A recent New York Times poll shows a major gap in how voters see presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore on the issues. Based on a survey of 743 voters nationwide conducted July 20-23,2000, voters see Gore as much more likely to choose justices who will keep abortion legal, being likely to make real progress in protecting the environment, and likely to make health care affordable for everyone.

In contrast, Bush is advantaged on being likely to reduce taxes, having strong leadership qualities, saying what he really believes most of the time, and being trusted to keep his word as president.

The poll results are interesting because they reveal more than three months before the election how distinctive the public's impressions are of the two presidential candidates. Even at this early date, voters have formed definite opinions of which candidate would do as president. In addition, the results demonstrate how evenly voters are split on keeping the economy strong. Despite the strong economy during the Clinton years, voters are about as likely to believe Bush will keep the economy strong as Gore.