Time poll

Bush 48, Kerry 46 among LVs. And then there is this:

Bush's job approval has continued to slip since the first debate and now stands at 49% approve - 49% disapprove. This marks second week in a row that Bush has dipped under 50% approval rating in the TIME magazine poll.

In the debates, Kerry bested Bush on:


Took positions closer to your own: Kerry 54% - Bush 39%

Understands the issues: Kerry 49% - Bush 40%

Seemed more presidential: Kerry 49% - Bush 44%

Being more believable: Kerry 48% - Bush 44%.
The candidates tied on which was more likeable: Kerry 47% - Bush 45%. Kerry now rates 48% favorable - 37% unfavorable while Bush is 49%-40%.

The economy is the most important issue for more than 1 in 4 registered voters, 26%. Kerry has opened a 6 point lead over Bush, 49% - 43%, on handling of the economy: Just before the first debate, the candidates were even, 44% for each.

The second most important issue is terrorism, which has slipped a bit from as high as 23% during the Republican convention to 22% now. Iraq has been steady at 20%, about the same since July.

On domestic issues, Kerry has widened his lead over Bush since mid-September.


Health care: Kerry has widened his lead to 13 points, 51% - 38%. Before the debates, Kerry had an 8 point edge.

Understanding people's needs: Kerry is up by 7 points, 49% - 42%. Before the debates, he was up by just 4 points.