Poll of Perot Voters Finds No Move Back to Parties
ROSS PEROT'S supporters are ignoring entreaties from the major political parties to form a powerful "radical middle" in American politics, according to a study commissioned by the Democratic Leadership Council.
The national survey of 1,200 Perot voters, released yesterday, showed strong allegiance to Mr. Perot himself, despite doubts about his ability to serve as president and many policy differences within the Perot constituency.
The poll, which was conducted in late April and with special focus groups in May, said alienation from government was the glue holding together the diverse coalition that gave Perot nearly 20 percent of the vote last November.
That solidarity defies the history of past independent and third-party candidacies, whose supporters have usually begun trickling back to the major parties soon after elections.
The research also attributed the group's solidarity to a distinct reluctance of these independent-minded voters to align themselves with the Democratic or Republican Parties.
The study was designed to help map a strategy for President Clinton to court Perot supporters. The poll and a series of subsequent "focus group" discussions with Perot supporters in California, Ohio, and Maine showed many shared Mr. Clinton's policy goals and were open to supporting him - if he delivered on deficit-reduction, welfare reform, and other major promises.
But it also showed that Perot supporters are skeptical that Clinton can produce, and they doubt his leadership skills. Doubts on health-care reform
Most Americans doubt that Clinton administration plans to overhaul the nation's health-care system will lower their health-care bills or improve the quality of care they receive, new polls show.
The Washington Post-ABC News polls showed that many Americans are growing impatient with the administration's progress on health-care reform, but that most expect little if any substantial progress.
The surveys, published in yesterday's editions of the Post, found that 44 percent of Americans approved of the way President Clinton is handling health care, down from 56 percent two months ago. And 46 percent said Clinton was moving too slowly on the issue, while 23 percent thought he was going too fast. According to the polls, 47 percent of Americans expect minor improvements as a result of Clinton's efforts. US rejects Qaddafi compromise on bomb suspects
The United States rejected on Tuesday an offer by Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi for the conditional release of two Libyan suspects wanted in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988. Mr. Qaddafi said he would be willing to release the two "for trial anywhere in the world" except the US and Britain.
Qaddafi made the proposal to the Rev. Jesse Jackson last month and repeated it in a recent interview with the Washington Times.
"The channel for contact on Pan Am 103 is the U.N. secretary-general," said State Department press officer Sondra McCarty.
"Qaddafi knows exactly what he must do in order to comply fully with relevant Security Council resolutions. The United Nations Security Council requirements are not open for negotiations."
The UN has imposed sanctions on Libya for refusing to turn over the suspects in the December 1988 bombing of the jetliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people.
