Poll: Bush Leads Close Race, but Sparks Anger Among Kerry Followers

[SoCalDem]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=153043&page=1


Poll: Bush Leads Close Race, but Sparks Anger Among Kerry Followers

ANALYSIS
By GARY LANGER

Oct. 10, 2004 — Among the sentiments fueling the 2004 election, put anger on John Kerry's side: On the subject of George W. Bush, his supporters are riled. Nearly half of likely voters who support Kerry are "angry" about Bush administration policies. Anger peaks in some of Kerry's strongest support groups — liberals, Democrats and the non-religious. And it far outstrips the anger Bush supporters feel about Kerry. While 50 percent of liberals are angry about Bush policies, for example, just 19 percent of conservatives are angry about the policies Kerry has proposed. While 39 percent of Democrats are angry with Bush, fewer than half as many Republicans, 17 percent, are angry with Kerry. And while 46 percent of Kerry supporters are angry about Bush policies, just 19 percent of Bush voters are angry back.

...snip

Interviews for the horse-race results in this poll were conducted during the last four days, Thursday through Saturday. Interviews on voter anger were conducted earlier in the week, Tuesday through Thursday.

snip.....

The disproportionate anger with Bush means that, across all likely voters, 22 percent are angry with his policies, while just about half as many, 10 percent, are angry about the policies Kerry has proposed. (Democratic anger at Bush, as an aside, is gender neutral: About four in 10 Democratic men and women alike are angry about his policies.)

On the flip side, the candidates are about even in enthusiasm about their policies: Seventeen percent of all likely voters are enthusiastic about Bush's, 16 percent about Kerry's. Independents are five points more apt to be enthusiastic about Kerry's policies, but that's not a significant difference given the sample size; and moderates are 12 points more apt to be enthusiastic about Kerry, but moderates are a Democratic-leaning group.

[xray s]

1. if you ain't angry about what this bastard has done to our country...

...you don't have a brain, or a pulse.

[AngryLizard]

2. And if this country elects him

If there are enough people who voted for him, or didn't bother to show up to vote against him, honestly? We deserve what we get.

[Arancaytar]

8. Does the world?

Seriously, when the largest nuclear power in the world elects someone like Bush, it's not just the US at stake. America chose to burden itself with responsibility by becoming powerful. Now America has to carry that responsibility by being answerable to the world.

You can't build nukes and expect no one to demand justification from you...

[DieboldMustDie]

3. Mr. Bush has decimated our economy, bankrupted the treasury...

failed to protect us from terrorist attack, and taken us into an utterly unnecessary war based on lies. Well damn! What could we possibly be angry about? :grr:

[secular_warrior]

4. Anger is a very powerful emotion

I believe our side will be much more energized to go to the polls. The voters who want to send Bush back to Crawford are the most motivated and passionate of ANY type of voter in this election. That will count for something on election day, mark my words.

[TahitiNut]

5. "Anger" doesn't even begin to cover it, imho.

I have trouble imagining what I wouldn't do to rid this nation of the political cancer that's metastasized throughout it's organs.

[iris3d]

6. anger is only one...

of the many emotions that i think a majority of the Kerry supporters are feeling. Disgust, embarrassment and nausea should be added.

[Bridget Burke]

7. "Disgust, embarrassment & nausea"?

You do mean Kerry supporters have these feelings in relation to Bush?

[TankLV]

9. Anger has been my foundation since December of 2000.

I have been eagerly waiting for this November.

Every other issue is a side issue, or a confirmation of my feelings since that day 4 years ago.

It is why I found my way to DU.

[prayin4rain]

10. It seems like angry people would be more likely to be sure and vote.

So I guess this is good.