Posted on 08/27/2004 10:23:29 PM PDT by 11th_VA
Seen as a battleground state, West Virginia has continued to swing back and forth in presidential preference polls, but recent negative “swift boat” ads may be taking a toll on the Democratic nominee’s support.
West Virginia is one of the few battle states where dramatic change has taken place in the past three weeks, a Zogby Interactive poll showed. Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., is holding on to his lead in most of the 16 states Zogby’s describes as battleground states.
But in West Virginia, Republican President Bush has gone from trailing by four points on Aug. 3, to leading by seven points in an Aug. 23 poll, said Shawnta Watson Walcott, a Zogby spokeswoman.
“That’s a tremendous turnaround from Aug. 3,” Walcott said. “So, it sounds like those swift boat ads are actually working.”
Zogby’s latest poll had Bush with 49 percent, Kerry with 42 and 9 percent undecided. Kerry had led 48 percent to 44 percent in the Aug. 3 poll. In the July 16 Zogby poll, Bush led Kerry in West Virginia 51 percent to 44 percent.
“A poll, like any poll, is a snapshot in time and there will be more before Election Day,” said Mary Diamond, Bush-Cheney West Virginia spokeswoman. “We’ve always said it would be a close election.”
State residents are some of the few that have seen and heard the two-week commercial blitz that accuses Kerry of being a person in quest of winning medals during his Vietnam War service as commander of a Navy swift boat.
Last week, a poll released by the National Annenberg Election Survey reported more than half the country has heard about or seen TV ads attacking Kerry’s war record, the Chicago Tribune reported, noting that is “a remarkable impact for ads that have appeared in only a handful of states.”
Kerry has disputed the truth of the ads, which are being funded mainly by a longtime supporter of Bush, and run by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Bush has declined to specifically condemn the ads.
“At the end of the ballgame, it’s going to backfire on them,” said Amy Schuler Goodwin, Kerry-Edwards campaign spokeswoman for West Virginia.
Veterans are a large part of West Virginia’s voting population and both sides have marched out former military officials supporting their candidate. “Our West Virginia veterans don’t appreciate it,” Goodwin said of the ads.
She called Bush’s refusal to condemn the ads risky and said they are “joining themselves with an organization that is surrounded by scandal and smear tactics.”
Instead, she believes veterans for Kerry will rally around the candidate. “This ad has really lit a fire under many of our veterans,” she said, adding they believe the charges are unfair.
Diamond noted Bush has not criticized Kerry’s military record, “only his Senate record.”
Goodwin said in the end, West Virginians will not be voting about a candidate’s military record. She said Bush made promises in 2000 to take care of the state’s steelworkers, teachers and coal miners.
“Those are all broken promises and people will not forget in November,” she said.
Bush was scheduled to return to West Virginia Sunday to campaign in Wheeling, while Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., will be in Beckley Monday and Tuesday.
To contact staff writer Tom Searls, use e-mail or call 348-5192
Zogpiss' email poll - not reliable.
August has not been a good month for Kerry.
I can hear whistling. Is there a graveyard nearby?
Why didn't she get more quotes from Goodwin? I only see about 27....
This can't be right -- there was that article just yesterday that showed a massive West Virginia backlash! Of four whole people.
I don't think its the swift boats causing the problem, the problem is the RESPONSE! BAN< THE COMMERICIALS, BAN THE BOOK, SUE SUE SUE, BUSH BETTER CONDEMN THE ADS, THEIR ALL LIES LIES LIES LIES, ALL 254 VETS ARE LIERS AND KERRY AND HIS 12 ARE TELLING THE TRUTH! People see this charade and don't like it, they see Kerry as a sissy, crybaby since he has been questioning President Bush's service but now that his service has been questioned he is screaming foul. President Bush has said Kerry's service was good and he should be proud of it, but yet Kerry still is questioning Bush's service. Bush has asked Kerry to denounce ALL 527 ads and Kerry only wants to stop the ones attacking him... people see right through this sort of double talk especially when this 2 faced coward has had it both was since 1971
LOL !!! - I noticed that too !
..both ways since 1971.
"And yes we've just begun"
Didn't the Carpenters sing that...
Maybe you meant to post this one ?
Known to be untrue by every casual observer on this board, as the Swiftvets have received over $1.5 M from over many thousands of donors. This factoid is an unchecked bullet point from a DNC fax. And these reporters write and report for a living. If I was so inept in my business I wouldn't last a fortnight.
The information related from rank amateurs on FreeRepublic is far more accurate, thorough and relevant than from these biased, arrogant and lazy reporters.
Yeah, but not nearly as much of a backfire as Kerry making his 4 months in Vietnam the key basis for voting for him.
George Soros should donate $10 million to the Swift Boat Vets to make sure it REALLY backfires on him.
You forgot to mention that the ad is racist and will cause homelessness, homophobia, environmental destruction, trample women's rights and shred the constitution.
I think I figured out why this ad is so effective. Their only counter is "it smears veterans". As if Democrats are against smearing veterans.
I just can't believe an email poll provides accurate results. for example, when was the last time an MSNBC poll looked realistic?
Veterans are a large part of West Virginia’s voting population and both sides have marched out former military officials supporting their candidate. “Our West Virginia veterans don’t appreciate it,” Goodwin said of the ads.
Amy, please use your influence with Sen.Kerry.
Please ask him to sign Standard Form 180 to show us everything in his military record so we can get this whole thing behind us.
To a casual reader the headline implies that Bush is still trailing when the facts are that Bush has established a substantial lead in W Va. Look for this to be solidified during the convention.
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