Bush loses ground from solid footing on Iraq, terrorism: poll

WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush saw his solid footing on Iraq and the war on terrorism erode just a day ahead of the November 2 election, as a stunning new poll out Monday showed his support in those areas had plummeted.
The issues had long been terra firma for Bush, as he traditionally had enjoyed a hefty lead over Kerry on both terrorism and the war in Iraq in most polls.
But a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll showed him with just an 11-point lead over Kerry's 43 percent backing on terrorism among likely voters, narrowing the gap from a 22-point lead in an October 22-24 poll.
On the situation in Iraq, Bush's backing slid to 51 percent against Kerry's 47 percent among likely voters, leaving him with a slim four-point lead, down from a 14-point advantage in the October 22-24 survey.
The October 29-31 poll of 1,573 likely voters has a three-percentage-point margin of error.

11/01/2004 15:56 GMT - AFP