This Newsweek poll does not make Bush look formidable.

[madfloridian]

This does not look like the big bounce he was supposed to be getting. 52% is just barely a majority.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031220/nysa012a_1.html

NEWSWEEK POLL: A Majority (52 %) of Registered Voters Say the Capture of Saddam Hussein Will Make Them More Likely to Vote for Bush
Saturday December 20, 12:58 pm ET
Most Americans (56 %) Believe Capture Will Prove Link Between Al Qaeda And Iraq; 51 Percent Say it Hasn't Made Them Safer
Registered Voters Evenly Split On Bush Re-Election (46% Yes; 46% No)


NEW YORK, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- More than half (52 percent) of registered voters say Saddam's Hussein's capture makes them more likely to vote to re-elect President George W. Bush's in next year's election, the latest Newsweek poll has shown; only 12 percent say it will make them less likely to vote for Bush. But registered voters are evenly split on whether they want to see Bush re-elected; 46 percent say they do, 46 percent disagree. A majority (51 percent) of Americans say Hussein's capture hasn't made them safer or more secure (41 percent say it has), and 52 percent say it probably won't have much effect in reducing the number of attacks on U.S. military personnel (41 percent say it's likely to reduce the number of attacks)

[Dagaz]

1. Actually it looks worse than I thought

This race is based on making America safe

Compare
Bush-
Voters also approve of his policies to prevent and minimize terror at home (67 percent; 24 percent disapprove) and his foreign policy in general (51 percent, 39 percent disapprove).


On their opinions of Dean, more than a third (35 percent) of registered voters say he says too may outrageous things (22 percent disagree). Voters also registered doubts on his ability to handle international relations (23 percent say he would do a good job, 29 percent disagree). More than a quarter (26%) say he's too liberal (29 percent disagree), and only 21 percent say he shares their views on Iraq (33 percent disagree).

[Melodybe]

2. Once regular people find out about Dean, things will look at lot better.

Us Dean people have a lot of work cut out for us but we'll be fine, these polls mean nadda. However, Bu$h is not doing very well here in the real world and I live in the deep South. People are waking up, all of my repub friends are turing on the Shrub. Halliburton, the war, Diebold, medicare, the economy, job loss, the environment, civil liberties, the 9/11 investigations, it is too much and people are FINALLY getting pissed. I still can't talk bad about Bill O'Liely yet but Rupert Murdoch is fair game. Talking about shrub has only gotten easier.

[maggrwaggr]

3. Nice to see the media doing its job!

and getting the right-wing message out: Dean is too liberal, is a tempermental nut who spouts off crazy stuff, has no business conducting any international affairs .... etc.

Way to go, American free press!

[madfloridian]

4. Oh, come on, that will come. Bush re-elect numbers 46%/46%.

For the Saddam bounce....well I say Bush is looking pretty lame.

None of the Democrats looks good. Clark does not do well among Democrats, though a little better against Bush. It will come. Dean is paying the price right now for speaking the truth about his war stance, but I think that will level off.

My goodness, my point was the 46%/46% split on Bush re-elect. I am not that concerned about the rest right now. I am just thankful for little things right now.

[snippy]

5. Keep in mind that Bush has experienced three significant increases

in the polls during his presidency. The first was 9/11, the second was the commencement of the invasion of Iraq, and the third was the capture of Ronald Reagan's dear friend and ally Saddam Hussein. None of the increases was lasting and each subsequent bounce was smaller than the previous one. All of that is consistent with the overall downward trend.

Democrats should point out that Bush has declared perpetual war. They should demand that Bush define what constitutes "victory" in the war on terror. They should point out that Bush is trying to benefit from being a wartime president in a perpetual war and that Bush believes that Americans need to live in perpetual fear.