Democrats More Confident, Kerry Faring Better in Battleground States
Sen. John Kerry enters the Democratic convention next week bolstered by a number of favorable trends in public opinion, although he remains locked in a statistical tie for voter support with President George W. Bush. His party is at least competitive with the Republicans on every issue except terrorism. Most important, the Democrats have a strong advantage over the GOP as the party that cares more about the needs of ordinary people. Further, rank-and-file Democrats are increasingly unified and optimistic about their chances in November.
At the same time, President Bush's overall job rating still hovers below the 50% mark, and his ratings on individual issues - with the exception of terrorism - remain lackluster at best. Just 42% approve of Bush's handling of Iraq, and six-in-ten (59%) continue to believe he does not have a clear plan to bring the situation to a successful conclusion. And Iraq leads the list of the most important problems facing the nation.
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