democratic primary were today, which candidate do you think you'd vote for? Janet Reno Bill McBride Lois Frankel Daryl Jones Undecided 48 18 5 4 25 Pensacoja NORTH: BAY Panama mmmHmmmmimmmmmm in mm im iiiMmtwMi i mm i i ihi i nn wmcwmr GENERAL ELECTION DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BUSH i RENO BUSH McBRIDE RENO McBRIDE FRANKEL i JONES Women 52 i 39 51 I 35 48 15 6 Men 57 34 59 33 47 24 4 2 Ages 18-34 53 42 64 31 64 2 13 0 Ages 35-49 50 i 44 54 37 57 25 10 4 Ages 50-64 52 37 48 35 40 22 3 5 Ages 65 or older 60 32 59 32 47 14 4 5 White 60 I 31 59 31 46 I 24 6 1 Black 12 I 79 21 64 53 6 4 13 Hispanic 69 26 76 17 55 I 16 6 0 Democrats 27 63 29 57 Republicans 86 10 84 10 Independents 45 37 48 36 ii Jit GENERAL ELECTION If the November election for governor were today which candidate would you vote for? is your security.

agree. 550,000 minimum deposit the Competition APY Bush: 66 Reno: 25 Bush: 64 McBride: 28 tftstrM'c: PLViioM I men raH Mavbat Bush: 58 Jeb Bush 54 Janet Reno 37 Bush" 52" Undecided 9 McBride: 34 Jeb Bush 55 HILLSBOROUGH: Bill McBride 34 Busn 67 Undecided 11 Reno 25 "Bush 64" JebBush 59 McBride 30 Louis Frankel 26 ii PINELLAS: Undecided 15 Bush 57 JebBush 58 Reno 34 Daryl Jones 24 Bush" 55 Undecided 18 McBride 34 Sarata I Mian fields vs. SOUTHWEST: Bush: 58 Reno: 29 McBride: 29 Balance WORLD Bank of AmSouth Sun SAVINGS America Trust $50,000 3.01 1.01 1.25 1.85 25,000 2.7S 1.01 1.25 1.75 10,000 2.44 1.01 1.00 1,70 "America's Most Admired Savings Institution." FORTUNE Magazine "Excellent track record and a rock Solid balance Sheet." Standard Poor's World has a solid reputation because of our sound business practices. Which is why, in this uncertain economy, we recommend you keep a portion of your funds in our Hi-Yield" Insured Money Market Account. It's FDIC insured, so you aren't taking chances.

And it's liquid, so you'll always have access to your money1' Open a Hi-Yield Insured Money Market Account today and relax. www.worldsavings.com WORLD SAVINGS Our strength is your DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY If the Democratic primary were today, which candidate do you think you'd vote for? "Annual Percentage Yields are effective as of date of publication, and may change thereafter; APY on balances below $9,999 to $2,500 is 1.07, APY below $2,500 is 0.46. $10,000 minimum balance to open; $250,000 maximum per household. Personal accounts only. Fees could reduce earnings.

APY comparisons based on independent shopping survey of other institutions' APYs on 32602 transfers to third parties are limited to six pet statement cycle, including three checks. The globe is a service mark and World Savings is a registered mark of GWf C. 2002 World Savings Bank FSB. N2078-02 Janet Reno Bill McBride Lois Frankel Daryl Jones Undecided 48 18 5 4 25 Key West Bush: 37 Reno: 54 McBride: 38 Tallahassee Jacksonville Gainesville 7 CENTRAL Reno: 39 McBride: 23 Frankel: 7 Jones: 2 Oflando BAY AREA: Reno: 35 McBride: 32. i-ranKei: Jones: 2 SOUTHWEST: Reno: 49 McBride: 24 Frankel: 6 Jones: 11 SOUTH: Reno: 65 McBride: 6 Frankel: 6 Jones: 6 art DAVID WILUAMS, DON MORRIS SOUTH: Tamna I 2l I Mian Key West PensacolV- anama O'V' NORTH: Reno: 36 McBride: 22X Frankel: 6 Jones: 4 HILLSBOROUGH: Reno McBride Frankel Jones PINELLAS: Reno McBride Frankel Jones 46 26 3 2 49 24 55 34 Janet Reno Times I I JUJ For additional offices, see your yellow page Clearwater MinuriAve.

(727)461-7240 directory. FDIC INSURED TO LEOAL MAXIMUM (727) 367-3765 (727) 847-2498 (727) 391-0276 (352) 597-4775 (813) 633-7900 (941) 493-9426 Pasadena Port Richey Seminole Spring Hill Sun City Ctr. Venice Bayonet Point Bradenton 2901 -53rd Ave. E. 5858 Cortez Rd.

W. (727) 868-2176 (941) 752-6848 (941) 794-3636 Ocala Palm Hours: Mon-Thurs 9-4; Fri 9-6; Sat 9-1 23988 U.S. Hwy. 19 N. (727) 791-3645 (352) 861-0800 Harbor (727) 784-3434 Bill McBride Lois Frankel Daryl Jones Some percentages do not total to 100 percent due to rounding.