Poll: Bush's Approval Sinking (50% approve to 45% disapprove)

[papau]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/17/opinion/polls/main593849.shtml

Poll: Bush's Approval Sinking
Jan. 17, 2004


After rising in public support following the capture of Saddam Hussein, President Bush gives his State of the Union message next week with a decidedly less positive audience.

A CBS News/New York Times poll of 1,022 adults shows that the president's approval rating of 50% matches his lowest approval ratings ever, and the largest number ever – 45% - disapprove.

This decline (from 60% approval the week after Saddam's capture) comes after former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill's criticisms of the Administration in a book and in interviews, and after continuing attacks on American troops in Iraq. And there is other bad news for the president.
• Less than half now approve of how he is handling the situation in Iraq. 51% say the war was not worth the costs.
• Two of the president's just-launched initiatives have met with negative public assessment. Most Americans oppose temporary work permits for illegal immigrants and don't think a permanent space station on the moon is worth it.
• Just 41% say the president has the same priorities on the issues they do.
• Only 30% say he is more interested in protecting the interests of ordinary Americans than in protecting the interests of large corporations. Just 39% - fewer than before - have confidence in his ability to make the right economic decisions.
• Looking ahead, registered voters are evenly split on whether they would now vote for President Bush or the as-yet-unnamed Democrat in November. But most think the President will win that race.

The Democratic candidates, campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire, have also spent time attacking the president (as well as attacking each other). Nationally, Howard Dean still leads among Democratic primary voters, with 24% of the vote. Wesley Clark and Dick Gephardt are also in double digits.

Overall, most Americans say things in the country are worse now than they were five years ago. Fifty-seven percent say things are worse now, while 21% say they're better. But they are more optimistic than pessimistic about the future. Looking ahead five years, 45% say things will be better than they are today, while 26% think things will be worse. <snip>

[Poiuyt]

1. Boost after SOTU

There is always a boost in popularity after the State of the Union address. Let's hope we are able to counter it with a good response from the Dems.

[TomNickell]

18. But, SOTU has less effect than it used to have....

With 200 or so cable channels, plus DVD, the audience is not nearly so large as in the days of 3 broadcast networks. Then, you had to watch the Pres, or turn off the idiot box.

And, in Bush's case anybody likely to watch SOTU probably has an opinion. Plus, Bush just ain't all that inspiring.

A couple of points boost that evaporates in a week.

[Guaranteed]

25. YES- EVERYONE BE READY FOR THAT.

Do not get disheartened. He WILL receive a boost after the SOTU. It's not a big deal- just a temporary boost, like after the Saddam capture. Just be ready for it and don't let it affect your morale.


P.S. I think this was # 3,000 for me. Cheers! :toast:

[VolcanoJen]

27. Thanks to New Hampshire, any post-SOTU bounce will be short.

In fact, if Iowa turns out as tight as the polls are showing, expect mass media coverage of New Hampshire, more than we've ever imagined.

I feel a shift in the press... they're more than engaged in the primaries, now that it looks like a horse race is developing. They've allowed the Dem race to steal headlines all week long, even making Bush's grandiose Mars plan look a little laughable in comparison.

The news channels will talk SOTU on Wednesday, but they'll work overtime to frame it in the context of the election race.

It should be a fascinating week. :-)

[dusty64]

29. I don't know, if the

ones who disapprove are like me they won't watch at all. Most know this is ALL political BS anyway and anything that is said reflects that. I'm glad to see chimp's artificial Pravda media driven "bounce" has wore off, makes ya wonder what other tricks they will pull out of their hats later.

[neverforget]

2. There will be a 1-2% increase in his approval ratings after the

SOTU address. If the Democrats and the nominee hammer Bush with the truth, he's toast.

[papau]

3. the un-named Dem winning 45 to 43 is never reported by media

:-)

[RUexperienced]

4. Because * is not running against an un-named Democrat.

As soon as you name the Democrat, you have a "controversial voting record," "conflicting public statements," and someone who "is not very telegenic." ... or anything else that critics will say about him.

"Un-named Democrat" will not be on the ballot.

[mbperrin]

5. If it's Satan on the ballot, I'll punch the "D"

I mean, ANYBODY but *Bush

[Guaranteed]

26. LOL

;)

[qanda]

8. You know I am sick of all your negative comments

It really does get annoying to come on every thread and see you throwing monkey wrenches into each one.

On Edit: I didn't want to call someone something they are not, but if it walks like, talks like, acts like and comments like, well....

[RUexperienced]

13. It does us no good to fool ourselves into thinking

that beating * is going to be easy.

Fake polls don't help.

[w4rma]

14. I agree. (n/t)

[lancdem]

20. I think most of us know it won't be easy

but we do think it CAN be done, at least.

