CNN poll: Bush maintains solid lead over Gore

By CNN Polling Director Keating Holland

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sunday's CNN/USA Today/Gallup tracking poll results were virtually unchanged from the previous day, with GOP presidential candidate Gov. George W. Bush holding a solid 8-percentage-point lead over Democratic Vice President Al Gore.

Support for rival Ralph Nader of the Green Party remained at 4 percent, and support for Reform Party candidate Patrick Buchanan also stayed at 1 percent.

Since Bush's lead has extended beyond the poll's margin of error, it is safe to say that Bush now leads the race.

The sampling error for Sunday's poll has dropped to 3.5 percentage points because the Gallup polling organization has completed many more interviews over the last three days than it has in previous tracking poll periods.

A week ago the race was dead even -- so close that the two candidates had identical favorable and unfavorable ratings.

Since then, the number of likely voters with a favorable view of Gore has dropped by 6 percentage points, to 53 percent, while Bush's is now at 61 percent.

That is additional evidence that GOP accusations that Gore is untrustworthy are beginning to stick.

Favorable ratings for both candidates are nearly the reverse of what they were in mid-September, when Gore was slightly ahead of Bush.

The poll results were distilled from interviews with 769 likely voters from October 5 through 7.

CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL

October 5-7

Likely voters' choice for president

COMPLETE TRACKING TREND ON HORSE RACE