Dean Out Front by 21 Points in N.H., Poll Finds
Howard Dean has grabbed a commanding 21-point lead over rival John F. Kerry in the latest New Hampshire poll in which voters said they prefer a take-no-prisoners Democrat even if that candidate seemed unlikely to defeat President Bush.
The likely Democratic primary voters acknowledge that Bush is a formidable foe: Almost two-thirds -- 64% -- said the president likely will win in 2004.
Dean, who trailed Kerry in polls earlier this year, led the Massachusetts senator, 38% to 17%, in the Zogby International poll conducted Aug. 23-26 and released Wednesday.
The rest of the Democratic field was in single digits. The poll of 501 likely primary voters has an error margin of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
Dean, ex-governor of Vermont, has argued that his Democratic rivals represent “Bush-lite,” and he has assailed lawmakers who have compromised with the president.
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