Kerry leads Bush in Florida

[59millionmorons]

John Kerry and George W. Bush are tied among likely voters in Florida according to a survey by the American Research Group. A total of 45% of likely voters say they would vote for Kerry if the presidential election were being held today and 44% say they would vote for Bush. A total of 4% of likely voters say they would vote for Ralph Nader and 7% of likely voters are undecided.

http://www.americanresearchgroup.com/fl/

[Timefortruth]

1. Wow, but that needs to get to 60/40 for Kerry to carry the state.

There comes a point that fraud won't help them.

[phillybri]

2. Wow...that's a good sign...

The way I see it, Kerry could pick up OH, NH, and FL...Game set match...

[TroglodyteScholar]

3. Bleah

Bush need not worry about Florida.

[Florida_Geek]

4. Touchscreens will win this for Jeb's Bro nt

[LSparkle]

5. How do we get Ralph out of this race?

He's already making this too close, in Florida as well as nationwide.

[brads]

6. Kerry needs to uphold progressive issues

If Kerry upholds progressive issues like real health care reform (i.e. some form of national health care), and if he really challenges Bush on things like Iraq (and now Haiti and the million other censurable and impeachable offenses piling up), then I doubt Nader stays in til November. But if Kerry listens to advisors who tell him to move right to appeal to some illusory 'middle', then Nader will likely stay in and Kerry could lose votes on the left. I hope Kerry does the right thing...

[dolstein]

8. Bullshit

If Kerry attempts to coopt Nader's radical agenda, he'll lose far more moderate and independent votes than he could ever hope to gain from the left fringe. When will the Nader apologists finally acknowledge that they aren't part of the political mainstream?

[TankLV]

12. He doesn't need to co-opt any "radical" agenda - just the progressive

items the majority of American are shown to consistently support.

Iraq, Haiti, etc. - are issues that Americans support - that is, the fact that bunkerboy lied, they were all illegal actions of an out-of-contro cowboy.

[dolstein]

13. Again, bullshit

What about the majority of Americans that supports the death penalty? The majoriy of Americans who oppose gay marriage? The majority of Americans who STILL say that we made the right decision in going to war with Iraq (http://www.pollingreport.com/iraq.htm)?

Sorry, but the DU population is not in any way representative of America as a whole, not to mention the Democratic Party. If it were, Dennis Kucinich would be taking his victory lap right now, not John Kerry.

[Don Claybrook]

16. They don't need to make any such acknowledgement

You're the one who wants Kerry to have those votes. If that's the case, you have the option of either catering to those "Naderites" or ignoring them and not getting their votes.

You ask when Nader apologists will finally acknowledge that they aren't part of the political mainstream. I don't think any of them believe they are a part of the political mainstream. That's your own misconception. But if you want their votes, you'll need to do something other than complaining about these people.

------

Now, let me step outside of that stance, because I don't think the 5% number is true. I don't think Nader will be on the ballot in many states, and I don't think he'll pull many votes.

But I was responding to what I consider to be a hypothetical. The point stands that IF the Nader voters truly wielded power, you'd need to either accomodate them in some way or forget about the votes, but the third option of just complaining about them accomplishes nothing for you.

[lancdem]

21. I agree

Kerry should cow-tow to Nader at all. It would be politically disastrous.

[ElementaryPenguin]

7. WTF? Ralph getting more than last time?

I don't believe it!

[progressiverealist]

9. Ralph "the arrogant dipshit" Nader... tool of the G.O.P.

Ralphie boy is no more than a tool of the Republicans. This will forever be his legacy.

[Davis_X_Machina]

10. "Too close to call"...

...is "close enough to steal".

[osaMABUSh]

11. That's great but I think... Ohio,Ohio, Ohio... this year

If Kerry can take Ohio then he should have the rest of the Midwest and NE locked. FLA is nice but if we can focus and win states like OH, WV, MO then we win easily.

Will Kerry focus in the Rustbelt, FLA or the SouthWest. I think his VP selection will be the tell all.

[readmylips]

14. Nader stool of the GPO...that's correct...

Where's Jeffrey Domer when needed. He can lick Nader's chops.

[CarlWoodward]

15. The Bush steal machine

I was living in Florida (Palm Beach County, no less) in 2000 and saw the Bush machine steal that election firsthand. It was ugly, and I have no doubt that if it's close, it's going to happen again.

Kerry has to do more than just win the state. He needs a decent margin, unfortunately, or the Bush thugs will come in and muscle the counties into calling the votes for the Repubs like they did four years ago.

[newyawker99]

22. Hi CarlWoodward!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[CShine]

17. 45% to 44% is not a lead.

[59millionmorons]

18. This is what I learned in the 3rd grade 45>44

nt

[graywarrior]

19. I have republican friends here in Florida who are committed to

Kerry.
These are angry angry life long republicans.

[lancdem]

20. It's within the margin of error

but it is a lead, albeit of the slimmest sort.

[leesa]

23. I'm sure Diebold, the corrupt governor and his corrupt elections

supervisor will take care of that little problem. Have the 50000+ people that were thrown off the voter roles by the evil Harris been re-instated as voters?