Welcome to the Business Journal Archives
Search for articles below, or continue to the all new BusinessJournalDaily.com now.
Search
Bush Gets Votes of Small Business Owners
"DALLAS -- Republican Presidential incumbent George W. Bush enjoys a commanding lead over Democratic candidate John Kerry prior to Tuesday's election, according to a poll released today by C I Host. Significantly, the U.S. survey found 49% of business owners plan to vote for Bush, while 45% named Kerry.Although Bush reportedly is in the lead, the poll did show evidence of the "swing vote" crossing beyond party affiliations as 58% of respondents said they were Republicans, and 41% consider themselves Democrats.When asked to rank deciding factors, 52 % of all business owners ranked health care No. 1. On health care, 61% of the business owners said they offered employees a health care plan 24 months ago, but only 42% offer a company- wide health plan today. The economy/jobs was the second most important issue, with 39%. Only 7% cited the war in Iraq.Of those who support Bush, a majority of respondents said they support the candidate for business savings based on tax cuts. Of those supporting Kerry, health care was listed as the No. 1 reason."This survey reflects a unified voice among the small businesses who are the backbone of the American economy," said Christopher Faulkner, chief executive officer of C I Host. "Their vote indicates they are prospering in the current climate, and the majority wish to continue the gradual recovery of the last 12 months. It will be interesting to see how these numbers compare with the general electorate."The majority of the businesses represented, 42%, range from six to 10 employees, Faulkner said.Of those "closely following the race," 79% stated that the Internet was their preferred source of campaign news. "It comes as no surprise that these businesses -- all with an Internet presence -- rely on the Web for their news," Faulkner said.Internationally -- perhaps no surprise -- 68% of non-American respondents said, hypothetically, they would vote for Kerry, while 32% would choose Bush. Some 64% said they are following the race closely, and 72% do not support the decision to wage war with Iraq. "Perhaps that supports the adage that you tend to hear from the naysayers," Faulkner said. "Complacency seems to be the biggest fear among both camps, as candidates stumped to get out the vote throughout the weekend."Repeating the trend of most political trackers, the study found that 93% of business owners are following the campaigns closely, and 94% said they will vote in this election. For 40% of the respondents, Bush best represents small business owners interests, while 31% said Kerry.C I Host is a provider of Web hosting and Internet products and services. Visit C I Host: www.cihost.com"