Posted on 08/28/2004 1:53:17 PM PDT by ambrose
Saturday, Aug. 28, 2004
Kerry Slips Slightly as GOP Heads for NYC Poll Finds Kerry's Lead Softening
By MARK SCHULMAN
A new TIME poll finds President Bush heading into next week's Republican National Convention amid signs that his opponent's advantage is softening. Two weeks of John Kerry playing defense over his Vietnam record and relentless Republican attacks on what they characterize as his "flip-flopping" on Iraq appear to have taken a toll: President Bush now appears to be in a statistical dead-heat with Kerry in a three-way race among likely voters, with 46% backing Bush, 44% backing Kerry and 5% opting for Ralph Nader and 3% undecided. Immediately after the Democratic convention, Bush had trailed Kerry among likely voters by 48% - 43%, with Nader at 4%. Even if Nader were to drop out, a two-way race also finds Bush and Kerry neck-and-neck at 46% each.
One key indicator of Kerry's fortunes, his favorability rating, has dropped from 53% favorable - 29% unfavorable in early August to 44% favorable - 33% unfavorable today. More importantly, TIME's poll finds some fraying of Kerry's support at the edges. For example, coming out of the Boston Democratic Convention, Kerry's own supporters gave him a 91% favorability rating. That's dropped to 84% now.
The poll finds other worrisome signs for Kerry:
§ Kerry has lost his edge over Bush on who voters trust to manage the economy —previously a bedrock Kerry lead. Kerry went from a 51% - 42% lead over Bush in early August to a 46% Kerry - 43% Bush near tie today.
§ Handling the Iraq situation went from a 44% Kerry - 46% Bush tie to a Bush lead, 41% Kerry - 49% Bush. This drop may have been caused when Kerry declared recently that he would vote "yes" again for Bush's resolution authorizing war, even though no weapons of mass destruction were found.
§ Kerry lost ground to Bush on who voters trust to be commander-in-chief. Kerry and Bush tied in early August, 47% for Kerry - 45% for Bush. Bush has now opened a lead here, 42% Kerry - 50% Bush.
§ Bush has lengthened his lead over Kerry in providing strong leadership in difficult times. Bush now leads 52% - 41% for Kerry. Bush's lead in early August was 48% - 43%.
§ Independents split almost evenly now between Kerry (43%) and Bush (42%). Three weeks ago, Kerry led Bush among independents 43% - 36%.
-snip-
Rasmussen and Tradesports.com both have Bush up in EVs --
The former has Bush up 220/210 (rest in tossup),Tradesports has Bush up 384/354.
Net gain of 7 point for Bush, but a "slight slide" according to Time. Looks major to me.
LOL, me too.
I'm hoping there's a sizable amount of sheeple who've finally noticed that the MSM are completely biased this election cycle.
Maybe it's time for MAMA-T to put in a few more appearances for her husband. Bwaa-ha-ha! (She is fun to watch, though.)
But I still have to register my astonishment.
My last copy of Time was their anti-gun issue 25 years ago.
I stuck with them a little longer than that (I'm not as smart as you are), but 10 or 15 years ago, after subscribing to that "magazine" for years, I told them never to desecrate my home again with that propaganda rag. They didn't. It's never been my home since.
Unlike four years ago, there is no Nader sentiment out there at all. In fact, Nader is a pariah in the liberal camp in much the same way Ross Perot has become a pariah among conservatives. The liberals see Nader as the reason Bush is president today just as we saw Perot as being the reason Clinton was elected.
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