WASHINGTON The Democratic National Convention boosted voters' perceptions of John Kerry's leadership on critical issues, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll finds. But it failed to give him the expected bump in the head-to-head race against President Bush.
In the survey, taken Friday and Saturday, the Democratic ticket of Kerry and John Edwards trailed the Republican ticket of Bush and Dick Cheney 50% to 46% among likely voters, with independent candidate Ralph Nader at 2%.
Before the convention, the two were essentially tied, with Kerry at 47%, Bush at 46%.
The change in support was within the poll's margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points in the sample of 763 likely voters. But it was nonetheless a stunning result, the first time in the Gallup Poll since the 1972 Democratic convention that a candidate seemed to lose ground at his convention.
USA TODAY extended its survey Sunday night and tonight to get a fuller picture of what's happening with the electorate.
Should've left TeRaSa home!
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Bounced right through the sidewalk into the sewer.
Poll: No boost for Kerry after convention
By Susan Page, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON The Democratic National Convention boosted voters' perceptions of John Kerry's leadership on critical issues, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll finds. But it failed to give him the expected bump in the head-to-head race against President Bush.
In the survey, taken Friday and Saturday, the Democratic ticket of Kerry and John Edwards trailed the Republican ticket of Bush and Dick Cheney 50% to 46% among likely voters, with independent candidate Ralph Nader at 2%.
Before the convention, the two were essentially tied, with Kerry at 47%, Bush at 46%.
The change in support was within the poll's margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points in the sample of 763 likely voters. But it was nonetheless a stunning result, the first time in the Gallup Poll since the 1972 Democratic convention that a candidate seemed to lose ground at his convention.
USA TODAY extended its survey Sunday night and tonight to get a fuller picture of what's happening with the electorate.
A Newsweek survey taken Thursday and Friday showed the Democrats with a lead of 49% to 42%, a four-point bounce compared with a poll taken three weeks earlier the smallest in the history of the Newsweek poll.
Analysts say the lack of a boost for Kerry may reflect the intensely polarized contest. Nearly nine of 10 voters say in the survey that they are confident they won't change their mind between now and the Nov. 2 election. That leaves little room for a candidate to gain support even when major events occur.
Oh, dear. And we were supposed to love Kerry once we got to know him. What could have gone wrong?
Look like very deep doo-doo for the Doofi Bros.
I'm not surprised. Between the bunny suit, the hamster story, the swimmer, nutty Ter-ray-sa, Edwards telling people the government doesn't do enough for them, and the cherry on the cake - "John Kerry, reporting for duty!"
It was horrendous. I told my pastor this morning if Bush ever gives CPR to a rodent, and I hear about it, I'm voting Constitution party.
The only good thing was the Boston Pops concert. I would have liked to see that.
Delightful news.
Dead Bunny Bounce!
To KNOW sKerry is to not vote for Kerry.
sKerry/Backwards: The Jimmy Carter ticket.
I predicted this on other threads on the basis of early data; notwithstanding what Newsweek claimed, and many balked. It's great to be vindicated.
Watching DU implode this election is going to be long and drawn out shadenfreude. Hahahahahaha!
I guess from now on we'll call a lousier than expected bounce a "Kerry bounce"! LOL!
Just wanted to bttt before it was posted again for the thousandth time...
Lady ~ you'll like this. :)
Wouldn't a negative bounce be a "suck"?