Poll rates Bush high on leadership, Kerry on economy

WASHINGTON — President Bush retains an advantage with voters on such qualities as decisiveness and strength of leadership despite the Democrats' effort to promote John Kerry as a strong leader, a poll this week finds.

Kerry is seen as better on issues ranging from the economy to health care to education.

Bush has a 10-point, 49-39 percent advantage over the Massachusetts senator on the issue of handling terrorism. They were even on handling Iraq, and Kerry was favored by slightly more on the handling of foreign policy, according to a poll released Thursday by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

Bush campaign aides pointed to the poll's increase in perceptions of Kerry as someone who changes his mind when compared with the president.

"The Kerry campaign spent $80 million to $100 million on advertising and then held the convention in July, all to showcase John Kerry as a strong leader," said Bush campaign strategist Matthew Dowd. "When the polls showed very little movement, they said the goal was to change the public perception of his attributes."

When asked which candidate is more likely to change his mind, 47 percent said Kerry and 28 percent said Bush. In May, 42 percent said Kerry is more likely to change his mind.

Kerry campaign pollster Mark Mellman said many polls have come out since the Democratic National Convention last month and generally have shown Kerry strengthening his position with the public.

"All the evidence says that Kerry has more than passed the threshold test on national security and on leadership," Mellman said.

He pointed to an ABC-Washington Post poll after the convention that found more people thought Kerry better qualified to be commander in chief, 52 percent, compared with the number who said that about Bush, 44 percent.

The poll found Americans continue to have doubts about the president's handling of the economy and feel jobs are scarce.

Two-thirds of Americans rate the economy as "only fair" or "poor" and 55 percent said they think jobs are difficult to find in their home area.

Just four in 10— 42 percent — approve of Bush's handling of the economy, while 52 percent disapprove.

The race between Kerry and running mate John Edwards and the president and Vice President Dick Cheney remains tight in the Pew Research poll. The Democratic ticket was backed by 47 percent, the Republican team of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney by 45 percent and the independent Ralph Nader-Peter Camejo ticket by 2 percent.

The poll of 1,512 adults was taken Aug. 5-10 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.