Of course the 22nd Amendment prevents Clinton from seeking a third term. But the result does mark quite a change from January: Then Bush led in the hypothetical matchup by 51-42 percent. Now it’s a slight Clinton edge, 45-40 percent.

Prefer Clinton or Bush?
	Clinton	Bush
10/1/00	45%	40%
1/26/00	42%	51%

     “Comeback” could be overstating it, since there’s been more of a drop in Bush’s support (down 11 points) than a gain in Clinton’s (up three). (More people say they wouldn’t vote for either one.) Also, the 45-40 percent number is among the general public. Among registered voters it’s 44-41 percent. (This poll didn’t try to isolate likely voters.)
     Bush, of course, has more serious concerns. In January he led his real opponent, Al Gore, by a sizable margin; now it’s a dead heat in the latest ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll.

Groups
Clinton is supported by some of the same groups that backed him in 1996. Men divide evenly, while women favor the president by a 10-point margin. Clinton also does better with younger Americans and, naturally, with Democrats.

How Groups Rate Clinton, Bush
	Clinton	Bush
Men	42%	42%
Women	47%	37%
Age:
18-34	50%	35%
65+	34%	48%
Democrats	80%	9%
Independents	36%	40%
Republicans	6%	87%

Methodology
This ABCNEWS.com survey was conducted by telephone Sept. 27-Oct. 1, 2000, among a random national sample of 1,008 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Fieldwork by ICR-International Communications Research of Media, Pa.