Yesterday, in my “Polls, polls, and more polls” post, I quoted a Suffolk University survey of Dems in New Hampshire pegging John Kerry’s support at 19 percent, but I said that number was down from 20 percent in late-September. It turns out this was incorrect.
As I learned in a very nice email from a gentleman named Mark, a Kerry supporter in Iowa, Kerry’s support in the Granite State is at 19 percent, but that’s up from 17 percent in the last Suffolk poll, not down from 20. The Carpetbagger Report regrets the error.
In fact, Mark pointed out that the Suffolk poll had other good news for Kerry. In addition to closing the gap with Howard Dean, Kerry saw an increase in his personal/favorable rating, which rose from 58 percent in late-September to 66 percent in the poll released this week. Dean’s rating, over the same time period, dropped from 61 percent to 60 percent.
As recently as a month ago, it looked like Dean was going to run away with New Hampshire. With Kerry making strides and Wesley Clark beginning to have a significant impact in the state, it looks like the first primary may be a close race after all.