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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jlallen who wrote (542042)	2/18/2004 3:55:09 PM
From: Kenneth E. Phillipps	Read Replies (5) \| Respond to of 769667

Both Kerry & Edwards have double digit leads over Bush Top Democrats lead Bush in poll WASHINGTON (USATODAY.com) — Democrat John Kerry holds his largest lead yet over President Bush in a head-to-head match-up among likely voters, a new USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup poll concludes, and rival John Edwards also holds a double-digit lead over the president. The poll, taken Feb. 16-17, indicates that if the election were held today, Kerry would be chosen by 55% of likely voters, compared to 43% for Bush. In the last polling, Feb. 6-8, Bush held a 49-48 advantage. Edwards, Kerry's sole remaining major rival for the Democratic nomination, holds a 54%-44% advantage, the poll indicates. The question has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The numbers come as both Kerry, a Massachusetts senator, and Edwards, a senator from North Carolina, have maintained a relatively high public profile because of the ongoing Democratic presidential campaign. They also come as questions continue to be raised about Bush's Vietnam-era service in the National Guard. Republicans have been skeptical of the head-to-head numbers during the primary season, saying they in part reflect news coverage that focuses on Democratic candidates' criticism. Earlier this month, a Bush adviser said he would rebound in time to win re-election. "This is the way the political season works," Mary Matalin, a Bush campaign adviser, told USA TODAY earlier this month. "All of these problems are manageable." Democrats hope Bush's troubles signal a decline that will end with an election loss. "There is a very strong risk that this president is irreparably damaging his credibility," Joe Lockhart, a former spokesman for President Clinton, said earlier this month. The poll indicates Kerry and Edwards hold lesser leads — or no lead at all — when all registered voters are measured. Kerry has a 51-46 edge over the president among registered voters, and Edwards holds a 49-48 edge, a statistical tie. Bush's approval rating remained unchanged in the latest poll and remains near the lowest spot of his presidency. It currently stands at 51%, with 46% disapproving and 3% of those polled offering no opinion. Bush's low of 49% — the only time his approval ratings have sunk below 50% in his presidency — came in a Jan. 29-Feb. 1 survey. Kerry was by far the choice for the party's nomination among registered Democrats or Democratic leaners in the latest survey, with 65% of those saying he was their Democrat of choice. Edwards trailed at 19%. Continuing a decline that has gone on for more than a year, 55% of those surveyed said Bush was honest and trustworthy. That compares to 59% the last time the question was asked in November, and 70% when the question was asked in early January 2003. Sixty-one percent of those surveyed said Kerry was honest and trustworthy. Only 42% of those surveyed said Bush had a clear plan for solving the country's problems — the same number as Kerry. Contributing: USA TODAY's Judy Keen.