After a week of campaigning, Bush lost ground to Kerry in the latest national
USA Today/CNN/Gallop Poll. Hilights:
- Kerry leads Bush 52 - 44
- 54% said use of 9/11 images in Bush's ads was "inappropriate
- Bush's approval rating fell back to an all-time low of 49%. It has floated in a narrow range, just above or below 50%, since mid-January.
Only 2% of likely voters said they would pick Ralph Nader, who is mounting an independent campaign for president. Democrats fret that Nader may syphon away enough votes from Kerry to hand the election to Bush.
- Only 57% of those polled felt Bush had the personality and leadership qualities a president should possess. That is a tie for the lowest such mark of his presidency, in August 2001. Kerry also polled at 57%.
- Among those polled, 65% said economic conditions were more important to their votes than terrorism. That is a substantial increase from the 53% who felt that way in mid-January.
- Half of those polled felt Kerry would better handle the economy, as opposed to 42% for Bush. On the federal budget deficit, 53% felt Kerry would better handle the issue, as opposed to 37% for Bush. Kerry got a 51-36 nod over Bush on which candidate would better handle Social Security. And 55% felt Kerry would better handle health care issues, as opposed to 36% for Bush.
- Bush polled better than Kerry on handling terrorism issues (60%-33%), the situation in Iraq (54%-39%), gay marriage (46%-41%) and foreign affairs (50%-42%).