Sept. 20 —  Retired Gen. Wesley Clark may have only entered the presidential race on Thursday, but he is already the Democratic frontrunner, according to a new NEWSWEEK poll.

CLARK WON SUPPORT from 14 percent registered Democrats and democratic leaners, outpacing former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (12 percent), Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman (12 percent), Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (10 percent) and Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt (8 percent).
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Meanwhile, as Americans focus on the fiscal realities of creating a stable Iraq, President George W. Bush’s approval ratings continue to slide, the poll shows. The president’s approval rating now stands at 51 percent, down 1 point from last week’s poll and from 65 percent on May 1, when major hostilities in Iraq ended.
For the first time in a year, Bush’s approval for his handling of the situation in Iraq has dropped below 50 percent to 46 percent, a 5-point drop from last week. Fifty-six percent of Americans say they think the amount of money being spent in Iraq is too high. And 57 percent of Americans now disapprove of how Bush is handling the economy, an increase of 6 points from only one week ago.
The NEWSWEEK poll was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, which interviewed 1,001 adults by telephone on September 18 and 19. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Americans are divided on whether Clark’s military background gives him an edge in national defense and security issues—40 percent said it made them more confident in his abilities to handle these areas while 42 percent said it didn’t. And more than half—52 percent—said it didn’t matter to them that Clark had never held political office.
Despite Clark’s strong entrance, the Democrats remain less than enthusiastic about their choice in candidates. If former Vice President Al Gore or New York Sen. Hillary Clinton were to enter the 2004 presidential race—both have said they will not run—loyalties of Democrats would shift dramatically, with 33 percent saying their first choice for Democratic nominee would be Clinton, and 28 percent saying their first choice would be Gore.
Others in the race look especially weak. The Rev. Al Sharpton polls at 7 percent among registered Democrats and leaners, while North Carolina Sen. John Edwards received 6 percent, Florida Sen. Bob Graham 4 percent, and former Illinois Sen. Carol Mosely Braun and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich received only 2 percent each. Nineteen percent of Democrats and democratic leaners are still not sure who they will vote for in the upcoming primary.
When registered voters were asked who they would vote for if a general election if President George W. Bush was pitted against Clark, Kerry or Dean, none of the candidates were able to beat the incumbent, although Clark fared better than the others, polling at 43 percent to Bush’s 47 percent. Kerry was next, polling at 43 percent to Bush’s 48 percent. Dean fared worst, with Bush beating him by a full 14 points (52 percent to 38 percent).

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