The EW Poll

A majority of The McLaughlin Group may have declared Dan Quayle's attack on Murphy Brown a political victory, but according to a Gallup poll commissioned by Entertainment Weekly, the American public thinks Murphy Brown would make a better parent — and a better president — than Dan Quayle. Of the 600 adults Gallup surveyed, more considered the vice president a bad example than Murphy. Here's how the results break down:

Who do you think would make a better parent, Dan Quayle or Murphy Brown?

Murphy Brown... 43%
Dan Quayle... 32%
Don't know... 25%

Parents with children living at home favor Murphy by a slim margin, while respondents without kids at home prefer her by more than 2 to 1.

Who do you think would make a better president?

Murphy Brown... 40%
Dan Quayle... 38%
Don't know... 22%

Men make a Brown-Quayle election a dead heat, but women pick Murphy 42% to 37%. Bad news, Dan — you're losing the women's vote to a fictional character.

Were you offended by Murphy Brown's decision to have a baby as a single parent?

Yes... 17%
No... 76%
Don't know... 7%

Quayle may be wasting his time trying to whip up public outrage over Murphy's choice. Across the board, fewer than 1 in 4 Americans took umbrage.

Does Murphy Brown set a bad example?

Yes... 27%
No... 65%
Don't know... 8%

Only 31% of married people frown on Murphy's example of unwed motherhood; that figure drops to 21% for singles.

Does Dan Quayle set a bad example?

Yes... 40%
No... 50%
Don't know... 10%

The Vice President gets especially harsh marks from nonwhites, who call him a bad example by a margin of 44% to 41%.

Whom do you trust more?

Murphy Brown... 40%
Dan Quayle... 32%
Neither... 14%
Don't know... 14%

The gender gap widens on this question. Men consider Brown more trustworthy than Quayle by 37% to 35%, while women trust her by a margin of 44% to 30%.

From a telephone survey of 600 Americans taken for Entertainment Weekly on May 22-25 by the Gallup Organization. Sampling error is plus or minus 4%.