New WaPo-ABC News Bush Poll: 20% strongly approve, 47% strongly disapprove

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Anger at Bush May Hurt GOP At Polls
Turnout Could Favor Democrats

By Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 17, 2006; A01



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/16/AR2006041600648_pf.html

Intense and widespread opposition to President Bush is likely to be a sharp spur driving voters to the polls in this fall's midterm elections, according to strategists in both parties, a phenomenon that could give Democrats a turnout advantage over Republicans for the first time in recent years.

Polls have reflected voter discontent with Bush for many months, but as the election nears, operatives are paying special attention to one subset of the numbers. It is the wide disparity between the number of people who are passionate in their dislike of Bush vs. those who support him with equal fervor. Lately, there have been a lot more of the former -- and even Republicans acknowledge that could spell trouble in closely contested congressional races.

"Angry voters turn out and vote their anger," said Glen Bolger, a pollster for several Republican congressional candidates. "Democrats will have an easier time of getting out their vote because of their intense disapproval of the president. That means we Republicans are going to have to bring our 'A' turnout game in November."

The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll showed 47 percent of voters "strongly" disapprove of Bush's job performance, vs. 20 percent who said they "strongly approve." In the recent past, this perennial truism of politics -- emotion equals turnout -- has worked more to the Republican advantage. Several weeks before the 2002 midterm elections, Bush had 42 percent of voters strongly approving of him, compared with 18 percent in strong opposition. Democrats were stunned on election night when Republicans defied historical patterns and made gains in the House and Senate. The president's party usually loses seats during the first midterm elections after he takes office.

[MaineDem]

1. That pic really shows how the job has aged him

I love the 47% though. I just wish this poll was 2 years ago.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

4. "I just wish this poll was 2 years ago"...

Amen to that. What a sobering thought.

:patriot:

[BR_Parkway]

2. What do 20% strongly approve of? We're not safer, the corporate

profit takers have to see the crash coming with all the debt, he's not given the fundies their ban on any personal decisions not approved by the church

[yellowcanine]

3. At least the smirk appears to be gone. In that pic his teeth are

literally "on edge". I notice that there is not much talk these days about how Bush would be the kind of guy ordinary folks would want to sit down and have a beer with.

[Arugula Latte]

17. But, he's such a "regular guy" kind of sociopath!

It's just so ENDEARING how he sticks to his guns and is steadfast in his destruction of everything that was good about this country.

[saltpoint]

5. I am buoyed by the poll data because they show that even a thick

public is starting to get the message that this guy is a complete potatohead.

A President Gore or President Kerry would have been quite a hell of a lot better for all Americans.

If Bush wanted to save his presidency, which at the moment is in the toilet, he needs to make signfiicant meaningful reforms in how business is done. Hiring Josh Bolten just isn't going to cut it.

If he remains the stubborn pre-pubescent alleyway bully and stomps his little foot and curses his daddy and curses the media and curses Harry Reid and black smoke rolls out of his teensy ears... well, then he deserves what he gets.

And the historians have that in mind already.

[MaineDem]

7. Love that mental image

"If he remains the stubborn pre-pubescent alleyway bully and stomps his little foot and curses his daddy and curses the media and curses Harry Reid and black smoke rolls out of his teensy ears..."

Sad...but I did enjoy the laugh even though it's not really the slightest bit funny.

[saltpoint]

9. Hi to you, MaineDem. I would like a U.S. president to know when he's

made a mistake.

This guy acts quite a bit like a 9-year old bully.

He could completely save his presidency if he admitted mistakes and asked voters to stand with him, stand with our country, and then proceeded to act like a grown-up.

He could offer dramatic and sweeping changes that wold re-capture some momentum.

He could serve 2 of every 7 days in a New Orleans White House and ask corporations and small businesses and youth groups all over the country to donate time and cash to rebuild the city, and set a date that it would be significantly complete by the end of the calendar year.

He could announce diplomatic relations with Cuba. It would piss off a lot of folks in Miami but it's long overdue and Dubya might as well get credit as anybody. Otherwise, more people suffer longer.

Etc.

He could rebound if he wished. But he's 9 in that alleyway, shoving smaller people around.

Nice to bump into you on DU. And go, Red Sox.

[leesa]

12. He's a criminal operating within a Crime Family, he HAS to hire people

from within the Family or the crimes will be discovered. This scenario is not an option for him.

[saltpoint]

15. It's not if you are completely right that he's a controlled puppet.

I've not seen express evidence of that, and I don't see any other way out for him.

His "political capital," even if someone argued that he had any after Nov. 2004, is completely gone.

Only significant, sweeping reforms and refocusing can save this presidency.

