LEMMINGS:

Capture boosts Bush in Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll (John Harwood and Jacob M. Schlesinger, 12/16/03, The Wall Street Journal)

[T]he Wall Street Journal/NBC poll showed no evidence that Democratic voters view Dean's background and positions as a liability, even after Saddam's capture. In the surveys taken both before and after the dramatic arrest, Dean was favored for the 2004 nomination by at least 25 percent of Democrats. That was more than double the number that favored either retired Gen. Clark or Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri, his two closest competitors.

In each survey, Dean ran slightly closer to Bush than did Clark. Following the Iraqi dictator's capture, Bush led Dean by 52 percent to 31 percent, compared with his 53-percent-to-28-percent lead over Clark. Matched against a generic Democratic opponent, the president held a less imposing 44-percent-to-33-percent lead among those surveyed Sunday.

The most remarkable aspect of Mr. Dean's strength continues to be his weakness. At a comparable time in 1999 George W. Bush was favored by half his party and polled well against Al Gore--that enabled him to survive the McCain challenge and upset a sitting VP in a time of peace and prosperity. Mr. Dean is supported by only a quarter of his party for the nomination and gets slaughtered in a match-up with the President.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 17, 2003 10:17 AM