Bush and Kerry in Dead Heat Ahead of Debate

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20041008/pl_nm/campaign_poll_friday_dc

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) and Democratic challenger John Kerry (news - web sites) are in a statistical dead heat in the White House race ahead of their second face-to-face debate, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Friday.



Bush's lead over the Massachusetts senator fell to less than one percentage point, 45.9 percent to 45.2 percent, in the latest three-day tracking poll, down slightly from a two-point advantage but well within the poll's margin of error.


The two candidates meet on Friday night in St. Louis in the second of three televised debates. Bush hopes to regain the momentum against Kerry, who picked up ground in most national polls since last week's debate.


"Yesterday a major national newspaper ran a column suggesting that the debates are not important," pollster John Zogby said. "Just look at these numbers and it is hard to draw that conclusion."


The poll found 48.1 percent of likely voters thought the country was headed in the wrong direction -- compared to 44.7 percent who thought it was headed in the right direction -- and 50.1 percent saying they want someone new in the White House while 45.3 percent want to re-elect Bush.

more

[izzie]

1. Has anyone seen the election 2004 on BBC?

Really easy to read the polls and the whole thing right down to state information. I think you can get on from the Home page.

[mzmolly]

2. Go Nader?

:shrug:

[MrBenchley]

3. Funny...

Chimpy sure doesn't act like a guy who's in a tied race...he's behaving as if he's 10-15 points behind.

[sistersofmercy]

9. That's because he* doesn't read the paper or pay attention to polls.

He can ignore the reality of the situation. Just like he tells himself, "I'm the leader" yet everyone knows otherwise even his own base knows he's just the dog and pony show.

[MrBenchley]

11. Yeah, but his handlers do...and they know the difference

between spin and fact...

[JoFerret]

4. Kerry in a landslide.

.

[PATRICK]

5. Take for example

The Carter/Reagan debate trend. Reagan(possessing a script based on Carter's stolen debate book) assured America and nailed the dissatisfactions with the incumbent's record. It was vague, charming. It sowed up the dumb vote and further disgruntled the soured Carter base.

Afterward, Carter recovered from his slide by sheer dint of stalwart Democratic organization and the awareness among many of what exactly buying into Reagan would mean. Yet he lost decisively.

Bush lost much more than Carter did even while he had opportunity to play the format. The meat was on Kerry's side too. Bush looked much more incompetent than Carter would asleep. The Democratic machine is revved, magnified and the gains in votes since 2000 for Bush seem tenuous or laughable compared to what he is losing with extreme anger. Only vote suppression, fraud and a lying expensive TV campaign from top to bottom(which is well known and well opposed) are factors possibly in his favor. His Congressional cohorts are clinging to gerrymandering and massively out on a limb despite the plans they had to use their latest votes.

Oh yes. Without media collaboration and fraud the landslide is logically a lock at this point as the natural process in the voter's mind turns seriously for change, for reason, for truth. The media too has so much egg on its face for attacking and underestimating the Dems that they too are exposed and opposed. The fraud is being loudly confronted.

I'd say a decisive win for Kerry is inevitable, a landlside if the chicken bone spine of GOP undemocratic resistance is snapped, weighted as it is by lies, failure, death, economic misery and the fear and anger that could always turn around to bite them. I'd say they are hanging by a thread of misdirection, money and lies and some very untrustworthy lapdogs.

Wellington said at the climx of Waterloo "Give me Blucher or give me darkness". Bushco is no Wellington. Osama is no Blucher. They pray daily and devoutly for the intervention of terrorists, Satan, whomever, can shake up the rational world they despise. And oh, those revealing cracks that show such a rant about EVIL is in no ways extreme. Despite the gracious manners of K/E. Scalia with a straight face supports orgies. Rove likes swinging sexually. Bush still had a thing for cocaine after his conversion. It is the Imp of the Perverse, boasting and confessing of one's criminal joy especially as it guarantees self destruction.

Stop me before I steal your country again, Bush seems to plea. It's hard work and not so much fun, but I can't stop myself. Even his flu-weakened, disengaged Dad never looked so deflated.

[lancdem]

6. When that tracking poll started, Bush was up by 4

When you have an incumbent polling UNDER 46 percent, he's in deep shit.

[sr_pacifica]

7. "Bush hopes to regain the momentum"?

Tonight? After the jobs report---in your dreams, *!

[sonicx]

8. in other words, Kerry's winning

at least 6 of 10 undecideds go to him.

I hope we can get OH and/or FL.

[Gregorian]

10. Only if this is Wally World. And Bush has Bomentum.

These polls must be amongst tobacco farming chimp lovers, or something.

[sonicx]

12. kick

[sofa king]

13. Oh look at that, another statistical dead heat.

You know, there is something interesting about this debate. The Bush camp obviously negotiated to have this broadcast on a Friday night--the graveyard slot in prime time--because the plan was to minimize any damage it might do.

Now the President is in the unenviable position of having to create a victory when fewer people are watching, at the end of a news cycle.

I think this is yet another example of how improper planning on the part of the White House can lead to an even more difficult situation. Only this time, it actually hurts them instead of the rest of us.