Voters want more specifics from Kerry Poll shows Democratic candidate losing ground to Bush

msnbc ^ | July 27, 2004 | Richard Morin and Claudia Deane

[demlosers]

A majority of voters say they know little about John F. Kerry's positions on key issues and want the Democratic presidential candidate 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.

he 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 problems, an area in which Kerry has led.

The poll suggests that negative ads by the Bush-Cheney campaign that have been airing since early March, as well as attacks by Republican officials, have been increasingly successful in planting the image of Kerry as an unreliable leader who flip-flops on the issues -- perceptions that Democrats will work hard to reverse at their convention.

[fourscore]

While I hope these results are accurate, I fear that the WaPo is setting up Kerry for a bigger post-convention bumb. The 2 point lead is within the margin of error. Let us say that the post convention bump is actually 5 points. Then add the 2 point margin of error on the high side after the convention and Kerry's bump is 9 points: the 2 they took from him before, the 5 he earned, and the 2 points on the high side of the error. Just a thought.

[spoiler2]

One very important fact this article proves, is that the use of the term 'flip flops', decribing Kerry's actions, has become a mainstream term.

And for that, I'd like to congratulate our fellow FReepers, who early on in the campaign, distilled Kerry's behavior into a simple easy-to remember, piece of rhetoric, that has better longevity than the candidate himself.

[You Dirty Rats]

Jerry Springer was perfectly logical, actually. He's smart enough to know that Kerry's voting record is too far Left for the country, so he is trying to make a case to disregard it and believe the extreme makeover that we all know is coming.

It's a weak case, of course, but the Real Lurch is unelectable so they have no choice.

[Wyatt's Torch]

The support for Kerry is based in "he's not Bush". That is not the sort of thing that drives people to the polls. I remain convinced that the turnout for the Dems is not going to what it will need to be to beat W.

[Soul Seeker]

"Jerry Springer said that paraphrased "You can't know a candidate by his voting record - you have to listen to him speak"!"

It is essential to listen if one wishes to be brainwashed by emotionalism.

I've learned to look at their eyes if I have to listen to them, their soul is reflected outward.

[smith288]

We need a huge ad campaign by someone that details Kerry's pro-communist past and his hatred of anything right of himself.

Heck, just a commercial of him dissing his fellow soldiers then a sound bite saying it was due to his "youth" as an excuse.

Go on with his VVAW career and what VVAW stood for and who they were backed by. Finalize the commercial with the very craptacular endorsement by the Communist Party of the USA...

I dont know how much more defining you could get.

[snarkytart]

"Jerry Springer said that paraphrased "You can't know a candidate by his voting record - you have to listen to him speak"!"


Lets see, it only matters what you say and not what you actually do?

YEAH OK!

Now let me pick up this chair and hit Jerry over his ugly head.

((((((SECURITY))))))

[ebiskit]

1st rule in Dem Club -- Do ANYTHING to get elected
2nd rule in Dem Club -- Don't get caught doin' rule 1


tru peace....D

[Paleo Conservative]

WoodstockCat
they know little about John F. Kerry's positions on key issues.

Puppage
Simple...he's for both sides of any issue.

That depends on whether or not it is a core leftist ideological issue. On those issues he hoes the leftists line.

[spoiler2]

Ist rule of FReepers -- Catch them Dems, as they try rule #2!

[rod1]

Wow I guess the "nothing but flip flop" is not a great long term election strategy. Who would have known?


Hey Carville--maybe FN actually has to take a stand (and then lose even more voters).

..if you do...if you don't.

[ZULU]

"I think it is the most important election since World War II," said Lee Gearhart, 72, a retired insurance agent in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "It looked like it was a regular election to begin with -- until Mr. Bush got us into war."

Spoken like a true FDR type Democrat - Republicans = rich, Democrats = working people.

In reality, Democrats = EVIL, Republicans = stupid (so far anyway in this campaign).

[rushmom]

This news is too good. What am I missing?

[Wyatt's Torch]

Interesting. The two times this country has been attacked on our own soil.

Pearl Harbor in 1941 - did FDR "get us into a war"?

and

September 11th - Bush "got us into a war".

These idiots are incapable of logical thought.

[rwfromkansas]

Some likely voter polls actually hurt Bush more than registered voter polls, which is very unusual.

This could show the Dems are more motivated than the GOP.....

NOT a good sign and it could lead to a Kerry win.

Nevertheless, at least it is good to get some good news once in awhile.

[rwfromkansas]

My concern is that we may be too giddy about the poll. It is only REGISTERED voters. And I remember reading that some hurt us more than likely voters.

Normally likely voter polls lean GOP.

When they lean Dem......we are in deep.

[timestax]

The Presdential television debates are on the horizon, and we must be diligent in making sure CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, etc., do not give Kerry a bigger part of the t.v. screen, than Bush. I remember something about them doing that in the past...shortchanging the Republican candidate out of equal t.v. screen coverage during a debate.

[RetiredArmy]

. . . Kerry is in deep trouble. The more people know of him, the less they like him.

LESS THEY LIKE HIM????? How about my feelings about him? Pure unadulterated hate! I am a Vietnam veteran. I am a retired soldier. I was spit on in the Atlanta airport. I have three children (all adults now). I have never killed or tried to kill a child. Kerry plastered me and all Vietnam vets with this baby killer crap when he opened his big mouth and called us all baby killers. Kerry is an ADMITTED war criminal. Why has his beloved socialist International Court not charged him with a war crime? Hummmm, just wondering! Kerry and the left call military people baby killers. I CALL ALL LEFTIST, SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS BABY KILLERS FOR SUPPORTING ABORTION!!! So, you can label me a Kerry hater. I don’t dislike the guy, I hate his stinking guts.

[SunkenCiv]

Talk about your double bind... Kerry gains by going into seclusion, but now has to make clear what his policy positions are. Heh heh... Maybe he should stick with what he knows best -- flipping off veterans and laughing at Whoopi.

[rwfromkansas]

For proof, check out the Fox News independent poll.

Kerry actually GAINS with likely voters over just registered voters.

This points to Dems being more motivated than the GOP.

NOT GOOD AT ALL. We need to make sure Republicans know this is a vital election to win for the sake of the war on terror and also the SUPREME COURT.

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. July 20-21, 2004. N=900 registered voters nationwide (MoE ± 3), including 767 likely voters (MoE ± 4).
						.
"If the election for president of the United States were held today, for whom would you vote if the candidates were Republican George W. Bush, Democrat John Kerry, and independent candidate Ralph Nader?" Names rotated; respondents pushed for decision. Nader identified as Green Party candidate in 2/04 poll.
						.
		George W. Bush	John Kerry	Ralph Nader	Other (vol.)/ Not Sure	Wouldn't Vote (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	Among likely voters:
	7/20-21/04	43	44	3	9	1
						.
	Among registered voters:
	7/20-21/04	43	42	4	10	1
	6/22-23/04	47	40	3	9	1
	6/8-9/04	42	42	3	12	1
	5/18-19/04	40	40	3	15	2
	4/21-22/04	42	40	2	14	2
	3/23-24/04	43	42	3	10	2
	2/18-19/04	43	42	4	9	2
						.