New NEWSWEEK Poll -- Kerry 51 | Bush 45

[newsguyatl]

interesting though, with powell on the ticket with bush, they'd hammer kerry...

guess folks aren't as fed up with bush as we thought.
==============================================================

Contact: Rosanna Maietta FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
At: 212-445-4859 Saturday, July 10, 2004
CAMPAIGN 2004



51-PERCENT MAJORITY WOULD VOTE FOR KERRY/EDWARDS;

45 PERCENT FOR BUSH/CHENEY

----

MAJORITY OF AMERICANS (54%) DISSATISFIED WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING
IN U.S.; BUSH'S JOB APPROVAL RATING CLIMBS TO 48 PERCENT

----

BUSH/POWELL TICKET WOULD BEAT KERRY/EDWARDS (53% TO 44%)

New York-With the announcement this week that Sen. John Kerry
has chosen Sen. John Edwards as his vice presidential candidate, the
latest Newsweek Poll shows that a Kerry/Edwards ticket would get 51
percent of the vote versus 45 percent for the incumbent Bush/Cheney
ticket. That marks a five-point bump for Edwards from the last Newsweek
Poll (May 13-14). However, in a three-way trial heat, with Independent
Party candidate Ralph Nader, Kerry/Edwards leads with 47 percent,
Bush/Cheney follows with 44 percent and Nader garners 3 percent of the
vote.

Even though the majority of registered voters (51%) think John
Edwards is qualified to step in as president if he had to (30% say he is
not), 69 percent of Americans says Kerry's pick of the North Carolina
Senator makes no difference in their vote. Only 21 percent say it makes
them more likely to vote for the Kerry/Edwards ticket and eight percent
say it makes them less likely to do so.

Still more people (52%) have a favorable opinion of Edwards than
they do of Vice President Dick Cheney (46%). Seventy-seven percent of
voters say Edwards is personally likeable; 60 percent say he is honest
and ethical; 58 percent say he cares about people like them; 54 percent
say he is believable when it comes to having the facts straight; and 53
percent say he has strong leadership qualities. In contrast, only 49
percent think Dick Cheney is personally likeable; 48 percent think he is
honest and ethical; 40 percent think he cares about people like them; 47
percent say he is believable when it comes to having the facts straight.
But a 63-percent majority believes Cheney has strong leadership
qualities.

If President Bush replaced Cheney with Secretary of State Colin
Powell, more people would vote for a Bush/Powell ticket (53%) than a
Kerry/Edwards ticket (44%). That lead would decrease significantly if
Sen. John McCain joined the Bush ticket. Forty-nine percent for
Bush/McCain versus 47 percent for Kerry/Edwards. However a
Kerry/Edwards ticket would beat a Bush/Sen. Bill Frist ticket (53% vs.
43%). And when voters were asked if they could vote separately for the
V.P. candidate, the majority (52%) chose Edwards over Cheney (41%).


Meanwhile, with more Americans (54%) dissatisfied with the way
things are going in the U.S. at this time than satisfied (40%),
President George W. Bush's job approval rating climbs to 48 percent (46%
disapprove), which marks a six-point increase from the Newsweek Poll two
months ago. While the majority of voters (52%) say they do not want to
see him re-elected for a second term (43% do), more people (47%) think
Bush will win the election in November over Sen. Kerry (38%).

This poll is part of the July 19 issue of Newsweek (on
newsstands Monday, July 12). For this Newsweek Poll, Princeton Survey
Research Associates International interviewed 1,001 adults aged 18 and
older on July 8-9, 2004. The margin of error is plus or minus four
percentage points. To interview Senior Editor Marcus Mabry on the poll,
contact Rosanna Maietta at 212-445-4859.

[WI_DEM]

1. Powell would be frightening

He has been a horid Sec of State, but people still admire him and our most loyal voting block--African Americans would be divided. Even if Bush/Powell got 20% of the AA vote it would be enough to swing the election to Bush. The only positive is if Powell is on the ticket that we would hold his feet on the fire about being so passive on Iraq. Still lets hope it is Cheney.

[jmags]

3. How likely is it that Powell would even join such a ticket

after being marginalized like he was the past 3 1/2 years. All reports I've seen mention him resigning the second term. I doubt he would jump on the vp slot.

[TexasSissy]

14. Very likely, I think. If it's late, so that he doesn't have to do much

campaigning. And if * doesn't need too much of him time as VP, which he won't. Powell is loyal. If his being on the ticket would bring in the election, he'd do it.

I do NOT see McCain as accepting VP slot in any way or fashion. He's a maverick and does not want to be second fiddle, esp. to Bush, whom he doesn't like or respect. McCain might get the SOS slot as payment for campaigning for Bush. McCain would sorta be his own boss, although ultimate decisions would still rest w/Prez.

