Poll: Primaries Have Helped Democrats (Bush at 48% Job App

[Florida_Geek]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Democrats-Poll.html

February 19, 2004
Poll: Primaries Have Helped Democrats
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 4:40 p.m. ET

 WASHINGTON (AP) -- The presidential primary season has been good for Democrats and tough on President Bush, according to a national poll released Thursday.

The survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that the public's impression of the Democratic field has been improving as the candidates have battled for their party's nomination -- with 45 percent now viewing the field positively, compared to 31 percent a month earlier. Bush's overall favorability rating, meanwhile, still is positive at 53 percent, but that compares with 72 percent last April, shortly after the fall of Baghdad, and is the low point of his presidency.

Likewise, Bush's job-approval rating has dropped to 48 percent, the first time in his presidency that it has fallen below 50 percent, according to the poll


..enjoy the whole article...

[LeftCoast]

1. Well this sure deserves a kick!

:kick:

:D

[Florida_Geek]

3. I am going to miss Dean

He would hit Bush on one side, Kerry another, and others a third.

[capriccio]

2. Money quote

From NYT

Kohut said Republicans didn't enjoy a similar boost in 1996, the last time there was a contested primary to determine who would take on an incumbent president, Bill Clinton.

``When Bob Dole seemed likely to be the nominee, there wasn't this big bounce for him,'' Kohut said. ``This has been a surprise how much attention the public's paid and how favorably they've responded to the Democrats generally.''

[West Coast Democrat]

5. Yay! It's so good to hear that people are paying attention

and that they like what we're saying.

[lancdem]

8. And the Drms didn't get a similar boost in 1984

when Reagan was running for reelection.

[Leilani]

4. This has been my argument all along

as far as letting the primaries play out, & against the front loading.

[King of New Orleans]

6. Primaries really aren't front-loaded they're mid-loaded

The last two times there were free-for-alls for the nomination,1988 and 1992, more states (and more delegates) voted within the first month than this year. What's different is that March 2nd (especially) and March 9th there are huge blocks of delegates up for grabs and then after that it's just a trickle (only 15 states left).


The fact that the candidates have mostly attack GWB than each other has created a very unusual atmosphere where people want the campaign to continue (usually people just want it over with, get all that brawling off of their TV)

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. If you're having this debate

Thank Al Gore.

If President Gore hadn't bowed out of the 2004 race and put his country ahead of himself none of this would have happened.

And while we're at we should thank him for the Internet. Without it we wouldn't be here.

[teryang]

9. Didn't MSNBC report tonight that either Kerry

...or Edwards would beat Bush in an election right now? Kerry with 55% of the vote and Edwards with 54%. I thought this was the same poll.

I thought this statement was odd:

<``I'm a little surprised by how negative people are toward Bush personally,'' >

On edit:

Wrong on the poll that shows both Kerry and Edwards thumping chimp badly if the election was held now. It was the Gallup poll according to USA today link. Funny thing, they don't put the numbers in the article because its a slam dunk.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-02-18-poll_x.htm

<Political analysts were not surprised at a key finding of the poll: If the presidential election were today, either John Kerry or John Edwards would beat Bush. Little more than a week ago, a match of Bush against either Democrat was so close it was in effect a tie. In early January, Bush held a solid lead over every candidate for the Democratic nomination.>

[scarface2004]

10. 48%??!!

that s ridiculous! moron should be at around 8%!!