Marist poll: Bush and Kerry running tight
April 26, 2004, 10:23 AM EDT
ALBANY, N.Y. -- President Bush and Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry are running neck-and-neck nationally and in key battleground states, an independent poll reported Monday.
The poll, from Marist College's Institute for Public Opinion, had Bush favored by 47 percent of registered voters nationally with Kerry the choice of 44 percent and 9 percent undecided.
In 17 states considered key battlegrounds, the Massachusetts Democrat was favored by 47 percent of voters to 44 percent for Bush, again with 9 percent of voters undecided.
With third-party contender Ralph Nader in the mix, the national view was Bush, 47 percent; Kerry, 43 percent; Nader 5 percent; and undecided, 5 percent. In the battleground states, it was Bush, 45 percent; Kerry, 45 percent; Nader, 5 percent; and undecided, 5 percent.
"It shows there are some doubts about President Bush, but Kerry has not crossed the line of acceptability yet," said Lee Miringoff, head of the Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based polling institute.
The telephone poll of 787 registered voters was conducted April 20-23 and has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
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