WASHINGTON, Jan 29: Despite allegations of misconduct, President Bill Clinton's approval rating jumped to 68 per cent after his state of the union address, according to an NBC-Wall Street Journal poll. The poll, released on Thursday taken after the President's policy speech before Congress on Tuesday night, showed 68 per cent approved of how the President was doing his job, up from 59 per cent on December nine.A separate USA Today-CNN-Gallup poll showed that the number of people who were ``very confident'' in Clinton's governing abilities jumped from 33 per cent before the speech to 48 per cent after. And a full 49 per cent of those interviewed after the speech said Clinton's moral leadership was good or very good, up from 35 per cent before, according to the poll.
Meanwhile, Vice President Al Gore abandoned his usual reserve to deliver a full-throated defence of his scandal-besieged boss that energised the university sports arena on Wednesday.
Gore introduced President Bill Clinton to a crowd of morethan 10,000 at the University of Illinois with a ringing speech that hailed the president's achievements. ``He is the president of the country, he is also my friend. And I want to ask you now, every single one of you, to join me in supporting him and standing by his side,'' Gore shouted in a uncharacteristically deep, grave voice, with the cadences of a pulpit-pounding pastor. ``Let us dedicate ourselves to working with President Clinton, to fighting alongside him for the 21st century'', Gore said.
The speech brought the crowd to its feet, with flashbulbs popping, a pep band thumping and Clinton beaming as he strode the stage and waved like the barnstorming campaigner he is at heart.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
