I was thinking "dumb as a" rather than "strong as a"
Survey Findings Paint Mixed and Contrasting Pictures of Bush and Kerry
By Dana Milbank
Sunday, April 11, 2004; Page A04
President Bush has been vacationing on his old cattle ranch in Texas this week, so it is only fitting that Americans are describing him as part ox, part mule.
That image of Bush -- a combination of strength and stubbornness -- was the finding of a new poll testing the personal attributes of Bush and Democratic challenger John F. Kerry, done by the University of Pennsylvania's National Annenberg Election Survey. Bush's largest advantage over Kerry was on the attribute "will make tough decisions despite political pressure." He also outdid his Democratic rival on such traits as "strong leader," "steady," "easy to like as a person" and "has a clear vision of where he wants to lead the country." [P6: But do you really want to go there?]
And Bush was less likely to be seen as somebody who "says one thing, does another," or who "changes his mind for political reasons."
On the other hand, Bush was much more likely than Kerry to be viewed as stubborn. Using a 10-point scale, respondents gave Bush a 6.70 for stubbornness, the highest rating for either man on any attribute; Kerry got 5.02. Bush also led in such undesirable traits as "reckless" and "arrogant," while Kerry was seen as more "knowledgeable."
