Bush, Gore still neck and neck

Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore have split the lead in a pair
of new polls released over the weekend, though statistically both surveys
reveal what voters have seen for weeks… a statistical dead heat between
both major party candidates.

With the Nov. 7 elections just weeks away,

Portrait of America’s
Presidential Tracking Poll had Gore ahead by a single percentage point on Monday, 42.5 percent to 41.5 percent. POA analysts were quick to note, however, that the poll has a margin of error of 2 percent.

In the electoral vote race, POA said Bush leads Gore with 210 “solid” or “leaning Bush” votes, compared to the vice president’s 187 “solid” or “leaning Gore” votes. POA said 141 electoral votes are still up for grabs in states with no clear majority.

“Because the race is so close, the presidential debates may take on added importance this year,” analysts said.

In the third party races, Green Party nominee Ralph Nader has 3.7 percent; Reform nominee Patrick J. Buchanan has 1.6 percent; Libertarian Harry Browne has 0.6 percent; Constitutional Party nominee Howard Phillips has 0.2 percent; and Natural Law Party nominee John Hagelin has 0.1 percent. Just under 10 percent (9.7) said they were not sure.

Gore is viewed favorably by 47 percent of voters compared to Bush’s 45 percent favorability rating. Forty percent view Gore unfavorably, with 42 percent saying so for Bush.

Rasmussen Research conducted the telephone survey of 2,250 likely voters Sept. 27, 28 and 30. The firm said its poll has a 95 percent level of confidence.

Meanwhile, in the

Voter.com Battleground 2000 Poll, also released Monday, Bush leads Gore 42 percent to 40 percent. The two-point difference is well within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 points, “but Bush’s slight lead in the survey has remained quite stable over the past two weeks of daily tracking,” Voter.com analysts said.

The survey is based on a rolling sample of 1,000 likely voters and is part of a series of tracking polls released each weekday between now and the Nov. 7 election. The bipartisan poll was conducted by Democratic pollster Celinda Lake of Lake, Snell, Perry, & Associates and Republican pollster Ed Goeas of the Tarrance Group.

In the congressional races, Republicans and Democrats are neck and neck in their race to pick up seats, Voter.com said. “When survey respondents were asked if they will vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate in their district, 39 percent said they will support the Republican, and 39 percent said they will support the Democrat,” said the survey.

Throughout the weekend, both Bush and Gore were preparing for Tuesday night’s first televised presidential debates, though both relaxed and took some time off on Sunday.

In a bit of a mysterious development, officials with the Nader campaign said the long time consumer advocate was planning to show up in Boston Tuesday night for the first debate, though he wasn’t invited. Officials did not say what Nader had planned or if he would attempt to actually join the debates.

Both Nader and Buchanan have asked to be included in the debates, but debate commission rules proscribe that a national party candidate must poll 15 percent in a series of national surveys and have a “reasonable chance” to win in November before they can be included.

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