Public's Personality Seems Split in Its Perception of Reagan
President ReaganÛªs economic policies are unfair. Interest rates are out of control. Unemployment is far too high.</br></br>President Reagan is a strong leader. He is effective in dealing with Congress. He represented the United States well on his recent European trip. He is liked by three of every four Americans.</br></br>That is a summary of what White House pollster Richard WirthlinÛªs surveys are reporting at the 18-month point of the Reagan presidency. The Wirthlin polls also suggest that Reagan has defused the nuclear freeze issue by his arms control initiatives and has generally improved his standing on foreign policy, even as it is slumping on economic performance.</br></br>But the public perception of the Reagan foreign policy, like the policy itself, is clouded by events in the Middle East. Two of three Americans think the U.S. response to the Israelis after the invasion of Lebanon was too weak even though the Palestine Liberation Organization has the lowest standing of any institution or individual</br></br>Overall, the dualism of ReaganÛªs standing with the electorate can be expressed in a single sentence: Three of 10 Americans who disagree with Reagan policies remain supportive of the president. In WirthlinÛªs polls, as in some published surveys, ReaganÛªs standing has now inched upward to slightly above 50 percent after plummeting early in the year.