Kerry more 'likeable'

2004-10-08 22:31

Washington - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and President George W Bush are neck-and-neck in their race for the White House, but Kerry is seen as a bit more likeable, according to a new poll out on Friday just ahead of the second presidential debate.

The two candidates were tied at 45%, according to the Time magazine survey taken on October 6-7. Independent Ralph Nader was down to 3%, it found.

The Republican president led the Massachusetts senator by a wide margin, 81% - 42% on "sticking to his positions".

Before their first presidential debate last week, Bush led Kerry by six points among likely voters in a Time poll.

Kerry's strong showing lent his candidacy a significant boost as 30% of voters said they were more likely to vote for Kerry because of the debate.

That compared to 14% who said they were more likely to vote for Bush because of the debate.

The survey found Kerry's "bounce" came from a surge of support from female voters. They now back Kerry over Bush by 12 points, 50%-38%, the survey showed..

- AFP