AMERICA CAN'T AFFORD BUSH!


Title: Poll: Kerry Could Beat Bush

NEW YORK-- Senator John Kerry has taken the lead nationally among Democrats
and Democratic-leaning voters over Vermont Gov. Howard Dean in the race for
the Democratic nomination, according to the latest Newsweek Poll.

Kerry leads the field with 30 percent, followed by Sen. John Edwards with 13
percent. Howard Dean falls to 12 percent from 24 percent in the last
Newsweek Poll two weeks ago, and is even with General Wesley Clark, also at
12 percent.

Kerry also leads the pack of Democratic contenders among registered voters
as the candidate who would have a better chance of beating President George
W. Bush if the election were held today.

A Kerry-Bush match-up would have Kerry up by 49 percent to Bush's 46
percent. A Clark and Bush match-up would be a close race, with Bush at 48
percent and Clark at 47 percent. Bush would have an edge over Edwards (49%
to 46%). Yet, with a plus or minus margin of error, these match-ups result
in a statistical dead heat. And the President would beat Dean (50% to 45%)
and Sen. Joe Lieberman (49% to 45%).

And Democrats and Democratic learners also think Sen. John Kerry has the
best chance (48%) of defeating Bush in November, and is the candidate mostly
likely to do so (43%). Howard Dean follows at 26 percent (a drop from 38% in
the 12/11-12/03 Newsweek Poll). Only 15 percent think Dean would most likely
defeat Bush. In third is Wesley Clark at 23 percent, and John Edwards at 22
percent. Only 14 percent say Joe Lieberman has a good chance of beating
George Bush.

And more registered voters (54%) and Democrats and Democratic leaners (74%)
have a favorable opinion of Kerry followed by Lieberman with 48 percent of
registered voters, but only 56 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners.
Edwards follows with 60 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners, but
only 46 percent of registered voters. However, 42 percent of registered
voters have an unfavorable opinion of Howard Dean, though a 57-percent
majority of Democrats and Democratic leaners has a favorable opinion of the
Vermont Governor.

Ticket Combinations

And the combination of Democrats considered the best ticket to beat Bush in
November among Democrats and Democratic leaners would be Kerry-Edwards or
Kerry-Clark, both at 21 percent, followed by Kerry-Dean (19%).

Meanwhile, a week after President Bush's State of the Union address, his
approval rating has fallen to 50 percent from 54 percent in the last
Newsweek Poll (1/8-9/04). Yet, a 52-percent majority of registered voters
says it would not like to see him re-elected to a second term. Only 44
percent say they would like to see him re-elected, a four-point drop from
the last Newsweek Poll. (Of that, 37% strongly want to see him re-elected,
and 47% strongly do not). However, a large majority of voters (78%) says
that it is very likely (40%) or somewhat likely (38%) that Bush will in fact
be re- elected to a second term in office. Only 10 percent believe it is not
too likely or not at all likely (10%).

With 52 percent of registered voters saying they are dissatisfied with the
way things are going in the U.S. this year, the issues that are very
important in helping them determine who they will vote for a the economy
and jobs (83%); health care (75%) and education (74%); the situation in Iraq
and terrorism and homeland security (70%). The least important is the
appointing of new Supreme Court justices and federal judges (42%).

A 53-percent majority of Democrats and Democratic leaners say they are more
inclined to vote for the candidate who comes closest to their way of
thinking on the issues rather than the candidate with the best chance of
defeating President Bush (39%). And the large majority (71%), says it's very
important that the Democratic presidential nominee has clear-cut
alternatives to Bush on issues like Iraq and taxes; can attract young people
and other first-time voters to turn out and support the Democratic ticket
(70%); understands the concerns of working families because he grew up in
one (64%); has foreign policy and national defense experience (56%), and
comes across as even-tempered and appeals to voters in the South (54%).

For this Newsweek Poll, Princeton Survey Research Associates International
interviewed 1,006 adults aged 18 and older on January 22-23, 2004. The
margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. This poll is part of
the February 2 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, January 26).