Voters Unclear on Kerry's Stances on Issues, Poll Shows

Washington Post ^ | 7.26.04

[ambrose]

Voters Unclear on Kerry's Stances on Issues, Poll Shows Survey Suggests Stakes Are High for Mass. Senator at Convention

By Richard Morin and Claudia Deane

Washington Post Staff Writers

Monday, July 26, 2004; 6:30 PM

A majority of voters say they know little about Democrat John F. Kerry's positions on key issues and want the Massachusetts senator to detail specific plans for handling the economy, Iraq and the war on terrorism when he addresses the Democratic National Convention and a nationally televised audience on Thursday, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The survey suggests that the stakes for Kerry and the Democrats as they began their convention in Boston could not be higher. In barely a month, Kerry has lost ground to President Bush on every top voting issue in this year's election.

A growing proportion of voters say Bush, and not Kerry, is the candidate who most closely shares their values and four in 10 believe the Democrat is "too liberal." Bush has even narrowed the gap on which candidate better understands their own problems, an area where Kerry has led.

[jwalsh07]

Can't imagine why.

[Mrs.Liberty]

he was for issues before he was against them...maybe that's why.

[Recovering_Democrat]

This is fairly simple, and will be splendidly defined by the President. John Ketchup Kerry is on both sides of nearly every issue.

[ambrose]

Having Ralphie Nader around doing the ankle biting isn't helping Kerry any. LOL.

[Paleo Conservative]

Well Republicans should spend lots of money on adverizing beginning next week filling in the blanks.

[TomGuy]

Voters Unclear on Kerry's Stances on Issues, Poll Shows

That's because Kerry is unclear on the issues. He doesn't know where he stands, because he keeps changing positions. Flipflop flipflop.

Voters are realizing more and more that Kerry is less and less.

[ambrose]

Kerry gets a free half our of advertising every single evening on Brokaw, Rather and Jennings... it is sickening.

[ambrose]

half hour

[38special]

He's going around promising everything to everybody...disgusting

[madprof98]

This was in the Washington Post????!!!!!

[Brilliant]

This is actually good news for Kerry. If they knew, he'd be in big trouble. So apparently, his plan is working.

[cincy29]

Well Republicans should spend lots of money on adverizing beginning next week filling in the blanks.

You mean the Laci Peterson ad that they run about once or twice a day isn't enough for you? < / sarcasm>

[madprof98]

Ah, but once Ma and Pa in the great American heartland get a look at those "I Loved My Abortion" T-shirts, they'll shift their votes to John-John.

[Paleo Conservative]

I live in Texas. There's hardly any political advertising.

[TomGuy]

Kerry gets a free half our of advertising every single evening on Brokaw, Rather and Jennings... it is sickening.

Their programs should be labeled Lib-Infomercials-R-Us.

[cincy29]

I live in Texas. There's hardly any political advertising.

Come to Ohio! Plenty of advertising here! 90% of it is Kerry, or the anti-Bush 527s. About twice a day, you can see a Bush ad criticizing Kerry for his abortion votes.

It's just like 1992 all over again: 90% hard-hitting anti-Bush ads, lame response from Team Bush. And we all know how that turned out....

[encm(ss)]

"Bush has even narrowed the gap on which candidate better understands their own problems, an area where Kerry has led."

I think the last word is mis-spelled. It should be spelled LIED.

[hershey]

Yet the TV talking heads are in lockstep, saying Kerry's leading and has to make sure he doesn't rock the boat by allowing the convention to take on a 'negative' tone, a la Paul Wellstone's funeral bash. Kerry's an empty suit. The whole country knows it, including the RAT party.

[hershey]

Okay, that billboard over the old Expressway in downtown Boston needs new pictures...Bush in the flight suit and Kerry in his big blue condom outfit with the hose up the butt. RATs would scream bloody murder. It would be all over the world, internet, TV. Hilarious. Kerry's tank moment. Maybe we could suggest Time and Newsweek put it on the covers?