Sen. Kerry's failure to get a sizable bounce out the Democratic convention continued to generate commentary yesterday, with both camps offering explanations with the minimal movement in poll numbers. NBC Nightly News reported President Bush's strength on the terrorism issue "may be one reason" John Kerry "has not received that much-talked about post convention bounce. In several polls taken since last week Kerry has eked out only a modest gain or actually lost ground to the President. What happened? Ask Democratic pollster Anna Greenburg." Greenburg: "If you look at where people are right now, about 90% of people know who they're going to vote for." Republicans, adds NBC, "have their own explanations. They say the convention was marred by a series of distractions: Kerry's NASA space suit; Teresa Heinz Kerry's comment for a reporter to 'shove it'; and Al Sharpton's partisan rhetoric."
Kerry Also Gets Little Bounce In ARG Poll.
An American Research Group poll of 776 registered voters in the continental United States taken 7/30-8/1 has Kerry-Edwards leading Bush-Cheney 49% to 45%, with Nader-Camejo at 2% and 4% undecided. A similar poll from a month before had Kerry leading bush 47% to 44%, with Nader at 3% and 6% undecided.
Swift Boat Vets Dispute Kerry's War Claims.
While Kerry has relied on his Vietnam experience to show he is prepared to be commander in chief, fellow swift boat comrades are beginning a campaign to oppose his candidacy. A TV advertising campaign is expected soon, and the group is undertaking an "earned media" campaign with members appearing for interviews on radio and elsewhere. USA Today reports this morning that a new book titled "Unfit for Command," will be coming out soon. The group, which claims over 250 of those who served on the swift boats, has established a web site which includes testimonials from Kerry associates questioning his war accounts. The Salina Journal reports the group claims "that of the 23 fellow sailors photographed with Kerry in a group portrait during the war, only one supports his candidacy today." Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, told the US News Bulletin yesterday that Kerry "has pushed this Vietnam experience to the point where he had better hope his story holds up – the whole story about Vietnam, the ribbons and the medals and so forth. If it doesn't, having set the whole Democratic convention around it, a break in the story is going to hurt him."
