Attentiveness to the campaign is measured using an index based on how much people have heard or read about various campaign events and how much thought they have given to the campaign. Data from the Pew Research Center October 4-8 poll of 1009 registered voters. But Gore's lead among swing voters may not be good news for the vice president. It arises partly from the fact that his support is less solid than the Texas governor's at this late stage in the campaign. Comparing the two groups, attentive swing voters tend to be better educated and have higher incomes than those who are less interested in the campaign.
Minorities make up a slightly larger percentage of inattentive swing voters, as do unmarried people.
In terms of evaluating the candidates, swing voters generally favor Gore over Bush on character traits and issues, but there are significant differences between the attentive and the inattentive. For instance, engaged swing voters favor Gore by large margins on all major issues, while those less interested in the campaign are closely divided and more likely to say they simply don't know which candidate would do a better job. Similar patterns are evident on health care, abortion, taxes, Social Security and other major issues. Gore has strong leads on questions relating to qualifications, leadership and as the candidate who cares about ordinary people.