[TruthIsAll]

8. Powell wouldn't help Bush get 20% of the black vote

Blacks vote 90% Dem. Period. They can't stand repukes.

Blacks are not stupid. They know Rice and Powell support Bush, not for their color. They know that Bush and the Repukes would be using Powell.

Harry Belafonte will campaign for Kerry.

[calico1]

2. I used to like and respect Powell

but not anymore since he has backed down from his own personal feelings to not rock the boat and keep his job. I am surprised that so many people still seem to respect him.

[opihimoimoi]

5. Somehow, I don trust the Powell part of this equation... somethin smells.

[olddem43]

4. This poll is crap -

49% think Cheney is likable and 48% think he is honest and ethical?
Is this a poll of Haliburton stock holders?

[Ripley]

10. I heard on NPR yesterday that Cheney's polling at 20%...

so that Newsweek poll is waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy off.

Don't believe it.

[senseandsensibility]

6. Regarding Powell's popularity

It may be necessary for the Democrats to take the gloves off eventually with this guy. He is NOT the moderate even many Dems still think he is. It is largely due to him that we are in Iraq. Do I have any confidence that the Dems would ever hit him hard on this? No.:puke:

[qazplm]

7. Oh I think he is a moderate

on social issues, he is clearly pro AA, and pro choice, and I suspect if he were king economic issues would be closer to Clinton than Bush.

What he seems to have blinders on about is that he clearly thinks Republicans are better for the military than Democrats and that probably comes from three decades of conditioning.

Combine that with him being a real company man and you have a guy who seems to have a hard time telling Republicans no.

But I have a hard time believing he would want to be VP.

[senseandsensibility]

11. My point is

that he went to the UN with a bogus reason for war, and sold it. The UN wasn't buying, since they haven't been deluged with ten years of "Colin is Saint" media. But the "free press" of the US, including the majority of liberal columnists, and the American people, bought it. Why? Because it came from Powell. No one else in the administration could have sold it. So, in my opinion, he caused us to go to war. He either "let himself be used" for a very seriously immoral propaganda project, or he believed the * he was peddling. Neither is reassuring. His "moderate" social values are irrelevant, and have done absolutely nothing to influence this far, far right wing administration. Simply holding some middle of the road social positions and doing nothing to stop the * administration train wreck is hardly bold leadership.

[DeaconBlues]

16. Oh, he would become VP if the Bushes told him to be VP

He has went done on his knees for the Bushes a million times before, what would prevent him from doing the same again?

[bvar22]

9. Powell #s BOGUS.

This poll stinks.

The Republicans would lose their RACIST, BIGOTED, only white people go to heaven conservative base.

[Brucey]

12. Bush would never replace Cheney

especially with someone like Powell. A popular vice president would stand in the way of Jeb getting the 2008 nomination.

[DarthDem]

13. Nooooo Way

Remember, the nut wing has completely hijacked the not so-Grand Old Party. There is simply no way that Cheney would be replaced by an abortion rights advocate. Cheney might get replaced (although I doubt that Evil Dick will want to step down, and if that's the case, I'm not sure who's going to force him to do so), but if so, it will be by someone with sterling right-wing credentials. Dumbya has enough problems at the moment without worrying about alienating his base so close to the election.

I agree with the posters who said, in essence, that Cheney's purported approval rating in this poll is wildly inaccurate. Also, I love that Kerry/Edwards handily beat the stuffing out of despicable, animal-murdering shill Bill Frist in this poll.

[UrbScotty]

15. How could Republicans stand having Powell on their ticket? (nt)

[eaprez]

17. They Screwed Powell...

..I'd be surprised if they asked and if he accepted. His wife doesn't want him to.

[gauguin57]

18. Here's Colin's campaign song

What Colin should be singing:

(To the tune of "YMCA")

Young men, we must send you away
Because Saddam, he's the guy who must pay
He's got weapons, of the destructive kind
So go ... kill ... him ... if ... you ... don't mind

Saddam, he has al-Qaeda ties
That's according to our CIA spies
I said young men, put your ass on the line,
Big Busi-ness wants kick-backs, so fine

It's fun to lie about ... W - M - D
It's fun to lie about ... W - M - D
They got that yellowcake
They've got chemical stocks
That Saddam he is sly like a fox

It's fun to look for those ... W - M - D
It's fun to look for those ... W - M - D
We will lie to your face
We'll send you into hell
And George Bush will say ALL IS WELL ...

[DarthDem]

19. Nice!!

Very good work. :)

[starroute]

20. People don't answer straight when it comes to polls

They know they're just registering an opinion, or possibly trying to influence candidate behavior -- in either case, something very different from what actually happens in the voting booth.

That high approval for a Bush/Powell ticket might mean any number of things, from minority-group solidarity to a finger in the eye of the Neocons. It doesn't necessarily say anything concerning people's true feelings about Bush.