[freethought23]

24. Try having some respect for freedom of expression

Just because someone is pessimistic about Democratic electoral success does not make him a Republican, or a Republican-in-disguise, as you suggest.

[0rganism]

28. Even if RUE is a troll, its point is well taken

The un-named Democrat doesn't exist, and there's no sense pretending $300 million won't buy W over-coverage of whatever negatives the named Democrat has.

Think about $300 million.

That's a lot of campaign.

[lancdem]

19. That's true

But Bush was running 10 points or so ahead of the unnamed Dem after Saddam's capture. There's been some serious erosion there.

[RUexperienced]

21. My point is that "un-named Democrat"

does not have a voting record, has never spoken before congress, never taken a position on an issue, has never mis-spoke himself while on the campaign trail, etc.

In other words, he has no baggage.

But once we name the un-named Democrat, things change.

[Raenelle]

30. Also virtually unremarked--how very, very high his disapproval is

way higher than Clinton's which, at this point in his legitimate Presidency was around 35%--slightly lower approval ratings (at 47%), but much lower disapproval ratings.

[Darwin2002]

6. time to "capture" osama or I guess they'll wait a few more

months before they pull him out of his hole. Wonder where they have been keeping him all this time? With Cheney maybe?

[grasswire]

7. this is the best yet

the worm has turned.

It's time for Republicans to get nervous and start peeling off, and for a primary challenger to emerge against Bush.

Come on!!

Bring it home!!

[bookman]

9. Here's the way I read the poll.

45% are fed up with Bush

30% love what Bush is and represents

25% have their head in the sand.

[Gman]

10. Several of those figures

are in the 20-30% range which is about the same as the level of the real nut case RW'ers. So on a lot of these issues, his only support is from the so-called Bushbots.

[rockymountaindem]

11. "Bushbots"? lol

That's a cool label. I'll have to remember that one next time I'm chatting with my friends. Thank God for this forum, I get sooo tired of them sometimes.

Hopefully all these prophecies about some Republicans voting Democratic in the coming election will be fulfilled. In that respect, I would like to echo the "hope not hate" line. I know these people intimately, and they will never go with a gloom-and-doom guy. I'm not targeting any candidate specifically, I'm just saying we need whoever the nominee is to be affable and have whatever "values" they're looking for.

However, the poll certainly is encouraging. Let's raise a glass to the "unnamed Democrat", for that candidate could be any of us!

[Gman]

12. The "Hope" theme

is what helped Clinton win in '92. People were so very tired of 12 years of Reagan/Bush. I think the fatigue level now is as bad after 4 years as it was after 12 of Reagan/Bush.

[wabeewoman]

15. I will make a bold prediction

I believe whoever the democratic nominee is, they will blow bush away in the election. Republicans don't like to say so but many will vote democratic in the privacy of the voting box. My wingnut brother is no longer defending bush. This is big-he listens to rush and o'reilly and I think will stay home rather than vote for bush. Immigration and the space proposal were the deal breakers. I've been impatient for stuff to start sticking to bush but maybe the grand plan is that it is going to closer to the election. I am hopeful....

[gristy]

16. Yup, I agree. A republican displeased/pissed with Bush but

who would never vote for a Dem would more readily simply fail to vote. Hard to figure just how many fall into that category, though.

[RamboLiberal]

17. Note he has the highest disapproval of any recent President

at this time in an election year. I'm encouraged watching our Dem candidates. I think Clark, Dean, Edwards, or Kerry can beat this idiot. And I think Rove has made some miscalculations lately with the immigration program, the space program and the 1.5 billion marriage thing. There's some grousing among true conservative Repugs.

[lancdem]

23. And it's not even close

Bush is 5 points worse than Clinton was, and Clinton's first term was pretty rough approval-wise (until 1996).

[seasat]

22. Interesting how fickle the undecided are.

I bodes well for us in the election. They seem to change their mind on Bush with every turn of the news. It tells me that there are a lot of people that are open to change if we can present a good campaign.

[ignatius]

31. Good, but I will be even happier when the "spacemonkey's"

nimbers are in the 20's.

The latest 2 books from Republican "insiders" has done a tremendous amount of political damage. Finally more people are awakening to the reality of this regime.

Here in Indiana, the immigration program and the space program ideas launched last week seem to be the main focus. Sadly tax cuts for the rich and a trumped up war for oil and payoff for W's rich cronies doesn't seem to be what they care about.

But, if those ideas help bring him down, I say hooray, whatever it takes.

Don't forget to leave those O'neill articles at your church, library, office, laundrymat, bookstore...etc.

And while your at the book store don't forget to display liberal books in front of Carlsons, Coulter, Oreally..etc

Let's keep the pressure on until this cockroach scurries back to his blackhole.