Kerry erases 7pt Bush lead in latest Pew Poll - Kerry 45% Bush 45%

[unfrigginreal]

Race Tightens Again, Kerry's Image Improves
Democrats, Blacks Less Confident in Accurate Vote Count
Released: October 20, 2004

As the campaign heads into its final stages, the presidential race is again extremely close. The latest Pew Research Center survey of 1,307 registered voters, conducted Oct. 15-19, finds President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry tied at 45%-45% among registered voters, and 47%-47% among likely voters.(1) These findings represent a gain in support for the Democratic challenger since early October, when he trailed the president among both likely and registered voters.

Kerry's gains in the horse race are tied more to an improving personal image than to growing strength on the issues. In particular, the Democratic challenger has virtually erased Bush's advantage for honesty and having good judgment in a crisis. Kerry is again seen as the more empathetic candidate, an advantage he held earlier in the campaign but lost after the Republican convention. Bush continues to lead by significant but narrowing margins as the stronger leader and as the candidate more willing to take an unpopular stand on the issues.

There has been little movement in how voters assess the candidates on the issues. But a separate Pew Research Center poll of 803 adults shows that Bush's own approval measures have weakened appreciably. Bush's overall job approval stands at 44%, while solid majorities disapprove of his handling of the situation in Iraq (56% disapprove) and the economy (55%). Even on terrorism, the president's strongest issue, his approval rating stands at 49% ­ the lowest level since the Sept. 11 attacks.



http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=229

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. The trend isn't too good for the chimp

And he hasn't been able fix any of the bad juju items at all. By next week he will probably be in the low 40's or high 30's.

[Bush was AWOL]

2. Good News!

This poll reflects the CBS/NYT poll.

[pabloseb]

3. This poll has Kerry 6 up in battleground states n/t