THE TIMES POLL : Holiday Pride Tempered by Ongoing Concern About Hussein : Most in survey think U.S. made right choice in going to war but 75% said Iraq’s leader remains a threat. There is no consensus on civil rights laws.

As preparations were made for the Independence Day holiday, many Americans felt extra pride because of U.S. military actions in the Gulf. But the afterglow of the victory in the Gulf is tempered by feelings that the Middle East is still seriously threatened by Saddam Hussein. And few think the United States is in better shape now than it was on July 4 a year ago, according to The Times Poll.

The poll also found 59% agreeing with the suggestion that money spent on celebrating the war would be better used for helping homeless and poverty-stricken people. Thirty-six percent reject that assertion.

Overall, nearly eight in 10 (78%) said the United States made the right decision in sending troops against Iraq--just 17% call that a mistake. Pro-war sentiment is down just slightly from an April Times Poll showing 87% supporting the decision and 12% opposed.

Almost half (47%) said U.S. actions in the Gulf have boosted their pride in America this July 4 while just 6% said they feel less pride. Another 47% said their pride is basically unchanged from previous years.

Mixed Assessment Found

But the public’s assessment of the war’s results is mixed.

Back in March, 53% thought America’s actions brought increased stability to the Middle East. Now just 35% hold that view, while 38% think the war had no effect on the region and another 23% feel the Gulf is actually less stable than before. That trend is not surprising given that 75% said Saddam Hussein remains a serious danger to Gulf peace.

Seven in 10 said the war has had a generally positive impact on life in the United States, just 8 points lower than the number saying that last March. Still, the percentage saying the nation is headed in the right direction has fallen to 38% from 55% in the past four months, while the number who said we are on “the wrong track” is up to 52% from 34%. And only two in 10 feel America is actually in better shape this July 4 than one year ago. Twice as many (40%) think the nation is in worse shape while 36% said things are basically unchanged.

Some of the boost that politicians got from backing the war with Iraq may also be fading, at least for the time being. In March, a poll by Times Mirror Co., parent of the Los Angeles Times, found 47% less likely to vote for their U.S. representative if he or she opposed the Gulf War go-ahead. That number is down to 30% in the new Times survey, while the percentage claiming a representative’s war vote would not affect their own vote has climbed to 53% from 36%.

That may be helping the Democrats recover their traditional lead over the GOP as the preferred party in the next congressional elections. Forty-six percent now say they will vote for a Democrat in the 1992 congressional campaign while 40% said they will vote Republican, figures generally in line with prewar measurements. The GOP enjoyed a very unusual 5- to 10-point advantage on this question in Times surveys conducted on the heels of the Gulf War success.

But Democrats are not likely to benefit from any renewed debate on the war. Only 13% of the respondents said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who opposed the war.

The nationwide telephone poll of 1,439 adults was conducted June 28 to 30. The margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points, and is somewhat higher for certain subgroups.

Other Findings in Poll

As President Bush and Congress battle over civil rights legislation, there is no consensus about the adequacy of current protection for minorities and women. While a third of the public think rights for minorities need strengthening, as many (35%) feel they are sufficient now and almost one in 4 say civil rights laws for minorities go too far. Nearly nine in 10 blacks feel the laws are inadequate, as do 52% of liberals and 47% of Democrats. But just a quarter of whites feel that way, while as many (27%) think such rules currently go too far.

Nearly half (46%) think women are already sufficiently protected by civil rights laws, and 11% think they are overprotected, while 36% feel women need more civil rights protection. Among women, 43% like the status quo, 10% said they are overly protected, and 40% said they need more protection.

Just over half (52%) of the respondents said President Bush pays adequate attention to civil rights but 35% said he is not doing enough in that area.

“Family,” “neighborhood,” “workplace,” “peace,” and “freedom” are the value messages Richard B. Wirthlin, pollster for Ronald Reagan, says cemented his candidate’s 1980 win over Jimmy Carter. Double-digit inflation and the Iran hostage crisis also helped Reagan, but Republican strategists continue to use such themes to lure wavering Democrats and independents to the GOP fold. Candidate Bush’s heavy 1988 emphasis on the American flag is a more recent example of such value-laden politics.

The nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, and the debate over his views on such issues as abortion and affirmative action, could revive value-related politics heading into the 1992 campaign. How do the parties stand in the public’s estimation when it comes to values and to solving social problems? The latest Times Poll shows a dead heat in both arenas. Asked who comes closer to representing the values they themselves hold important, 41% say the Democrats and 39% the Republicans. The question of who has the better ideas for solving America’s social problems also produces a standoff, with 36% picking the President and 40% his Democratic congressional opponents.

Should Congress investigate charges that Reagan campaign officials pressed Iran to delay the release of 52 American hostages during the 1980 presidential campaign? Yes, says a 57% majority of those polled in the latest Times survey compared with 38% who oppose such hearings. Not surprisingly, three-quarters of Democrats want Congress to look into the charges. But so do almost two in five (37%) GOP partisans.

President Bush seems to have weathered the flap over John H. Sununu’s travel escapades pretty well so far. Though almost no one (4%) feels more favorably toward the President because of Sununu’s actions, just 21% think less of Bush and 71% say their feelings toward the President are unchanged. Of those paying close attention to Sununu’s troubles, (39%) have soured some on Bush. But only one in four Americans are following the beleaguered chief of staff’s problems very closely.

It is interesting to compare Sununu’s public opinion profile with that of the predecessor he admires and who faced charges of wrongdoing while in office three decades ago: Sherman Adams, chief of staff to President Dwight D. Eisenhower and, like Sununu, a former governor of New Hampshire. The new Times Poll finds 30% favor Sununu’s resignation while 29% oppose it and 41% do not have an opinion. Back in July, 1958, the Gallup Poll found an almost identical 31% favoring Adams’ departure but fewer (20%) were opposed and 49% were undecided or were not following the Adams case. Adams eventually resigned over allegations that he accepted gifts from a friend while intervening for him in a dispute at the Federal Trade Commission.

One finding from this poll should be received with relief in most quarters: Respondents were quizzed about what historical event occurred on July 4, 1776, and three out of four correctly volunteered the answer, the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Notably, seven in 10 of those aged 18 to 22 knew the right answer, about the same share as in the 65 and older group.

Assistant Times poll director Susan Pinkus contributed to this story.

Views on Civil Rights

Do you think America’s civil rights laws for:

JUST GO NOT FAR ABOUT DON’T TOO FAR ENOUGH RIGHT KNOW Minorities 23% 33 35 9 Women 11% 36 46 7 White men 14% 17 62 7 People like yourself 2% 39 54 5

The poll was conducted June 28 to 30, and interviewed 1,439 adults nationwide.

America on the Fourth Taking all things into account, would you say that the U.S. this Fourth of July is: In better shape now than it was one year ago: 21% In worse shape now than it was one year ago: 40% In just about the same shape it was one year ago: 36% Don’t know: 3% Because of U.S. actions in the Gulf War this year, this Fourth of July will you feel: More proud to be an American: 47% Less proud to be an American: 6% About as proud as you usually feel to be an American: 47% Poll was conducted June 28-30, and interviewed 1,439 adults nationwide.