Even though Americans say that issues matter most, candidates' personal qualities may be decisive in a campaign without dominant issues.
Voters make fine distinctions, however, about what they want to know about candidates personally.
Americans strongly reject press inquiry into most avenues of candidates' private lives, yet at the same time place high priority on knowing certain things about them personally. Criticisms of the vice president's personality and leadership ability are often cited as reasons for not supporting him in favor of Republican frontrunner George W. Bush. They are also given by Democrats who prefer his rival Bill Bradley for their party's nomination. Candidate criticisms are less often given as reasons for not backing Bush or Bradley. Bush's positions on issues is his big negative, while many voters don't know enough about Bradley at this point to cite a specific reason for not supporting him.