Fifty-two percent (52%) of Americans now believe that President Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney will be re-elected this November. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that just 38% expect the Democratic ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards to emerge victorious.

Those numbers reflect a big change from the last time we asked the question. Following the Democratic Convention, data released to Premium Members showed that 47% of voters expected Kerry to win while 43% took the opposite view. Those results were similar to a July survey (following the Edwards announcement) which found that, 46% of voters thought the Democrats would win. In mid-July, 45% thought the President would be re-elected.

However, the current numbers are very similar to the results in June. At that time, 53% expected a Republican victory while 35% expected the Democrats to be moving into the White House next January.

Ninety percent (90%) of Bush voters expect their man to win along with 75% of Kerry voters. Selected demographics are available for Premium Members.

This confirms the initial impression that Republicans had a successful convention in New York. Leading speakers at the convention, including Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Arnold Schwarzenegger are viewed very favorably by the public at large. Laura Bush is seen in a much more positive light than Theresa Heinz Kerry.

Tomorrow (Sunday), we will release favorability ratings for Senator Zell Miller, the Keynote Speaker who generated an enormous among of controversy among the chattering class.

Rasmussen Reports is an independent public opinion research firm that provides daily updates on the Presidential election and the nation's economic confidence. We also update our Electoral College projections on a regular basis.