Bush, Kerry nearly even in poll on Iraq

[fujiyama]

http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2004/05/11/bush_kerry/index_np.html
__________________________________________________________________
May 11, 2004 | WASHINGTON (AP) --

For the first time, Americans appear to be evenly divided as to whether President Bush or Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry would do a better job of handling Iraq.

A CNN-USA Today poll released Tuesday found that 48 percent of adults surveyed thought the president would better handle "the situation in Iraq," compared with 45 percent for Kerry.

__________________________________________________________

Free one day pass required to read entire article. Then again it is an AP article so it may be elsewhere on the internet.

Looks like it's almost tied on the one issue Bush had a major advantage on earlier.

[markus]

1. Here's the Yahoo / AP Link

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=5&u=/ap/20040511/ap_on_el_pr/iraq_poll

Headline: Bush, Kerry Nearly Even in Poll on Iraq

"Asked whether "it was worth going to war in Iraq," 44 percent of those surveyed said yes and 54 percent said no, the first time that a majority of those polled said war in Iraq was not worth it. In late March, 56 percent of those in the CNN-USA Today poll said the Iraq war was worth it and 41 percent said it was not. "

I think increasing distrust or disgust or whatever emotion average voters have with Iraq, combined with a growing sense that the economic numbers are a lot of baloney (people recognize that replacing $26 an hour manufacturing jobs with $6 an hour Wal Mart jobs is not economic growth, it's economic contraction) are all trending in the right direction.

It's rapidly going exactly where Zogby said: It's Kerry's to lose.

But I'm old enough (and stupid enough) to have worked for Dukakis, about whom the kindest thing I can say is that none of my paychecks bounced.

Dear God, let us not peak too soon!

[klook]

2. Tricks up their sleeves

The Republicans have been hoping that the June 30 Iraq "handover," the summer Saddam show trial, and the late summer/early autumn capture of Osama (assuming the U.S. is not already holding him somewhere), followed by the Saudi-engineered autumn drop in oil prices, would give them the edge. That plus gay marriage fears, and if all else fails, cheating via Black Box Voting. But blood is in the water now.

With just under six months left until the November elections, Kerry and the Democrats need to continually exploit the Republican damage without looking overly opportunistic and, at the same time, differentiate themselves strongly from the cesspool on the Right by offering a platform of real progress and hope.

[incapsulated]

3. This is really excellent news!

I was really upset about the polls that had Bush favored over Kerry on handling Iraq, this was in the middle of the worst violence and the start of the torture scandal. It seemed hopeless.

Things are looking up if Kerry has picked up support on this, especially since he got it without even saying much on Iraq. He's being given the benefit of the doubt over the chimp, finally.

[markus]

4. Needs a bump to go with the goofy IBD poll

eom

[incapsulated]

5. I wish

people would stop posting weirdo, never-heard-of polls. The regulars are questionable enough!