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Bush Poll Numbers
Atrios and Daily Kos mention this poll out, which I've some comments upon. Now, 54% approve of the job Bush is doing as president-- the lowest job approval rating he has received since before September 11 2001. Less than half approve of his handling of foreign policy, the first time that has happened since 9/11. NYT's/CBS Poll. The bounce? Just another blip on the long road down for Bush. FOX News doesn't have an article for their latest Opinion Dynamics Poll (2/11-12/03) numbers, which shows Bush with 57% approval, and 32% disapproval. The latter, disapproval number, is now at the highest ever during Bush's term. The NYT's/CBS disapproval rating is at 38%, which, likewise, is at it's highest ever for Bush. More people dissapprove of Bush right now then ever in his term. One might think that a 15% differential is quite a lot for Bush, but it misses the mark here. There's a built in "war-time" bounce that the approval polls on Bush are not exposing. A look at the approval/disapproval numbers for handling of the economy (38/53), or foreign policy (47/44), shows the trouble for Bush; and, for the kicker, more Democratic candidates are getting into the contest, here's why:
Bush's numbers have been on a downward slide since 9/11. For sure, he still has a seemingly rocksolid 90% support of Republicans. But what that means, given the mid 50's approval, is that not only are 80-90% of the Democrats not approving, but that Bush is losing amongst Independents by a wide margin-- and this is reflected by the anemic 35% "right track" number. Bush's approval numbers, with that sort of ~90% support among Republicans, are not likely to go much lower. However, neither will Bush win in 2004 with such a lopsided loss amongst the Independents. What could break the hypnotic hold on Republicans by the borrow and spend Bush? Perhaps nothing. Maybe though, this figure from the poll sheds light on the question: Concerns about the economic costs of war extend to the economic costs of rebuilding Iraq once the war is over.... Americans are not inclined to carry the economic load in post-war Iraq. 56% say the U.S. should not pay the cost. yet:
It's probably going to add ~100B to the already record-high #300B deficit produced this year by Bush. Buyers remorse, especially amongst the fiscal hawks and libertarian Republicans, seems more than a possibility. Afterall, this is nothing less than a US military occupation, with plans for a US military base within "Iraq". Jerome Armstrong on Feb 14 @ 12:04 AM
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So Bush is at 54%. Even Jerry Ford could do better than that...'Seems if Bush won such a "HUGE, HUGE, HUGE" '02 election victory, and declared war on Iraq, his polls would skyrocket. It isn't happening. 54% is not 84%--Bush can say bye-bye to the stratosphere. Postscript: Bush's true love affair with fellow Repubs. puts him at 90% among Republicans. No surprise there, but watch for more Republicans to challenge Bush's $307 billion deficit, the highest in all history and only two years after a surplus.Republicans are at least supposed to be concerned about fiscal responsibility. Whether the Bush deficit will affect his standing among Republicans is yet to be seen. After all, he's the only president they've got--'better support him. Posted by: Father of Six on February 14, 2003 01:29 AMI also wonder when Republican voters are going to wake up. He is the most fiscally irresponsible President this country has known. And he has one of the worst records on the economy. I have to feel that one day the 90% figure will come down. Posted by: Ced on February 14, 2003 06:48 AMDespite these declining poll numbers, the media consistently refers to Bush as "popular." Throughout the last three years of his term, Clinton was rarely described as "popular" and when he was it was qualified, such as "popular but embattled," yet his poll ratings were consistently in the mid-60s. Here Bush has remained in the mid- to upper-50s for months, yet is still consistently referred to as "popular." Liberal media bias my ass. Posted by: pied piper on February 14, 2003 07:12 AMThe tide against Bush has finally started to turn. He will keep shooting himself in the foot and mouth by his policies and deeds. By next year there will be a tsunami. Then the press will have no choice except to pile on. That is their way. Just think where his approval numbers would be today, but for 9/11. Posted by: citizen53 on February 14, 2003 10:06 AMRepublicans are shell shocked that Bush could be so inept on the economy. He's their guy, but he's blown a surplus, caved on every domestic special interest, and shows no signs of learning from his mistakes. What do you do when your leader is clueless? You strongly back him and pray he doesn't destroy the economy or trigger a global catastrophe. That's where that solid 90% is coming from. Support for his economic "fiascal" packages in Congress will unravel as serious, thoughtful Republcans conclude Bush is the head lemming on the last march to the sea. They like to have a Republican President, but most of them did pretty damn well under Clinton and "Rubinomics", and most of them have children and grandchildren to think about. The Bush legacy is not family