ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how a variety of poll data can help us to understand the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal and, especially, how Clinton, remarkably, managed to "survive" it. The Clinton-Lewinsky affair seemed to bring the criticisms against pollsters to a head. Ironically however, the polls held up very well. The chapter also discusses the sordid affair which is put into perspective. Plethora of polls reveal that the country opposed Congress's assault on Clinton, often expressing clear anger toward the Republican-controlled Congress for how they were handling the Clinton-Lewinsky affair. By the end of 1998, most Americans were expressing their frustration, anger, and disapproval of Congress, especially in its handling of the Clinton-Lewinsky matter. On the surface, the Clinton-Lewinsky affair seemed simple enough, but beneath the surface a complex and high-stakes political power struggle was being played out. The polls showed that the vast majority of Americans saw Starr's probe into the Clinton-Lewinsky affair for what it really was—dirty partisan politics.
