"Taking it out on the guy in charge, whether he's responsible or not"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

NOTE to Republican pollster Whit Ayres: I'd describe the state of what's going on in the country right now as A LITTLE BIT MORE than being "in a funk"...

Gas prices, war weariness take toll on Bush's ratings
Poll finds lowest numbers of his tenure for economy, health care

By Susan Page
USA TODAY

8/31/2005 - Updated 11:27 PM ET

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050901/a_poll01.art.htm

WASHINGTON — President Bush returned to the capital Wednesday after a summer vacation with big problems on his agenda — from record-setting gas prices to turmoil in Iraq — and his standing in handling those issues on a slide.

A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken Sunday through Tuesday shows the toll that casualties abroad and economic uncertainty at home have taken on assessments of Bush. He gets the lowest ratings of his tenure for the job he's doing on the economy and health care. He matches his previous low point in dealing with Iraq. Three of four Americans disapprove of his handling of gas prices.

His overall approval rating is 45%. “It's a combination of weariness over Iraq, concern about gas prices, worry about jobs being sent overseas and other factors that lead people to be in a funk,” Republican pollster Whit Ayres says. “When people are in a funk, they take it out on the guy in charge, regardless of whether he's responsible or not.”

“It's the opposite of Teflon,” says Steven Schier, a political scientist at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. “What would we call it? Velcro? President Bush lately has been a Velcro president.” Six of 10 Americans disapprove of Bush's handling of the economy, health care and Iraq. Of six issues, he scores a net positive rating only on handling terrorism, an area of strength since the Sept. 11 attacks.

[aden_nak]

1. Yeah, that's the face I'd be making, too, lady.

[Hobarticus]

2. Shit sticks to shit, "Republican pollster Whit Ayres"...

THAT's why Bush's numbers are falling.

[bribri16]

3. Yeah, so true. But Bush is responsible for a lot..he and his neocon

PNAC backers.

[ClassWarrior]

4. We always knew Bush** isn't "responsible." Maybe BLAME would be...

...a better word.

NGU.