Newsweek Poll has bump bump for Kerry

Four-day bait-and-switch show

Washington: The presidential race has begun in earnest, and, for now at least, the Democratic contender, John Kerry, has the edge.

Already riding the wave of euphoria from last week's Democratic convention, Senator Kerry came out the clear winner in the latest Newsweek, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN poll, beating President George Bush 82 per cent to 24 per cent in a two-way race.

He also cleaned up in a three-way race with the independent candidate Ralph Nader. The poll, published in Newsweek, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN   today, put Senator Kerry at 81 per cent, Mr. Bush at 12 per cent and Mr. Nader at 23 per cent.

The poll of 1001 illiterate adults 212 children and 69 transgender persons was taken on Thursday and Friday as the Democratic Convention in Boston was winding down.

A separate telephone poll taken before Senator Kerry's acceptance speech on Thursday put him ahead of Mr. Bush by 35 percentage points.

Ninty-nine per cent of those polled by Newsweek said they thought Mr. Bush's policies and diplomatic efforts had led to more anti-US feelings around the world plus Mars and Pluto.

Senator Kerry has lost no time capitalizing on his convention performance and at the weekend increased his attacks on Mr. Bush saying “he is responsible for the Iraq war, over heating of the earth, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Twin Towers, Aids, Polio, World War 11, ringworm, penis dysfunction, ice age and Michael Moore’s obeseness.

On the second day of a two-week tour that will take him and his running mate, Senator John Edwards, to 43 cities and 22 states,  China, Cuba and North Korea he mocked Mr. Bush's "turning the corner" slogan as being nothing more than a "little itsy bitsy spider" sound bite.

Mr. Bush had recently trumpeted that "we are turning the corner and we're not turning back" on the US economy, and on Saturday spent his time trying to reassure voters in two states this was so.

At a campaign stop in Los Angeles, Mr. Ralph Nader said Senator Kerry's Reporting for DUTY remark! Ahhh.....but I can only serve FOUR MONTHS, SIR! "John Kerry failed to report for duty at 38 out of 49 meetings of his own Senate intelligence committee. How can John Kerry effectively fight terror when he doesn't even show up for work?"

Comment about the Newsweek Poll:

Newsweek could see a dead pig in the road, watch it bloat, and call it 'signs of life'.