Public Still Opposes Quayle as President, Poll Indicates

A year after his selection as George Bush’s running mate, Vice President Dan Quayle has failed to convince most Americans that he is qualified to take over the presidency and seems to be making little progress in improving his standing, a new Washington Post-ABC Poll indicates.

In the Aug. 4 to 8 survey of 1,022 respondents, 52% said that Quayle was not qualified to take over the Oval Office if something happened to the President, and 38% said he was qualified.

As a candidate, Bush listed ability to take over the White House as his No. 1 requirement for a running mate.

Large numbers of those questioned do not yet have an opinion about Quayle’s job performance. Quayle’s approval rating dropped over the last two months, but so did the number of those who disapprove of him, while the undecided segment grew.

Quayle, in an interview, said he now feels “confident in the job . . . . I think we are off to a good, steady start.” He attributed the gap between his popularity and Bush’s to his rough campaign and to the fact that he is new on the national scene.

About 43% of those questioned approve of the way Quayle is handling his job, compared to 22% who disapprove, and 34% had no opinion. That puts the vice president’s approval rate about 25 points below Bush’s.

Breaking down the numbers by race, the poll found that 46% of whites approved of Quayle’s performance but only 27% of blacks did.

Those questioned are closely divided on whether Bush made a mistake in choosing Quayle. Forty-three percent said he did, but 47% said he did not. When asked if Bush should pick someone else as a running mate if he seeks a second term, 43% said he should, but 38% said he should not. Nineteen percent had no opinion.