Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Some Republicans are worried. They’re complaining that the President hasn’t been campaigning hard enough. I don’t know about that - I prefer that he actually work at the job rather than campaign at this point. I don’t think we should be complacent, but we shouldn’t be despondent either. And the latest numbers back me up.

The critical convention season begins with John Kerry losing momentum at just the hour he’d like to be gaining it: President Bush has clawed back on issues and attributes alike, reclaiming significant ground that Kerry had taken a month ago.

Kerry has lost support against Bush in trust to handle five of six issues tested in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, including terrorism, Iraq, taxes and even health care. And Kerry’s ratings on personal attributes — honesty, strong leadership, consistency, empathy and others — have softened as well.

The bottom line has shifted only very subtly. Head-to-head, the Massachuestts senator has slipped from a slight lead in late June to a dead heat today, with 49 percent support for Bush and 48 percent for Kerry among registered voters. Including Ralph Nader, it’s 48 percent-46 percent-3 percent.

Looks like the President is doing pretty well on all but health care.

Again, the President is doing pretty well.

Finally, the President is still doing well.

Look, I don’t understand why he and Kerry are tied in the overall polls, but I think this poll is a lot more telling about how people will vote in November. Let the Dem and GOP have their conventions and then the real campaigning will begin. The debates will be the true, final test for each candidate. I’m still very positive that the President will be reelected.