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Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2003 3:30 p.m. EST
Florida Poll: Bush Tops Dems by 20-Point Margin
NewsMax.com's Fr. Mike Reilly checks the latest polling on President Bush in Florida, and weighs in with some surprising results.
Don't look for a rerun of Florida's 2000 presidential election fiasco come November 2004, at least not if the latest survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research is any indication.
President Bush now holds a 20-point lead in the state over his nearest Democratic Party rival, the Mason-Dixon poll finds, with 54 percent of Floridians backing his handling of the Iraq war and 52 percent saying he's done a good job with the economy.
"It's not a very pretty picture for Democrats," M-D pollster Brad Coker told the Orlando Sentinel, which commissioned the poll earlier this week.
Among the top-tier candidates, the Democrat who comes closest to Bush is Sen. Joe Lieberman. But he trails 56 percent to 36 percent in the M-D poll. Democratic front-runner Howard Dean does slightly worse with Floridians, trailing Bush by 23 points, 59 percent to 36 percent.
Bringing up the rear is Gen. Wesley Clark, who gets just 33 percent to Bush's 56 percent.
Noting the turnaround from 2000, GOP political consultant Ed Goeas told the Sentinel, "The cards are very much in the president's favor."
Still, some say it's too early to predict a landslide for Bush in the Sunshine State.
"Once the Democrats have a nominee, you'll see the race tighten pretty quickly," said Lance deHaven-Smith, a professor of public administration at Florida State University.
Editor's note: