Posted on 08/15/2004 1:43:18 PM PDT by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
HARRISBURG - More Pennsylvania voters believe U.S. Sen. John Kerry has a better plan than President Bush to strengthen the nation's economy, which ranks as voters' No. 1 issue, according to a new statewide poll.
The Massachusetts Democrat holds an 11-point lead over Bush on the economy, 51 to 40 percent.
Kerry's lead is bigger regarding job creation and lowering the cost of health care, the poll reveals.
Bush holds a slight edge on having the better plan to respond to the threat of terror, 48 to 44 percent. The candidates are nearly even on who has the best plan to deal with Iraq, with Kerry leading 46 to 45 percent.
Conducted by SurveyUSA for WNEP-TV 16, the poll surveyed 593 registered voters across the state on Aug. 6. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percent.
The poll results could indicate that Pennsylvania isn't as much of a swing state as many political watchers would believe, says Len Champney, chairman of the University of Scranton political science department.
"The national pundits have been referring to Pennsylvania as a toss-up state, and I'm not sure that it is. I think Pennsylvania looks very good for John Kerry."
Kerry campaign spokesman Mark Nevins said: "I think that this is a validation of the positive approach we've taken on the issues, about creating jobs, about the economy and about ending outsourcing. I think these results are a rejection of the Bush campaign's strategy of negativity and attack, rather than having their own agenda."
However, Bush campaign spokesman Kevin Madden said: "What this shows is that Americans don't know a whole lot about the record of John Kerry. Kerry has a senate record of higher taxes and more regulation. ... That's clearly something that is not going to resonate with voters.
"There are a lot of polls out there that show people don't know John Kerry's record. They don't know because he doesn't talk about it. And he doesn't talk about it because it's a dismal record."
Both campaigns acknowledge the economy is a top issue for Pennsylvania voters.
The poll shows 71 percent of voters believe the economy is very important and 23 percent believe it's somewhat important.
The threat of terror, health-care costs and handling of Iraq were reported as very important issues by 60 percent of voters; 58 percent of voters called job creation very important.
"Unless there is some dramatically good news on the economy, Bush is going to be the underdog," said Robert J. Bresler, professor emeritus of public policy at Penn State Harrisburg. "Or, he needs some event on Iraq or the war on terrorism that catapults that issue over the economy."
The Bush campaign has focused much of its advertising blitz in Pennsylvania on the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism, and Kerry has hammered more on economic issues. Both campaigns say they'll continue to press those issues leading up to the Nov. 2 election.
Although voters appear to be split on which candidate has the best plans for terrorism and Iraq, Nevins said that's a better showing for Kerry than would be expected for a challenger during wartime.
"I think these numbers indicate a lot of public discomfort and disapproval of George Bush's war on terror and war in Iraq. For a challenger to be basically tied with an incumbent president on these issues is almost unheard of."
ping
*sigh*
Apparently they didn't poll any of the Heinz workers in Pittsburgh that lost their jobs when they sold most of the company to Del Monte Foods
Where's the "Who you going to vote for president question?" It's missing.
Things aren't looking good in PA.
Why doesn't the press jump on the disparity between John Kerrys voting record in the senate and his pandering straight out lies to american people to get votes. Is it that the press is just too lazy to pull up his voting record?
I would like to hear even one of these voters describe a single facet of Kerry's "plan."
. . . a dated (conducted over a week ago) ONE DAY quickie poll of REGISTERED VOTERS with a MOE of 4.1% -- BEYOND BOGUS!!!!
They have the nerve to call this a poll. I wish that posters would stop posting bogus BS polls and would only post. Statewide at 593 registered voters. Penn must be a really small state. There are more people living in my small South Florida development (1 1/2 miles square) than people that participated in this STATE WIDE poll.
Huh...I haven't even heard Senator John Kerry describe any facet of Kerry's "plan."
There is no way any polling company did not ask this question. The fact that it is not presented means that the answer did not fit the pro-Kerry spin. The whole 'PA is safe for the wonderful J effin K and against the evil warmonger Bush' tone of the article would be thrown off by a poll number showing it is at least within the MOE of this crappy poll.
That's why the MOE is present. There's nothing wrong with sampling to draw conclusions about a population.
The issue is votes! But since she wants to address the economy, today I noted while out shopping that the Maryland malls' parking lots were absolutely FULL. People spending their money means the economy is going just fine. Kerry's plan is a day late and a dollar short as the voters have already moved on.
Total Hogwash. Pennsylvania is Bush Country for sure. You can bet on it. The campaign really needs to start thinking about other states they can peel away from Kerry like MI and Oregon. W/out PA, Kerry is dead meat anyway.
SURVEYUSA IS NOT NOT A BOGUS POLLSTER.
President, PA
Kerry (D) 53%
Bush (R) 41%
Other/Undecided 7%
http://surveyusa.com/currentelectionpolls.html
Conveniently... So that tells us Bush must be winning on the most important poll question of all.
SHE DIDN'T SAY IT IS...lol...she
critiqued some aspects of this
particular poll.
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