friendly. Posted by: Dave Roberts on February 14, 2003 11:14 AMBush will be at 30% by January 2004 The economy will not get any better till we get a Democratic President to bring back fiscal dicipline. Dean 2004!!!!!!!!!!!! Posted by: Real Michaud on February 14, 2003 11:25 AMThe action at the UN today was a victory (if only temporary) for peace and a major bitch slap to this administration. The poll numbers will continue to head south as the imprudence of, and lack of justification for, this war becomes increasingly apparent to the american people. Posted by: Professor on February 14, 2003 12:07 PMIt doesn't matter that people are finally recognizing how bad the economy is. Bush will successfully blame If you don't believe #1, I hear it all the time from Republicans. "Clinton is to blame. Clinton let the CEO's run wild. Clinton caused 9-11. Bush is trying to repair the damage from Clinton." If Bush doesn't declare war tommorow he is toast Posted by: explosiveliberal on February 14, 2003 05:28 PMHey, I figured out what the terror alerts mean: Talk about leadership? The bloodless coup brought about by criminal activity at the highest level has left us with a truly mentally deficient (for the challenge) and unconscionable dictator. We are a step away from martial law and two steps away from a fascist military takeover. The press is controlled as though by Goebbels and Himler. The management model for the country is purely Hitlerian. The Constitution is in shreds with secret police activity rampant in the background. The will of the people means nothing. Amid this, fundamentalist groups are on the air twenty-four hours a day giving tax free status to fascist propaganda. God is owned by the Republicans. This "God" uses lies and hatred for his most effective tool. France bashing is being ineptly done by a sophomoric and uncouth Bush who likely does not know that, were it not for the contributions by France during our revolutionary period, Tony Blair would be our leader. The idea that a president can be successful without brains or integrity is getting its theoretical value tested. No sense to look forward to hell. It is here and now! Posted by: on February 21, 2003 04:52 AMThe 9/11 terrorist attacks were tragic and I mourn the loss of over 3000 American lives, but the shameless exploitation of the tragedy by an illegitimate president is call "Operation Establish Legitimacy". The phony war in Iraq to distract us from the dismal economy is called "Operation Increase Poll Numbers". Now that the fake war is over I guess we've gone into "Operation Maintain Poll Numbers" at least until after the 2004 Presidential Election. Posted by: Ashamed To Be From The Same Country As President Bush on May 8, 2003 10:48 PMThis country has a lot of crazy people in it like the ones that think Bush is not doing a good job He is a christian and acts like one. We are not ashame to call him our President. What if all he did is like Clinton did and said he does not know what sex is. Posted by: N.P. Blue on July 9, 2003 04:20 PMThis country has a lot of crazy people in it like the ones that think Bush is not doing a good job He is a christian and acts like one. We are not ashame to call him our President. What if all he did is like Clinton did and said he does not know what sex is. Posted by: N.P. Blue on July 9, 2003 04:20 PMThe tides are turning. Hopefully people will start to realize that the Bush Cabal of Wolfowitz, Perl, Rumsfeld, Cheney and company are effectively running the country, that their objectives are dubious at best and that they have mislead the country. Slowly but surely people are starting to wake up and are asking questions. Its just a matter of time before a big scandal will be revealed in the white house. Starting perhaps with the elections in Florida going alll the way to the Iraq war. I suggest people to read a book by Greg pallast called the best democracy money can buy. You will be shocked because its true and it scratches the surface. Posted by: Mr Smith on July 14, 2003 09:12 AMI would simply like to see impeachment procedures go forward, as I feel there is enough evidence to take this inept president, that was force fed on us, down. His lies have far outreached the simplistic lie of oral sex by Clinton, and Bush's lies have attacked another country, allowed Al-Qaeda to regroup, occupied another country under false pretenses, such as control of Iraq's oil, while his lies are costing American lives every single day. Oh, but the war is over....sure it is. Impeach Bush now, because he's sniffing around Liberia and there's oil in Africa too. Bush's lies have caused many American deaths and they are continuing each day. Bush is unfit for being a president and if one were honest with themselves, they would see it too. Get the tumor out, before it gets bigger..... Posted by: Sheena on July 14, 2003 10:37 PMAlthough Bush is a good man and he's trying to give his best it still doesn't change the fact that he has no ability to run the last superpower. His administration manipulates him and he can't even realize that. Two wars, thousands of people are dead and the economy is going down - very Christian. Clinton is the right man to lead humanity. Posted by: MSandt on August 13, 2003 02:06 PMPost a comment
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