WSJ: Bush Holds Slight Edge, but Faces Hurdles With Undecided Voters [View All]

[question everything]

By JOHN HARWOOD
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
August 27, 2004

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A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows that he (Bush) approaches the 2004 homestretch with majorities disapproving of his approach to critical foreign and domestic issues alike and saying his policies on Iraq, health care and jobs and the economy need "major adjustments" or outright reversal. Among the one in five voters who say they are undecided or leaning one way but open to persuasion, those majorities are overwhelming.

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But the poll also shows the president trailing Mr. Kerry by four percentage points among respondents in 17 closely-contested battleground states. The president's poor ratings on issues mean it will be tough to win over some of those who make up the thin sliver of the electorate that is undecided. Though the poll suggests they haven't given up on Mr. Bush, or been sold on Mr. Kerry, the findings indicate many aren't satisfied with the president's performance on key issues... Overall, 50% of the electorate says the nation has gotten on the wrong track, while just 36% say it's heading in the right direction. Among independents, 60% say the nation is headed in the wrong direction. By 50% to 46%, voters say Mr. Bush doesn't deserve to be re-elected to a second term.

(snip)

In particular, the poll suggests that recent attacks on Mr. Kerry's Vietnam War record by the independent group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth may have taken a toll. Just 35% of voters say they have confidence in the Massachusetts senator's ability to be commander in chief, essentially unchanged since the spring. Some 49% give Mr. Bush high marks as commander in chief.

At the same time, the president's personal assets have been eroded by Democratic attacks and controversies over such issues as the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal and the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. While Mr. Bush continues to receive positive marks for his "strong leadership qualities," his 50% approval on that dimension matches the weakest of his presidency. Just 45% of voters rate him highly for "being honest and straightforward," while 39% give him low marks... Those negative assessments span Mr. Bush's handling of a series of issues. By 55% to 38%, voters say the president's tax cuts mostly have benefited the wealthy rather than all Americans. As oil prices hit record levels, six in 10 voters criticize his approach to gas prices. Some 58% of voters want major changes in the president's approach to health care, while 55% say the same thing about his policies on jobs.


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