Bush continues to surge in polls

In the first major poll released representing the post-convention state of the race, Bush holds at 52% and shows improvment on key issues to the election. ABC reports:

According to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, registered voters by a 27-point margin now say Bush has taken a clearer stand than Kerry on the issues, by 27 points call Bush the stronger leader and by 19 points say he would make the country safer. Bush also has a 22-point advantage in trust to handle terrorism, a 16-point lead on Iraq and perhaps a slight edge even on the lukewarm economy.

The ABC/Washington Post poll also reaffirms that Bush has broken away from Kerry and the race is no longer a dead heat:

Moving these underlying views has enabled Bush to break out of the virtual dead heat that's defined the contest: Among likely voters in this ABC News/Washington Post survey, Bush has 52 percent support, Kerry 43 percent, Ralph Nader 2 percent. It's Bush's first lead beyond the margin of sampling error in any ABC/Post poll since Kerry seized his party's nomination in March.

With the renewed media attention on Iraq and Bush's National Guard record, it is probably safe to say that these number will narrow over the coming weeks. But if Bush can hold even a slight advantage going into the first debate scheduled for September 30th, he will be in just the right posture to hold his lead over Kerry going through October.

September just might prove to be another great month for the president.