WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (AFP) - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and President George W. Bush are neck-and-neck in their race for the White House, but Kerry is seen as a bit more likeable according to a new poll out Friday just ahead of the second presidential debate.
The two candidates were tied at 45 percent, according to the Time magazine survey taken October 6-7. Independent Ralph Nader was down to three percent it found.
The Republican president led the Massachusetts senator by a wide margin, 81 percent - 42 percent on "sticking to his positions."
Prior to their first presidential debate last week, Bush led Kerry by six points among likely voters in a Time poll.
Kerry's strong showing lent his candidacy a significant boost as 30 percent of voters said that they were more likely to vote for Kerry because of the debate. That compared to 14 percent who said they were more likely to vote for Bush due to the debate.
The survey found Kerry's "bounce" came from a surge of support from female voters. They now back Kerry over Bush by 12 points, 50-38 percent, the survey showed.