Public Expecting Less of Clinton, Poll Finds

Expectations for President Clinton’s second term have plummeted since his inauguration three months ago, even though his approval ratings remain strong in the face of a barrage of criticism over Democratic fund-raising practices, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News Poll. Clinton’s second term has gotten off to a slow start, and as a result, little more than one-third of those surveyed (37%) said they expect it to be better than his first, a decline of 19 percentage points since mid-January. Meanwhile, 34% say it will be about the same as the first, up from 21% in January. At the same time, the poll found that 56% approve of the job Clinton is doing as president.