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GORE, BUSH FIGHT HARD FOR VOTES

GORE, BUSH FIGHT HARD FOR VOTES WASHINGTON, NOV 5 (KUNA) -- VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE AND TEXAS GOVERNOR GEORGE W. BUSH WORKED HARD TO SHORE UP THEIR SUPPORT IN KEY STATES AS TIGHT NATIONAL OPINION POLLS CONTINUED TO MAKE TUESDAY'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT.
FIVE NEW MAJOR NATIONAL POLLS GAVE BUSH A SMALL LEAD OVER GORE ON SUNDAY.
AN ABC NEWS POLLS GAVE BUSH A 48-45 PERCENT LEAD OVER GORE. A CNN-USA TODAY-GALLUP POLL GAVE BUSH A 47-43 LEAD. AN MSNBC-REUTERS-ZOGBY POLL HAD BUSH AHEAD BY 46-44. A CBS NEWS POLL PUT BUSH AHEAD BY 46-44.
ON THE STATE LEVEL, BUSH WAS FAR AHEAD OF GORE BY 57-27 PERCENT IN TEXAS. IN OHIO, BUSH HAD A STRONG LEAD BY 51-41. IN WISCONSIN HE LED GORE BY 46-45 PERCENT. IN MISSOURI, BUSH LED BY 47-45 AND IN GORE'S HOME STATE OF TENNESSEE, BOTH CANDIDATES HAD 46 PERCENT.
GORE, HOWEVER, WAS AHEAD IN OTHER STATE POLLS. IN MINNESOTA HE LED BUSH BY 47-37 PERCENT. IN ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN HE WAS AHEAD OF BUSH BY 49-40 PERCENT. IN WASHINGTON STATE HE LED BUSH BY 46-43 PERCENT. IN PENNSYLVANIA HE WAS AHEAD OF BUSH BY 45-43 PERCENT.
THE MOST SURPRISING RESULT WAS THAT GORE LED BUSH BY 46-45 PERCENT IN FLORIDA, WHERE THE TEXAS GOVERNOR'S BROTHER, JEB, IS GOVERNOR. ALTHOUGH GORE'S LEAD IN THIS STATE WAS STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT, IT WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO BUSH TO CAUSE HIM TO SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY IN FLORIDA ON SUNDAY, CAMPAIGNING HARD.
GORE, BY CONTRAST, SPENT SUNDAY IN PENNSYLVANIA, MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN AND IOWA. HIS MAJOR RALLIES OF THE DAY IN PHILADELPHIA AND DETROIT WERE AIMED AT ENCOURAGING BLACKS AND UNION MEMBERS TO TURN OUT ON TUESDAY TO VOTE FOR HIM.
AS GORE VISITED BLACK CHURCHES ON SUNDAY, HE WAS PRAISED BY CONGREGATIONS FOR HIS PUBLIC APPEAL TO GOD LATE ON SATURDAY NIGHT FOR HIS INTERVENTION TO SAVE THE LIFE OF A MAN STRICKEN BY A HEART ATTACK AT A RALLY FOR 7,000 UNION MEMBERS IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. (MORE) DM.RK KUNA 052251 Nov 00NNNN