Mmm, The Smell Of Fresh Polls

Much the media's amazement, this race isn't over yet.

Oct. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry improved his standing with voters on qualities such as leadership and his ability to handle Iraq and terrorism in his first debate with President George W. Bush, polls by the Los Angeles Times and Newsweek magazine found.

Both surveys showed Kerry pulled even with Bush when potential voters were asked who they would choose if the election were held now. Kerry, a four-term Massachusetts senator, trailed the president by 6 to 8 percentage points in five national polls conducted before the Sept. 30 debate.

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Overall, 49 percent of the 725 registered voters who watched the debate said in the Los Angeles Times poll that they would cast ballots for Kerry, and 47 percent would choose Bush. In the Newsweek poll, 47 percent of 1,013 registered voters said they would pick Kerry if the election were held now and 45 percent said Bush.