Personality gap may swing voters

San Jose Mercury News ^ | Thomas Fitzgerald with James Kuhnhenn

[Cincinatus' Wife]

NANTUCKET, Mass. - Forget the economy, it may just be the personality, stupid.

Swing voters do not like Sen. John Kerry much, one recent poll suggests, and that is just the latest survey pointing to a stubborn ``personality gap'' he suffers compared with President Bush. Some political analysts believe simple likability is the Democratic nominee's greatest challenge as the presidential campaign enters its two-month stretch run.

This phenomenon persists even though virtually every poll shows that a solid majority disapproves of Bush's handling of the Iraq war and the economy. Most voters also believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.

But they do not much like Kerry.

In a sense, then, the electorate of 2004 -- or at least the estimated 2.6 million swing voters who hold disproportionate power this year because the country is divided so evenly -- has turned on its head the maxim of Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, ``It's the economy, stupid.''

A Zogby/Williams Identity Poll last week found that 57.3 percent of undecided or persuadable voters would rather have a beer with Bush than Kerry (even though the president does not drink alcohol). The same survey, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 1/2 percentage points, found that 67 percent of undecided voters liked Bush -- and 52 percent disliked Kerry, while nearly one-third said they did not know enough about him to say.

Dog owners polled...

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Angry Democrats mix despair with hope***Talk to Democrats almost anywhere, and you hear their desperation over this campaign. They want mightily to remove George Bush, but are experiencing a mixture of anger, terror and despair. Anger at the Republicans' lies about Kerry's record and their own. Terror over how well the Republican message resonates with other voters. And despair over Kerry's less than dynamic response. They can see the election slipping away if his campaign doesn't dramatically change course***

[Use It Or Lose It]

Swing voters do not like Sen. John Kerry much, one recent poll suggests, and that is just the latest survey pointing to a stubborn ``personality gap'' he suffers compared with President Bush.

Maybe JF'nK will ask Ta-Ray-Zuh to buy him a personality...

[C210N]

and now comes Sasso to the rescue. Will wonders never cease...

[sonofatpatcher2]

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[risk]

We should choose the right president, no matter how difficult his message is to accept. But the embarassment Kerry and his party continues to lay at the feet of wounded, war-weary Americans is what will finally bring down his candidacy. It's no different from his backstabbing comments in his 1971 Senate testimony: Kerry wants America to retreat, and he'll continue blaming us first for many of the world's problems until we do. Furthermore he keeps talking about two Americas, a socialist pipe dream. Americans want to be united, not divided.

[Sloth]

Some political analysts believe simple likability is the Democratic nominee's greatest challenge as the presidential campaign enters its two-month stretch run.

I have been saying this all year. Kerry will lose by a decent margin, and it won't be because of ideology, it'll be because he's nearly impossible to like as a person.

[Timeout]

a solid majority disapproves of Bush's handling of the Iraq war and the economy.

Not according the let latest polls (Which have been out for several days!)

Most voters also believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.

I'm sick of this being cited as proof of Bush's weakness. I think we're headed in the wrong direction---activist judges sanctioning gay marriage, for one thing---and it certainly doesn't mean I blame GWB. It's a phony number, but it's all they've got left.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Kerry is the wrong man with the wrong message.

Kerry is for a toothless military.

Kerry is for bigger government.

Kerry believes in international guidance to run our foreign policy and no doubt domestic policy.

Kerry can't run a campaign let alone the United States of America.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

....but it's all they've got left.

It's all they ever had. Lies are the bedrock of the Democratic Party.

[12B]

But...but...but he's got a secret agent hat and everything!

[SamAdams76]

A Zogby/Williams Identity Poll last week found that 57.3 percent of undecided or persuadable voters would rather have a beer with Bush than Kerry (even though the president does not drink alcohol).

I think we have the makings of a slogan here.

"I'd rather have an O'Douls with Bush then a beer with Kerry."

(O'Douls is a non-alcoholic beer for those who don't know).

[bilhosty]

"NANTUCKET, Mass"

look at the date line does that not tell it all!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Sam Adams - brewer, patriot.

Give me liberty, or give me a beer.

[pt17]

As I've often said, Kerry has all the personality of an already-embalmed funeral director who tells you you are dying while trying to sell you an expensive coffin.

[gop_gene]

After the dem convention, they interviewed people in my area (a VERY liberal area, BTW) about what they thought about Kerry. Although I have no idea about her political leanings, a young woman from the university still was undecided and thought Kerry "aloof."

Anyone but the most hard-core dems feel this way I'm sure. Kerry's personality (or rather lack thereof) is another weakness ripe for exploiting.

[risk]

bttt

[Noachian]

But they do not much like Kerry

The American people didn't like Al Gore much either.

I guess Socialist/Democrats don't come across well with the average American now that the MSM isn't the only source of news about them.

[gop_gene]

The American people didn't like Al Gore much either.

True--but there were other dynamics at work there, vastly different from this time around. Gore had a quasi-"incumbent" status with lots of experience, and Bush was seen as something of a novice with only 6 years under his belt. And of course there was that dang DUI dirty trick, which, combined with the former, probably had a lot to do with shaky voters abandoning Bush.

But this time around--people know Bush, he's the incumbent, he's got the experience.

[dawn53]

And on the personality issue:

I know they say that people don't vote for a First Lady

BUT

Teresa Kerry is just too strange for the average American.

Hasn't anybody noticed she's not campaigning with him. Why not? Laura is with Bush, but Kerry and Teresa don't seem to be together on the campaign trail.

I don't think she's up to it (probably physically, or maybe even emotionally, and I can cut somebody slack on that issue), but if your husband is going to be the President, the campaign trail will seem like tiddly-winks when the real game of being the President begins.

[Condor51]

"Most voters also believe the country is headed in the wrong direction."

That "is America going in the right/wrong direction" question is the most ambiguous, asinine poll question and borders on meaningless. It's only included to 'push' the poll to favor the RATS.

Ponder the following in answering that question;

• The RATS in the Senate holding up Judges - WRONG direction
  
• The RATS in Congress attempting to usurp the powers of the POTUS and national security for gubmint union votes - WRONG direction.
  
• The RATS in Congress stealth attempt at banning all guns through the 'Cop Killer Bullet Ban' - WRONG direction
  
• The RATS in Congress favoring the rights of TERRORISTS over national security and OUR safety (Patriot Act Objections) - WRONG direction
  
• Overt Vote fraud by RATS across the USA - WRONG direction
  
• Having a FAT, DRUNK, RAT 'senator' calling the POTUS a traitor without any rebuke or sanction - WRONG direction
  
• Having the RAT party et-al putting thier 'party' and their power over the best interests of the USA - WRONG direction
  
• Etc, etc, etc,

So if one answers "wrong direction" the pollee can be thinking of all the harm the RATS have done and want to do. It's irrelevant as to the performance of Dubya.

As such, that question is the pollsters version of, "when did you stop beating your wife".