Kerry Takes 3-Point Lead Over Bush, AP Poll Shows
Oct. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic challenger John Kerry leads U.S. President George W. Bush by three percentage points in the race for the White House with the election 11 days away, according to the latest national poll from the Associated Press.
The Democratic nominee led Bush 49 percent to 46 percent, the AP-Ipsos Public Affairs poll conducted Oct. 18-20 showed. The survey was based on telephone interviews of 1,540 adults including both registered and likely voters in all states except Alaska and Hawaii. The error margin for likely voters is plus or minus 3 percentage points, among registered voters 2.5 points.
Other national polls by Marist College and Reuters/Zogby show that Kerry, 60, and Bush, 58, are statistically tied. Polls in key battleground states have the two candidates running even in Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon and Pennsylvania, while Bush leads in Iowa.
Bush and Kerry, a four-term Democratic senator from Massachusetts, are in a statistical tie among likely voters in Ohio, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll published yesterday.
The president is backed by 47 percent of the voters and Kerry is supported by 48 percent, the poll found. Independent candidate Ralph Nader got 1 percent in the survey of 706 likely voters conducted Oct. 17-20. Four percent said they were undecided. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Undecided Voters
Bush and Kerry are seeking to sway undecided voters in key states that both camps agree will be decisive in the vote for president. Kerry is campaigning in Wisconsin and Nevada today, while Bush is stumping through Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, AP reported.
The AP poll also found that 56 percent of voters think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Among likely voters, less than half of those surveyed, or 47 percent, approved of Bush's job performance in his first term in office. On domestic issues, 52 percent disapproved of Bush's handling of the economy.
The most important issue for voters was protecting the country at 63 percent. Bush led Kerry at 51 percent to 44 percent when asked who would do a better job of protecting the country.
To contact the reporter on this story:Beth O'Connell in London at boconnell@bloomberg.net.http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=alA2.9eNzE0k&refer=us
Oct. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic challenger John Kerry leads U.S. President George W. Bush by three percentage points in the race for the White House with the election 11 days away, according to the latest national poll from the Associated Press.
The Democratic nominee led Bush 49 percent to 46 percent, the AP-Ipsos Public Affairs poll conducted Oct. 18-20 showed. The survey was based on telephone interviews of 1,540 adults including both registered and likely voters in all states except Alaska and Hawaii. The error margin for likely voters is plus or minus 3 percentage points, among registered voters 2.5 points.
Other national polls by Marist College and Reuters/Zogby show that Kerry, 60, and Bush, 58, are statistically tied. Polls in key battleground states have the two candidates running even in Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon and Pennsylvania, while Bush leads in Iowa.
Bush and Kerry, a four-term Democratic senator from Massachusetts, are in a statistical tie among likely voters in Ohio, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll published yesterday.
The president is backed by 47 percent of the voters and Kerry is supported by 48 percent, the poll found. Independent candidate Ralph Nader got 1 percent in the survey of 706 likely voters conducted Oct. 17-20. Four percent said they were undecided. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Undecided Voters
Bush and Kerry are seeking to sway undecided voters in key states that both camps agree will be decisive in the vote for president. Kerry is campaigning in Wisconsin and Nevada today, while Bush is stumping through Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, AP reported.
The AP poll also found that 56 percent of voters think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Among likely voters, less than half of those surveyed, or 47 percent, approved of Bush's job performance in his first term in office. On domestic issues, 52 percent disapproved of Bush's handling of the economy.
The most important issue for voters was protecting the country at 63 percent. Bush led Kerry at 51 percent to 44 percent when asked who would do a better job of protecting the country.
To contact the reporter on this story:Beth O'Connell in London at boconnell@bloomberg.net.http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=alA2.9eNzE0k&refer=us
