Poll: Bush Slipping (Dean leads national poll:17%, Gep:13%, Clark: 12%)

[w4rma]

Iraq, Economic Problems Level the ’04 Playing Field

Oct. 14— Persistent criticism on the economy and his Iraq policy alike are clouding President Bush's political standing, creating vulnerabilities that combine to lock the incumbent and an unnamed Democrat in a dead heat for the 2004 vote.

An ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll finds that nearly six in 10 Americans — a new high — call U.S. casualties in Iraq "unacceptable," more than double its level when Baghdad fell last April. Bush's approval rating for handling terrorism more broadly, while still high, now matches his career low. And most continue to disapprove of his handling of the economy, a critical election-year benchmark.

There are newer troubles as well: More than eight in 10 continue to see the alleged White House leak of a CIA operative's identity as a "serious matter," and the number who think the administration is fully cooperating in the investigation has declined to 39 percent. About two-thirds still favor appointment of an outside special counsel to look into the matter.
…
All told, 17 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say they'd vote today for Dean, 13 percent for Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri, 12 percent for Clark, 10 percent for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, 9 percent for Lieberman, 6 percent for former Illinois senator and ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, with the remaining three candidates under 5 percent. (The race is essentially the same among registered voters and unleaned Democrats.)
…
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/Politics/iraq_economics031014_poll.html

[J B]

1. Whoa.. Dean leading nationally again this soon?

Flash in the pan maybe?

[wyldwolf]

5. Maybe...

Depending on the poll...





and this from the ABC poll:

Given the sample size, one can say with only 60 percent confidence that Dean's lead is a real one.

[J B]

7. If the only poll Dean is behind in is Gallup...

I'd say he's doing VERY well.

[wyldwolf]

8. Well, since there are only two current polls...

..meaning, in the last week, the odds are Dean's lead is 50/50 unless you count the quinnipiac university poll from this week (I think it was from this week) which still has Clark ahead of Dean in head to head matchups against Bush.

[ozone_man]

14. Head to head match ups against Bushh don't mean anything at this point.

All the Democrats and generic Democrats do well against Bush. It only gets better from here against Bush. Hoover/FDR all over again. What is important is the Democratic primary, who gets the opportunity to defeat Bush.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

13. "Registered to vote" polls are meaningless...

Sorry to sound like a broken record on this, but polls that do not count likely voters are utterly meaningless. Many people who are registered can't be bothered to drag their sorry asses down to the polls. Therefore, their opinions don't count, and just skew the data.

- C.D.

[Upfront]

2. Americans Awake

It looks like America is starting to understand what has been done to our country and who did it.

[LuminousX]

3. Lieberman lost his name recognition numbers

He has finally fallen to where I believe his actual level of support is. Why in hell did Kerry fall 4 points? That doesn't make much sense unless Clark really canabalized Kerry's supporters. Possibly the Man in Uniform contingent prefer a man who was more recently in his uniform.

Dean impresses me daily.

[0007]

6. Dean looks good on most days

but there are those days where I have my doubt.

I'm worse than a wishy washy old lady on who I believe would make the best president, LOL!!

[Voltaire99]

9. Lieberman will have his revenge - be sure of it

The deflating figures are a good sign that his sour goose is cooked.

However, the vengeance he'll take upon anyone running to the left of his curdled conservatism will be a major liability to the party. Let us not forget his "party doesn't deserve to win" slur from this fall...

Lieberman damage containment should become a top priority; the sooner he's encouraged to switch parties, in fact, the better.

[diplomats]

4. Guess what? The Wash. Post story on this poll

says Bush's support is stabilizing, while the ABC story says it's slipping. Sounds like the Post is engaging in a bit of pro-WH spin.

[Voltaire99]

10. Moral failure: 60% of Americans care about troops' lives, which means...

...tens and tens of millions are perfectly content to sacrifice a few of the underclass per week. Not to mention imposing brutal occupation upon innocent Iraqis.

You can read Bush's weakening poll numbers as a bright sign. But the pathetic truth is that a vast segment of the population is still passing on serious consideration of the Iraq debacle. The media is not solely to blame for this blindness.

Democrats must choose to lead on this matter - playing rope-a-dope after giving Bush carte blanche on the war is not leadership. Criticizing the war one skitterishly allowed is not leadership. As John Nichols observes this week,

"...the range of debate within the Democratic Party with regard to the war runs the gamut from the 'it was a bad idea, but we're stuck now' crowd (Dean, Clark, Kerry) to the 'it was a good idea, but we're stuck now' crowd (Gephardt, Edwards, Lieberman)."

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1014-05.htm

Troops home now!

[ozone_man]

15. Sad to realize that we only have 60% to work with.

But, being the optimist, I think this time we will get most of that 60%, at least 55% of it.

[joeybee12]

11. Means everything's in flux--but still, it's good news for Dean

He holds up well in most polls--it's not like he's running away, but appears to have a somewhat solid base on which to build.

[Zan_of_Texas]

12. Interesting. Dean, Clark, and Mosely-Braun are gaining

Carol M-B was trailing the pack not so long ago. Now she has 6% compared to DK's 2%.

I thought she did well in the one debate on TV I saw.

Unlike a horse race where the loser just loses, in party primaries, the process of the debate can lead the losers' ideas to be adopted by the winners.

M-B and DK, regardless of whether you believe they can win the nomination, can add incredibly potent ideas to the debate, if they can only be heard.

Anybody who wants to improve the debate -- throw a few bucks at the candidate with the best ideas. Even if that candidate may not win, maybe some of their ideas will.

[mistertrickster]

16. Check this mystery figure -- Bush 43's economy is seen as better than 41's

Why is that . . . this economy is much worse. Why is the son getting the pass that his father did not?

"On the economy, 46 percent approve of Bush's performance, 51 percent disapprove. But his father's disapproval on the economy peaked far higher, at 75 percent."

And what happy pills are 46 percent of Americans popping to think that Bu$h has done anything but bloody this abortion of an economy?

[ozone_man]

17. I think 43's numbers will meet or exceed 41's by election time.

No way they can prop up the economy any longer IMO.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[goforit]

20. Go DEAN!!!!

Way to go ABC News and Washington Post for printing the truth!!

Faux and CNN.......Up yours!!!

[Julien Sorel]

21. This is not late breaking news -- story dated yesterday, poll

data originally released two days ago, I believe.