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Election Outlook
One of the nation's leading political scholars predicts Republicans will make only modest gains in next week's elections. He says that could short circuit the impeachment of President Clinton. Charles Sherrill reports from our Washington bureau.
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 -Main Election Page- |
PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: "I MISLED PEOPLE. EVEN MY WIFE."
The White House sex scandal was supposed to spell political disaster for Democrats this fall according to most Washington pundits. But the voters apparently have other ideas:
THOMAS MANN, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT STUDIES, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: "THERE HAS BEEN A GAP BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND PUBLIC OPINION SINCE LATE JANUARY IN THIS COUNTRY. NOW IT MAY BE THE GAP HAS FINALLY CLOSED WITH WASHINGTON CATCHING UP WITH THE COUNTRY."
Thomas Mann studies campaigns and elections at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank:
DR. MANN: "THERE IS SIMPLY NO SIGN OF A DECISIVE NATIONAL REFERENDUM."
But Mann says voter turnout next week remains the wild card:
DR. MANN: "I'D SAY MOST NATIONAL POLLSTERS WOULD SAY IF THE TURNOUT IS BELOW 33 PERCENT DEMOCRATS ARE IN BIG TROUBLE."
REP. NEWT GINGRICH, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: "THE YEAS ARE 258. THE NAYS ARE 176."
Mann predicts the President's almost certain impeachment in the House if Republicans win big:
DR. MANN: "RIGHT NOW IT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE VERY MODEST REPUBLICAN GAINS IN THE HOUSE, IN THE SENATE AND IN THE GOVERNORSHIPS."
Charles Sherrill, Eyewitness News: "MANN SAYS HIS BEST GUESS IS THAT REPUBLICANS WILL GAIN TWO OR THREE SEATS IN THE SENATE AND SEVEN OR EIGHT IN THE HOUSE. NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE A DECISIVE DIFFERENCE ON MOST MATTERS IN EITHER CHAMBER. CHARLES SHERRILL, KSL NEWS, WASHINGTON."
