I carry into the Labor Day weekend the good news that Bush bounced big time, according to a Time poll.
New York: For the first time since the Presidential race became a two person contest last spring, there is a clear leader, the latest TIME poll shows. If the 2004 election for President were held today, 52% of likely voters surveyed would vote for President George W. Bush, 41% would vote for Democratic nominee John Kerry, and 3% would vote for Ralph Nader, according to a new TIME poll conducted from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2. Poll results are available on TIME.com and will appear in the upcoming issue of TIME magazine, on newsstands Monday, Sept. 6.
I don’t like polls, but it’s Friday and I’m glad the conventions are over and can’t wait until the election is over, good or bad. We can take polls all day long, but that Electoral College map is the thing to watch.
See also, “Bush, Republicans Outpoll Kerry, Democrats on TV and Bush’s Big Bounce.
That’s enough blogging. Please keep Bill Clinton in your prayers. I may not like him, but I don’t wish him pain or ill health.
Rest easy, everybody.
Update: Audio of President Bush announcing Clinton has been hospitalized.
(Hat tip: Powerline)
Update II: Bush/Cheney Lead Kerry/Edwards 54 to 43 Percent
Update III: From the Washington Post (registration req.), the text and video (portion) of John Kerry’s “speech.” Warning: It’s kind of stupid.
Update IV (9/5): About the audio of President Bush announcing Clinton’s rush to the hospital, the Associated Press got it wrong: there were no boos from the audience (Can you imagine such a thing?). Even Kerry supporters agree. From Talking Points Memo:
I take this as a final, definitive word on the back and forth about whether there was booing at the Bush rally.This comes from a reporter on the scene whose judgment and honesty I completely trust…
They didn’t boo. More accurately, the overwhelming number of people didn’t boo (I heard maybe one or two, and even those died with “hospitalized.”) AP got it wrong.When Bush said “En route here we just received news that President Clinton has been hospitalized in New York,” there was a big intake of breath and some loud “oohs” in the crowd. It was unmistakably shock. No boos.
Bush then followed up, and the official transcript has it right: “He is in our thoughts and prayers. We send him our best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery. (Applause.)”
End of story. I give Bush and the crowd their due.
