Poll: Kerry Has Double-Digit Lead in N.Y.

Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) has a hefty double-digit lead over President Bush (news - web sites) among New York state voters, according to a statewide poll released Wednesday.



The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute found Bush's approval rating had slipped to 40 percent in New York, the lowest point yet for the Republican incumbent. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Bush's approval rating in New York had soared above 80 percent.


In the latest poll from the Hamden, Conn.-based institute, Kerry was favored by 53 percent of New York voters to 36 percent for Bush in a head-to-head matchup. In a November poll from Quinnipiac, conducted before the presidential primary began, Kerry led Bush, 50 percent to 42 percent.


With independent Ralph Nader (news - web sites) in the mix, the new poll found Kerry at 49 percent, Bush at 35 percent and Nader at 6 percent.


While the state is heavily Democratic — 5 million Democrats to 3 million Republicans — three-term Republican Gov. George Pataki has been bragging that Bush would become the first GOP presidential candidate to carry New York since Ronald Reagan (news - web sites) did it twice, in 1980 and 1984.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&e=3&u=/ap/20040415/ap_on_el_pr/presidential_poll

Might be why. Erie County is Republican friendly.

180

...and Gore carried this state in 2000. I hope it's just an outlier but it worries me. Especially since I live in a heavily repuke part of NJ (Morris County).