Bush takes 11-point lead over Kerry in latest poll

9.00am

US President George W. Bush, winning strong support for his handling of the war on terrorism, has taken a double-digit lead over Democratic challenger John Kerry, according to a Time poll released today.

The survey of 926 likely voters, conducted from Tuesday to Thursday during this week's Republican National Convention, found 52 per cent supported Bush, 41 per cent backed Kerry and 3 per cent would vote for independent candidate Ralph Nader.

Bush's 11-point lead is the first time either of the two main contenders have had a significant advantage in polls, which for months have shown them running neck-and-neck.

The Time magazine poll had a 4 per cent margin of error for likely voters.

An NBC News/Wall Street poll eight days ago showed Bush leading Kerry by 47 per cent to 45 per cent.

In the new poll, 57 per cent of those surveyed said they trusted Bush to handle the war on terrorism, while 36 per cent trusted Kerry, and 59 per cent said they approved of how the president was handling the war, while 38 per cent disapproved.

Bush also fared better on the question of leadership, with 56 per cent saying they trusted Bush to provide strong leadership in difficult times, while Kerry received only 37 per cent backing.

On the economy, tied with the war on terrorism as the most important issue ahead of the Nov. 2 election among registered voters, Bush narrowly came out on top.

Forty-seven per cent of respondents trusted Bush more to handle the economy, while 45 per cent favored Kerry.

- REUTERS