A CBS News poll released 19 August 2004 shows that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has lost significant support among military veterans since the Democratic National Convention in Boston the previous month. Immediately after the convention, Kerry and President George W. Bush were level among veterans at 46 percent each. By mid-August, Bush had opened a wide 55-to-37 percent advantage with that group.
Analysts attribute the shift in part to television advertisements challenging Kerry's account of his Vietnam War service, which he had highlighted prominently during the convention.
Among registered voters broadly, the race remained extremely close, with Kerry holding a narrow 46-to-45 percent edge, compared with a 48-to-43 percent lead he held right after the convention.
The poll also found that voters see both candidates spending nearly as much time criticizing each other as outlining policy. Bush's job approval edged up two points to 46 percent, and his rating on Iraq rose to 40 percent from 38 percent in July.
The survey was conducted 15-18 August among 1,009 Americans, including 835 registered voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in August 2004, in its own words.