Ward’s newer residents push Kerry ahead of Bush

[Nicholas_J]

Thursday, September 02, 2004
Joe Hallett
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Ward 62
Ward’s newer residents push Kerry ahead of Bush
Chart: Ward 62 Poll Results
1,905 Ward 62 voters responded to poll
Map: Ward 62
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She’s already sick of the "mudslinging" attack ads, she doesn’t trust George W. Bush with the environment or women’s rights, and she isn’t sure John Kerry can be counted on to do what he says he’ll do.

No surprise, then, where Carol Branham finds herself these days.

"I’m very definitely sitting on the fence," said the 52-year-old homemaker.

In Columbus Ward 62, the fence is not crowded with Branham’s neighbors. A new Dispatch Poll of the pivotal ward shows voters are closing ranks behind Bush or Kerry, although interviews unearthed a common lament that the choice is between "the lesser of two evils."

In a head-to-head contest, the poll showed Kerry, the Democratic senator from Massachusetts, with a 6 percentage point lead over the Republican president, 53 percent to 47 percent, among the 1,905 respondents. If independent candidate Ralph Nader qualifies for the Ohio ballot, Kerry’s lead shrinks to 5 points, with Nader getting 3 percent of the vote.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/election/election-president.php?story=dispatch/2004/09/02/20040902-C1-03.html