Comparing the Post-Convention Polls

While the margins between the two presidential candidates have fluctuated in polls taken since the Republican National Convention, President Bush’s numbers have proved somewhat stable. With one exception, support for Bush has ranged only from 39% to 42%, better than his figures in most pre-convention surveys but still below those for Democrat Bill Clinton. The data suggest that so far, the President has been unable to convert doubts he may have created among voters about Clinton into support for himself:

L.A. Times / Aug. 20-21 Clinton: 49% Bush: 41% *

Washington Post / Aug. 20-21 Clinton: 49% Bush: 40% *

USA Today / CNN / Aug. 22-23 Clinton: 52% Bush: 42% *

ABC / Aug. 21-23 Clinton: 47% Bush: 42% *

CBS / N.Y. Times / Aug. 23-24 Clinton: 55% Bush: 39% *

Washington Post / Aug. 21-25 Clinton: 51% Bush: 41% *

Time / CNN / Aug. 25-27 Clinton: 50% Bush: 42% *

Newsweek / Gallup / Aug. 27-28 Clinton: 49% Bush: 39% *

ABC / Wash. Post / Aug. 26-30 Clinton: 55% Bush: 36% *

AVERAGE Clinton: 51% Bush: 40% Figures do not add up to 100% because some respondents chose other candidates or had not decided. Source: National polls of registered voters