A Marist Poll released August 4th indicates that 55 percent disapprove of Bush’s handling of “the situation in Iraq,” 51 percent disapprove of his “handling of the economy” and 56 percent have a “favorable impression” of John Kerry, compared to 51 percent for George Bush.
In addition, the National Journal’s Polltrack analysis of the Marist data concluded “Maybe John Kerry (D) didn’t get the traditional “bounce” following last week’s Democratic National Convention, but a new survey shows the presidential hopeful did improve voters’ perceptions of him as a capable leader.
Among registered voters surveyed by Marist College Friday through Monday, Kerry upped his standing on his “vision for the future,” on being “respected by leaders throughout the world” and on whether he’s “ready to be president.”

A Fox news/Opinion Dynamics poll released August 5th found that “While not moving the race numbers much, the convention does appear to have improved Democratic nominee Senator John Kerry’s image with the public. At the same time, President George W. Bush’s job approval rating is at the lowest point of his presidency.”
Opinion Dynamics President John Gorman added “What we see post-convention is actually a strengthening of the polarization in the electorate. Kerry voters are now more confident in their man and more committed to him… The ability of the Bush campaign to paint Kerry with a negative brush has been diminished and so has the chance for any major electoral movement. Given the closeness of the race, this may diminish the value of trying to use television to persuade voters and enhance the value of traditional get-out-the-vote efforts. With roughly equal numbers of voters on each side, getting them to the polls becomes crucial.”