FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll:Energy crisis on the Horizon?

NEW YORK – Most Americans think Timothy McVeigh is guilty of the Oklahoma City bombing and a majority agree with the appeals court decision to go forward with his execution even after new FBI documents were discovered. According to a FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll, 82 percent think there is not even the slightest possibility that McVeigh is innocent.

By a two-to-one margin the public agrees with the federal prosecutor's position that there is no case in which the death penalty could be more appropriate than Timothy McVeigh's. This mirrors overall beliefs about the death penalty in general; 68 percent favor the death penalty for persons convicted of premeditated murder.

Taken for Granted

Less than a quarter of Americans think the country is currently in an energy crisis, with 38 percent characterizing the situation as "problems that may become a crisis," and 31 percent saying the energy problems are temporary.

Most Americans think their friends and neighbors take energy supplies for granted (75 percent); only 20 percent think folks are trying to conserve. There is widespread belief that gasoline prices will go higher this summer (70 percent to 24 percent saying prices have peaked).

Energy issues registered on the list of most important issues facing the country for the first time in over five years of FOX polling. "Clearly, the harsh reality of steadily higher prices at the pump is pushing energy issues onto the attitudinal front burner," commented Ernest Paicopolos, a partner of Opinion Dynamics. Coming in at eight percent, energy issues falls far below the top issues Americans would like to see the government address.

Most Important Issue to the Country:

The Right Age to Drink

A solid majority thinks the country's legal drinking age should be 21 years old, while 20 percent think it should be 18 years. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have had a drinking age of 21 since 1988, when Wyoming became the last state to raise its limit after federal legislation was enacted requiring states to conform to the 21-year-old drinking age or lose federal highway funding.

Fully 63 percent admit to drinking alcohol before being legally old enough to do so which may explain why about half disapprove of the way the press has handled the underage-drinking incidents involving President Bush's daughters. A large majority (80 percent) of those 18-34-year-olds admits to underage drinking.

The Blue Dress

And for a quick flash back to the Clinton administration, about half of Americans think the independent counsel's office should return Monica Lewinsky's blue dress to her. If Monica gets the dress back, two-thirds think she'll sell it, and a few think she'll wear it (nine percent) or burn it (eight percent).

The public is divided over whether outgoing Clinton staffers vandalized the White House before they left; 38 percent think it happened (including 22 percent of Democrats) and 43 percent don't think any vandalism took place (including 24 percent of Republicans).

Polling was conducted by telephone June 6-7, 2001 in the evenings. The sample is 900 registered voters nationwide with a margin of error of ± 3 percentage points. LV = likely voters

I'm going to read the names of some political figures. Please tell me whether you have a generally favorable or unfavorable opinion of each one. If you've never heard of someone, please just say so.

1. George W. Bush

2. Tom Daschle

3. John McCain

4. Do you approve or disapprove of the job George W. Bush is doing as president?

5. Do you happen to know which political party John McCain belongs to?

6. What do you think are the two most important issues for the federal government to address?

Do you approve or disapprove of the job President Bush is doing on the following issues?

7. Managing foreign affairs

8. Setting energy policy

9. Setting tax policy

10. Setting education policy

11. Setting environmental policy

12. Managing the economy

13. Do you think President Bush's positions on the issues are:

14. Former Attorney General Janet Reno has said she may run for governor of the state of Florida. If Janet Reno were to run for governor of your state, would you consider voting for her or not?

15. Thinking ahead to the 2004 presidential elections, for whom do you think you would vote if the candidates were:

16. If the candidates were:

17. If the candidates were:

18. If the candidates were:

19. When you think about how the votes for president were counted in Florida this past year, would you say you are more:

20. The Bush administration says outgoing Clinton administration staffers vandalized the White House by breaking computer keyboards, cutting phone lines, and defacing walls with obscene graffiti. Clinton administration officials deny any vandalism. Do you believe Clinton staffers vandalized the White House before they left, or not?

21. The independent counsel's office has not returned Monica Lewinsky's famous blue dress to her since completing their investigation. Do you think they should give Monica her dress back or not?

22. If Monica got the dress back, do you think she's most likely to:

23. What do you think that the minimum legal drinking age in the United States should be?

24. Did you ever drink alcohol before you were legally old enough to do so?

Drank before Legal

25. Do you approve or disapprove of the way the press has handled the underage-drinking incidents involving President Bush's daughters?

26. Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of premeditated murder?

27. Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for a person convicted of premeditated murder, if that person is shown to be mentally retarded?

28. Do you think there is even the slightest possibility that Timothy McVeigh is not guilty of the Oklahoma City bombing?

29. Recently the FBI discovered thousands of pages of documents that had not been previously turned over to the attorneys for convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. Do you think McVeigh's scheduled execution should be delayed because of the discovery of these new documents?

30. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: "There is no case in which the death penalty could be more appropriate than Timothy McVeigh's."

31. Do you think the country is:

32. If you had to choose only one option, which do you think is the better way to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil:

33. Do you think gasoline prices have peaked, or do you expect gasoline prices to go higher this summer?

34. Do you think most Americans: