And among those who call character critical, Bush leads by a 23-point margin. Further polling will show whether the revelation of Bush's DUI arrest 24 years ago affects judgments of his character. Reports of trouble in the distant past usually don't have much influence on a politician's ratings. People tend to care more about current behavior, especially when it's relevant to the official duties someone holds or seeks. People who are most apt to call character very important in their vote are in many ways natural Bush supporters.
Older people are also a bit more apt to call character very important.
At the same time, character's also very important to two-thirds of independents and white Catholics, historically the two most important swing voter groups. But the importance likely voters give to character doesn't mitigate the importance of the issues. The first four can be seen as individual components of a person's overall character. If Bush has character working for him, and is competitive on issues, it's fair to ask why the race is still so close. And there are the wild cards.