NEW YORK, Oct 16 (AFP) - President George W. Bush and challenger John Kerry were in a dead heat 17 days before Election Day, according to a poll out Saturday, although Kerry won the three debates.
Bush, preferred by 48 percent of likely voters and Kerry by 46, were separated by less than the margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points, the Time poll said.
Bush lost the third debate Wednesday by nine points, the poll said.
Thirty percent of voters said the three debates had made them lean toward Kerry, while only 17 percent said so of Bush.
Registered voters said Kerry beat Bush overall in the debates, by 57-25 percent, in the poll taken October 14-15.
Respondents included 1,000 reported registered voters and 865 likely voters. The margin of error for registered voters was plus or minus three percentage points, while that of the likely voters was plus or minus four points.
The poll also showed that Kerry's views better expressed voters' positions 54-39 percent.
Kerry had a better understanding of the issues by 49-40 percent.
Kerry also seemed more presidential, 49-44, and was more believable, than Bush, by 48-44 percent, the poll found.
Bush still leads, but more narrowly, on terrorism and war issues.
He is ahead by 10 points in his role as commander in chief, by 51-41 percent.
Bush was also seen as a leader for difficult times, by 52 percent to 40 percent for Kerry.