BY WILL LESTER
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON -- Democratic congressional candidates who stick to issues like education, health care and Social Security will connect with voters in November's elections despite President Clinton's troubles, party strategists said Wednesday.
A $50,000 Democratic poll taken in 10 "swing" districts suggest voters were more interested in candidates who talk about key issues than those who focus campaigns on morality, they said.
"Our candidates in key races are ahead, and ahead by a significant margin," said Rep. Martin Frost of Texas, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "As long as they will keep talking about education, health care and Social Security, they will continue to do well."
The Democrats said they took the poll Sept. 8-13 to answer Republican claims that the GOP could pick up 15 seats or more this fall because of the Clinton controversy.
The bipartisan Battleground 98 poll, taken by GOP pollster Ed Goeas and Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, warned recently of possible voter erosion for Democrats among key groups such as older voters and white women.
Republicans hold a 22-seat margin in the House, and Democrats once talked of forcing a switch of 11 seats to control the chamber. But now Democrats are more concerned with avoiding heavy losses. "We needed to blunt the rhetoric coming out from the other side," said Matt Angle, executive director of the DCCC. "We want to indicate to our candidates in marginal and competitive districts to keep their eye on the ball, not to get distracted."
The poll of 3,511 people in 10 districts across the country was done to determine the extent of the party's problems in competitive districts after recent talk of voter erosion among Democrats, Angle said. Seven of the districts are currently held by Democratic candidates and three are open. The districts were in the South, Midwest and West, but were not disclosed.
Education and Social Security remain top issues in the swing districts and Democrats were given the edge on handling issues like Social Security, health care, education and economic issues, according to the DCCC's pollster, James Lauer of Takoma Park, Md. The poll, Lauer said, showed candidates of either party gain little by calling for the president's resignation.
Some Democratic congressional candidates have distanced themselves from the president and said they don't want his campaign help since his admission of a relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky and the release of the detailed report by special prosecutor Kenneth Starr.
Republicans countered the DCCC Wednesday by identifying some Democrats around the country who have done so, including some of the Democratic candidates in the most competitive districts. "Regardless of the message the Democrats are attempting to send today, the message is loud and clear from their candidates across the country and that message is: 'Mr. Clinton, thanks but no thanks,"' said Todd Harris, a spokesman for the Republican National Congressional Committee.
Recent public surveys of party preference in the congressional elections have been very close. Republicans have an edge among likely voters, however.
DCCC director Angle said the polls were intended to find out where Democrats stood in protecting their own party's districts from Republicans after the Lewinsky controversy.
The Democrats' polling has reassured them, Angle said: "That this will not change the dynamics of the election."