I hear you on the difficulty if the sticky connections are that intractable. But other presidents have rebounded.

At the height of Ronald Reagan's terrible first years, the country was crippled by a recession. A New York TIMES editorial at that time began, "The stench of failure hangs over the Reagan presidency."

By the end of his 8 years, despite my hating the man's guts, Reagan turned it around.

[MaineDem]

14. The DNC is meeting in New Orleans this week

Part of their agenda is to do community service work throughout the event. More than just a photo op with Habitat for Humanity like Bush did.

I hope the DNC gets some decent PR out of this. Granted, that's not why they're doing it.

And I agree, if he would just be a bit more humble he'd gain points. I hope they don't follow this advice though.

[saltpoint]

16. Great for the DNC! That's the kind of public service we need!

Really good news. I hadn't heard it, and it is really a fine thing.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

10. Once a spoiled brat, always a spoiled brat...

...and on his radio show the other day, Guy James once again brought up the fact that Bush may be a "recovered alcoholic," but he's also what's referred to as a "dry drunk"...the underlying causes of his alcohol and substance abuse have never been addressed, and probably never will, largely due to his well-documented disdain for any form of psychoanalysis. So those "roots" are still alive, still forming the basis of his character, still contributing to his decisions, his relationships, and the way he approaches his responsibilities.

[bdamomma]

11. josh bolten

he seems to have a weird fixation on bush's hands, has pictures of bush's hands in his office. these people are very sick.

[saltpoint]

13. The hands that rock the cradle...

As in one of the cradles of civilization. China. Africa. the Tigris-Euphrates Valley. All of them. They're all thousands of years old -- ancient, venerable cultures -- and this little puke is bombing the holy piss out of them to jack up his ratings.

I'm not liking that part at all.

I say we set off a huge blue wave and sweep a few of these red fascists out in November. Then we have the votes to subpoena documents, and a Mr. Conyers can take it from there on the Judiciary Committee.

His HANDS? Well, I guess it would have to be the hands. Because Dubya doesn't have any brains.

[goclark]

6. They will be bring out their "D" for Diebold team

This quote tells it all about the "A" Team, it is the same team they have been using and the Washington Post and ABC News should be arrested for these continued lies about what happened in the election!

"Several weeks before the 2002 midterm elections, Bush had 42 percent of voters strongly approving of him, compared with 18 percent in strong opposition. Democrats were STUNNED on election night when Republicans defied historical patterns and made gains in the House and Senate. The president's party usually loses seats during the first midterm elections after he takes office."

The article should at LEAST include a sentence that says, " There have been some(and source Conyers etc.) that believe that the reason these numbers do not agree is because of the lack of a Paper Trail and by the votes by electronic machines, that they believe to have been tampered with ,which led to ELECTION FRAUD."

When will we wake up and realize that the theories about the ELECTION FRAUD
and the complaining about the ELECTION FRAUD ain't gonna do it!

We are whispering in the woods and the public doesn't know what to do about it!

This country needs a 7/11 Communications Campaign to tell EVERYONE exactly what happened and that there MUST be a PAPER TRAIL and WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.

The clock is ticking as we wait for a Communications Wiz that can develop a PLAN to get the ELECTION FRAUD message out IMMEDIATELY.

[greenbriar]

8. what a picture. He truly is an evil man. look at his scowl and pointy

ears


and you would think that fucker could have a decent hair cut looks like silver wads of brilo pad

[Clarkie1]

18. Right-wing Rasmussen has approval at 39%.

I'm sure in reality it's lower than that, and as you correctly point out the most important numbers are those who "strongly disapprove."

I think the generals coming out is taking a toll:

Sunday April 16, 2006--Thirty-nine percent (39%) of American adults approve of the way George W. Bush is performing his role as President. That's the lowest level of approval ever measured by Rasmussen Reports.

Sixty percent (60%) disapprove of Bush's job performance, the highest level ever recorded

Strongly Approve 20%
Somewhat Approve 20%
Somewhat Disapprove 17%
Strongly Disapprove 43%

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/Bush_Job_Approval.htm

[July]

19. Okay, this is completely unscientific, but this poll bolsters my theory

that the true, diehard base for Bush is around 20%. I've said before that Cheney's 18% approval is an indicator -- these are the only people in America who like Darth, and I'd guess that they're the same people who "strongly approve" of Bush.

[Puglover]

20. Perfect pic of the Idiots

hula jaw.

[Bandit]

21. "Angry voters turn out and vote their anger," said Glen Bolger, a pollster

Wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago that we heard from the Republicans that Hillary was too angry and voters don't respond to anger.. :shrug: they are spinning themselves into a top.