Bush And Kerry In Dead Heat: ABC/Post Poll

WASHINGTON, Aug 30 (AFP) - President George W. Bush and Democratic challenger Senator John Kerry are in a dead heat two months ahead of the November 2 presidential election, but the incumbent has gained ground recently, according to polls released Monday.
Forty-eight percent of the likely voters questioned in an ABC News/Washington Post survey said they would vote for Bush while 48 percent said they would opt for Kerry. One percent preferred independent candidate Ralph Nader.
Kerry was ahead of Bush by 49 percent to 47 percent in a similar poll conducted by ABC and the Post a month ago. The latest ABC News/Washington Post survey, of 1,207 people, was conducted August 26-29 and has a margin of error of 3.5 points for likely voters.
"Bush has erased most of John Kerry`s gains on issues and attributes alike, retaking a sizeable lead in trust to handle terrorism, moving ahead on Iraq and battling the Democratic presidential nominee to parity on the economy," ABC News said.
Bush has also gained ground against Kerry in several key battleground states, according to another poll released Monday.
Among likely voters, Bush holds a 48 to 45 percent lead over Kerry in Wisconsin, won by Democratic candidate Al Gore in 2000, according to the USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll.
In Pennsylvania, a northeastern state rich in voters and considered crucial for a Kerry victory in November, the two candidates are tied at 47 percent. Gore won Pennsylvania in 2000 by five percentage points.
Nationally, Bush has a 48 to 46 percent edge over Kerry among likely voters, the poll found.
Kerry leads Bush by six percentage points among likely and registered voters in the midwestern state of Iowa, which Gore narrowly won in 2000. The state has seven electoral votes.
The poll was conducted among hundreds of likely and registered voters in the three states between August 23-26. The margin of error varies between four and five percentage points.
According to another poll released Monday, Bush has gained momentum in the key southern state of Florida and appears to have a slight lead over Kerry.
Bush garnered support from 48 percent of the voters surveyed, compared with 46 percent for Kerry, according to the poll published by the Miami Herald newspaper.
A similar survey in Florida in March had Kerry holding a five-percentage-point advantage.
The survey was conducted by The Polling Company, a Republican firm, and Democrats Schroth and Associates. A total of 800 registered voters were interviewed in Florida between August 22 and 25.