Senator John Kerry would defeat President George W. Bush with 53 percent of the popular vote to
46 percent if the election were held today, according to a Gallup Poll survey.
Kerry’s lead was outside the poll’s margin or error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, the newspaper said. The poll, taken Thursday through Sunday, had Senator John Edwards besting Bush at 49 percent to 48 percent, a statistical tie. Bush defeated retired Army General Wesley Clark by 3 points and former Vermont governor Howard Dean by 7 points, the poll showed.
Bush’s job-approval rating fell to 49 percent from 60 percent just three weeks ago, according to the survey. It’s the first time in his presidency the rating has dipped below
50 percent.
The president is struggling against declining support amid questions raised about the administration’s reasons for going to war in Iraq and his handling of the economy and health care, according to reports.
Bloomberg News
