Similarly, Bill Clinton has become more salient in voters' decision-making than he was just a month ago. This sentiment has increased the most among men and Republicans. These marginal shifts in sentiment away from incumbents and the GOP leadership may reflect a backlash against the Republicans for their handling of the Clinton-Lewinsky investigation. Women, blacks and those with less income and less education are among the most likely to think the Republicans have pushed too hard. Voters from competitive districts do not differ from those in non-competitive districts on this score.
Voters are more approving of Democratic members' handling of the issue.
General attitudes about the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal and Congress' handling of the matter continue to divide largely along partisan lines. Instead, education and economic issues top the list of voter concerns. Moreover, although voters continue to express the greatest interest in hearing candidates talk about education, they are most concerned about the state of the economy. There are other signs that voters' confidence in the economy has ebbed somewhat since just last month. The greatest drop in optimism occurred among senior citizens, voters without high school diplomas, Easterners, and voters living in rural states.