AP: Poll: President's approval on the rise after Thanksgiving

[GRClarkesq]

12-02) 14:30 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

President Bush's standing with the public has improved since his surprise Thanksgiving trip to Iraq amid signs of a stronger economy and following congressional passage of a prescription drug benefit under Medicare.

Bush's job approval was at 61 percent in the National Annenberg Election Survey conducted the four days after the holiday, up from 56 percent during the four days before Thanksgiving. Disapproval of the president dropped from 41 percent to 36 percent, according to the poll released Tuesday.

Bush visited the troops in Baghdad on Thanksgiving -- a move that even won praise from political opponents.

Public opinion about Bush personally also improved during the four-day, post-holiday span, with an increase in the number who view him favorably from 65 percent to 72 percent. Republicans shifted from 83 percent with a favorable view of Bush personally to 94 percent. Democrats moved from 46 percent to 55 percent.

Public opinion on the war in Iraq did not shift significantly, however. People were about evenly split on whether the war in Iraq was worthwhile before the holiday and afterward.

Approval of Bush's handling of Iraq increased slightly, with 44 percent approving and 53 percent disapproving before Thanksgiving, and people evenly split on that question now. The public view of his handling of the economy also shifted from a 45-51 percent split before Thanksgiving to a public divided almost evenly on his handling of the economy, 50-48, afterward.

The margin of sampling error for the 789 people interviewed before Thanksgiving and the 847 interviewed after was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/12/02/national1730EST0659.DTL&type=printable

[prolesunited]

1. How nice

a poll measuring the corporate media's propaganda efforts. :eyes:

What is frightening to me is how many Republicans approve of him when nothing that he has done remotely resembles traditional GOP values as well as how many Dems like him. WHAT are they thinking?!?!

[Dagaz]

6. Conservatives are actually pissed over a few things

Steel tariffs and now the Prescription drug deal. Bush's strength is really among swing voters that used to support Clinton. This is why Bill has been trying to get a centrist nominated and not the impending Dean disaster.

[donotpassgo]

9. If by disaster, you mean election, you'd be right.

If you think Kerry is a centrist, you are out of your gourd.

[Dagaz]

10. Dean supporters are Rove's Army

Dean is a better dream to Rove than Nader was. Even Ed Koch is going to support Bush unless one candidate gets serious about national defense.

[xchrom]

12. so if rove tells you to jump off a cliff

you'd do it?
you are listening to the mass media far too much.
the dems fate is far from sealed no matter who the candidate is -- as of right now.
dean is certainly showing himself to be up to the job of going toe to toe with rove -- so give him a break.
it's too early in the game for alarm bells sirens of impending doom for any of the candidates.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

22. Oh, please. Get real.

[maggrwaggr]

27. sounds like a Lieberbush supporter

:)

[Gman]

24. Very accurately put

"a poll measuring the corporate media's propaganda efforts."

[Cush]

2. FIgured this would happen

The visit to Iraq plus all the Economic Propaganda.

But what/who is the "National Annenberg Election Survey"?? Never heard of them.

[qanda]

11. That's what I was thinking...

HUH? Who are they?

[0007]

3. 'Tis a passing breeze and no more!

[xray s]

4. All this poll proves is...

...about 10% of the population is very easily distracted.

[eissa]

5. Some people are so dim

that a cheap photo-op can swing their view of this idiot. Pathetic.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. temporary due to teh photo op

[lancdem]

14. I noticed that his numbers on the economy and Iraq

didn't really improve much, but his favorability rating did, so that explains the bump. I would agree that it's probably temporary.

[Sagan]

8. * poll dynamics

Things suck really really bad = slight dip

things suck really bad = sharp spike

Does anyone really believe these polls?

[VolcanoJen]

13. WTF is the "National Annenberg Election Survey????!!!"

Never heard of it... did Rove, and a few of his buddies, call a few drunken pals during the Cowboys game and asked them what they thought of the whole "Bozo Goes To Baghdad" stunt?

Good find, GRClarkesq!!!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

20. Ditto. It's probably the ONLY poll that gave El Chimpo a positive bump.

[cthrumatrix]

15. not here....flyboy is still a traitor with his fake polls

[young_at_heart]

16. "Handling of Iraq"........WHAT handling?

Can't we remind these nonthinking people that this man started a war under false pretenses.........usually NOT the American Way. He's going around the country right now "fundraising"...not doing any handling of anything!

[ramapo]

17. Mission Accomplished

Wonder if Bush picked up any campaign donations while in Iraq?

[drscm]

23. RE: Wonder if Bush picked up any campaign donations while in Iraq?

Letterman said it was only $1000.00 a plate.

[West Coast Democrat]

18. Only 2 polls listed by this pollster on pollingreport.com

it seems to be more Republican-skewed compared to mainstream polls.

[demgrrrll]

19. A quick google reveals that this pollster has been used on more than

one occasion by the Moonie Times to prove a pub talking point.
On the other hand my new company Acme Screen Door and Poll has Bush approval plummeting. Why not believe me? I mean really what the hell?

[GRClarkesq]

21. More info re: Annenberg

See: http://www.appcpenn.org/naes/

[gauguin57]

25. if bush IS more popular these days ...

then P.T. Barnum was right.

[Guaranteed]

26. This is just garbage.

Bush doesn't have a fricking 61% approval rating.

Even if this is accurate, it won't last. His Thanksgiving trip was just a PR event. Those don't change the facts.