Tracking poll: No change in Bush, Gore race

By Keating Holland/CNN

The presidential race has remained tight among the front-runners since Labor Day, with today's CNN/USA Today/Gallup tracking poll showing Vice President Al Gore with a statistically insignificant 47%-44% lead over his Republican rival, Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

Today's results match precisely the two candidates' strength in the first tracking poll taken as the fall campaign began on Labor Day.

This race is still neck-and-neck, with neither candidate having momentum.

A gender gap still exists, but it is not as wide as it was a week ago. Gore has lost 5 points among women -- and Bush has lost an identical 5 points among men.

CNN will be releasing the results on its tracking polls everyday until the November 7 elections. The polls monitor public opinion of the presidential race over intervals of two to three days.

The poll was conducted September 7-9 and consisted of interviews with 675 likely voters. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percent.

CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL

September 7-9

Likely Voters' Choice for President

Suppose that the presidential election were being held today, and it included Al Gore and Joe Lieberman as the Democratic candidates, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney as the Republican candidates, Pat Buchanan and Ezola Foster as the Reform Party candidates, and Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke as the Green Party candidates. Would you vote for?

Gore      47%
Bush      44
Nader      2
Buchanan   1

Sampling error: +/-4% pts

CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
September 7-9
Likely Voters'
Choice for President

           Men  Women

Gore       43%    52%
Bush       50     37

Sampling error: +/-6% pts.


CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL
September 7-9
Likely Voters'
Choice for President

           Sept.   Sept.
           4-6     7-9

MEN
Bush       55%     50%
Gore       37      43

WOMEN
Bush       33%     37%
Gore       57      52

Sampling error: +/-6% pts


Complete tracking trend of horse race:

         Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept.
         4-6   5-7   6-8   7-9
Gore      47%  46%   45%   47%
Bush      44%  43%   46%   44
Nader      3    3     2     2
Buchanan   *    1     1     1