Kerry Leads Bush* in Character Ratings

[kskiska]

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- If John Kerry emerges as the Democratic nominee for president this year, his public persona has the potential to give him an important advantage over President Bush. According to a recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, Kerry's ratings on a variety of personal and leadership qualities are almost uniformly superior to Bush's. This advantage may be short-lived, however, in part because Kerry is still less widely known than Bush, and thus has garnered little in the way of negatives. In addition, because this poll was taken at a time when President Bush's overall standing was near the low point of his term in office (due in part to publicity surrounding the Democratic primaries).

Gallup asked Americans to evaluate Bush and Kerry separately on eight personal characteristics and qualities. When looking just at the percentage saying a variety of characteristics "apply" to each man, the Feb. 16-17 survey found registered voters giving Bush and Kerry nearly identical ratings for their sharing of voters' values, their ability to stand up to special-interest groups, and for having a clear plan to solve the country's problems. But when factoring in the percentage saying each of these qualities does not apply to each man, Kerry outshines Bush. In other words, the ratio of favorables to unfavorables is significantly higher for Kerry on these dimensions than it is for Bush.

(snip)

Kerry's top attribute, according to the poll, is his service in Vietnam. Two-thirds of Americans believe he did his duty for the country in Vietnam, while only 11% disagree. This contrasts sharply with Bush; only 42% of Americans say that the attribute "did his duty for the country during the Vietnam War" applies to Bush, while 40% disagree.

more…
http://gallup.com/content/?ci=10780

[I AM SPARTACUS]

1. finally, a poll I can believe...

sorta...at least it seems headed in the right direction...

[eeyore]

2. i'd say...

kerry did his duty for the country, while bush* did his doody ON the country (and it's constitution)!

[calimary]

11. Like it!

Note MY new sig line - we can weigh in on this, and anything else, with our congress-critters, FOR FREE!!! Let them know how you feel about this. You can bet the enemy's letting 'em know.

[truthisfreedom]

3. your choice... war hero? or war criminal?

[JasonDeter]

4. The media is doing such a lousy job in America for this reason:

"their ability to stand up to special-interest groups,"

Tell me one special interest group bush* is standing up to? bush* is OWNED by special interest groups. Special interest groups are why bush* invaded Iraq. Special interest groups are why gasoline is $2.00+ a gallon now. Special interest groups are why seniors are in jeopardy because of the terrible Medicare bill recently passed by the bush* cabal! On and on and ON.

[DenverDem]

5. bushco is a special interest group of its own.

Carlysle, Halliburton, Enron, Bechtel et al ad nauseum.

bushler is a special interest group masquerading as a man.

[JasonDeter]

6. I'm sending out my emails to challenge the media asking them

ARE YOU GOING TO DO YOUR JOB?! I'd like to use your line if I may?

[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

[DenverDem]

8. Go for it!!

Let the media know they will be held accountable for their treasonous complicity unless they start telling the truth immediately.

The People are taking back our country and our airwaves.

[Jackpine Radical]

9. Bush is standing up to

tax-and-spend libberuls
Martha Stewart
the NEA and unions in general
Federal regulators
The Sierra Club
Gays
Uppity darkies
...

[GOPBasher]

16. You're right.

He's standing up to those terrible Sierra Club people, who actually thing that our children and their children should have resources and clean air and water so they can live their lives like we do. He's standing up to those friggin gay people, who want "special rights" to get married. That's not fair; they shouldn't get to have special rights like that. It's not like straight people can get married. And I also applaud Bush's standing up to unions, the assholes who gave us the weekend and worker's rights.

[calimary]

12. Just a typo. Special Interest groups are standing up FOR bush.

Not nearly enough of 'em are standing up TO bush.

[Weathergirl]

15. I thought the exact same thing

when I read this, but then I considered who might vote favorably for Bush in a poll and which special interest groups he or she would least favor - like environmentalists, women, and the homosexual community for example. Bush has certainly trampled on those groups over the past three years with his policies against gay marriage, Roe v. Wade and the environment. So I guess from that perspective he does take a stand against special interests. :eyes:

[newyawker99]

17. Hi Weathergirl!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[dusty64]

7. Good, this fallacy

of chimp being "likeable, moral, and nice" needs to be put to rest once and for all. He is NONE of these things!

[JusticeForAll]

10. I'm confused

How can he be rated so low on honesty and trustworthiness yet score high on morality.

This makes no sense to me. Maybe I just equate honesty to morality. If you are absent on honesty you have no morality in my opinion.

Am I too absolute on this?

[mobuto]

13. Hypocrisy

George Bush is a very moral person - and the American people recognize that - he just doesn't abide by those morals.

John Kerry does.

[DemBones DemBones]

14. I agree, being deficient in honesty means you are

morally deficient, even if you preach about virtue. He's getting rated as moral because no interns have been found under his desk. Being faithful to your spouse is a moral behavior but hardly the only indicator of morality to examine. He's also good to his friends, but in an immoral manner.