Oops, I'm sorry, I accidentally mistyped that headline. The correct typing of the headline is:Core Group of Bush Loyalists Stand by Their Manhttp://www.mercurynews.com:80/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/16821022.htmBy Ron Hutcheson
McClatchy Newspapers
(MCT)
WASHINGTON - President Bush's poll numbers have tanked, but most Republicans are standing by their man. Their loyalty appears to have stopped Bush's slide in the polls and could have implications for the Republican presidential campaign. While the president is clearly unpopular with most Americans, his core supporters may not look kindly on Republican candidates who shun him.
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"For us out here in flyover country, he's just a straight shooter. He comes across as one of us," said Kelly O'Brien, a Republican chairman in Sanborn, Iowa. "I'm not saying you've got to put his picture on your (campaign) poster. But in the primary, I would say you shouldn't distance yourself from him."
Analysts say Bush's core support has spared him the fate of other unpopular presidents who were rendered virtually powerless when their party backing evaporated. Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush all saw their approval ratings fall below 30 percent.
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It's impossible to say whether Bush has bottomed out. He's expressed confidence that, like Truman, he'll become more popular over time.
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