Post-Convention Polls Mixed on Kerry Bounce
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New polls gave a mixed picture on whether Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) got a "bounce" from the party's convention, and a CNN-USA Today Gallup poll on Sunday even showed the Democratic ticket trailing the Republicans' among likely voters.
But a Newsweek poll released on Saturday said Kerry gained a four-point boost in the polls from the Democratic National Convention held last week in Boston.
Kerry had been hoping for a measurable surge in public approval, known as a bounce, which sometimes has given nominees a double-digit boost in the polls following their four days in the spotlight at the convention.
Democrats this year have said the closely divided electorate and relatively small number of undecided voters made a big bounce unlikely.
The CNN-USA Today poll of about 1,000 respondents conducted on Friday and on Saturday showed President Bush (news - web sites) garnering 50 percent to 47 percent for Kerry among likely voters. Bush trailed Kerry among likely voters earlier in July, 47 percent to 49 percent.
Independent candidate Ralph Nader (news - web sites) garnered 2 percent.
In the Newsweek poll conducted on Thursday and on Friday, Kerry received 49 percent of the vote to Bush's 42 percent and 3 percent for independent candidate Nader. In early July, Kerry led Bush 47 percent to 44 percent, with Nader at 3 percent.
Without Nader in the race, Kerry led Bush in the new poll by 51 percent to 45 percent. The poll of about 1,000 registered voters had a 3 percent margin of error.
Either way, Kerry said he wasn't paying attention.
Appearing on "Fox News Sunday" with his running mate, Sen. John Edwards (news - web sites), he said he remembered the polls last year that showed his presidential bid staggering.
"Polls are not what's important. What's important is what we're going to do for America," Kerry said.
"I don't read polls. I really don't. They are going to go up and down. They're going to change," he added.
But a senior Kerry adviser was dismissive of CNN-USA Today poll's finding, saying it appeared to be an aberration. He cited the Newsweek poll that did show a bounce, with Kerry's image improving and a weakening in Bush's approval ratings.
"The CNN-USA Today poll does show that the race continues to be close, which everyone expected, and shows Kerry being increasingly trusted by voters on key issues," he said. "The poll does show a 'bump' for Kerry on trust on the issues and while Bush is stagnant or slipping on the economy, Iraq (news - web sites) and terrorism, Kerry moved up during convention week."
Conventions are often the first time the general public tunes into a presidential race, and polls have shown many Americans are still unfamiliar with Kerry, a four-term U.S. senator, decorated Vietnam War veteran and former prosecutor.
The CNN/USA Today Gallup poll had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
Among registered voters, Kerry received 50 percent to 47 percent for Bush. That compared with 49 percent for Kerry and 45 percent for Bush earlier in the month. (With additional reporting by Patricia Wilson)
I am curious if Bush gets a bump from his convention.