Public Support Wanes for Bush Foreign Policy (WP/ABC Poll)

[VolcanoJen]

They have his approval at 58%, which is quite a bit higher than most other polls, and him leading a generic Democrat candidate 49-44, but there's still some intriguing stuff in here.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6582-2003Sep13.html

The public's judgment of the way Bush is handling international affairs has never been lower, the Post-ABC News poll found. Slightly more than half -- 53 percent -- approve of the president's policies abroad, a precipitous fall from 67 percent barely two months ago.

<snip>

Declining support for Bush's policies in Iraq also have contributed to the overall erosion in support for his foreign policy. Barely half -- 52 percent -- said they approved of the way the president is handling the situation in Iraq, down slightly from a month ago and a 23-point decline since the war ended in April.

The overwhelming majority of Americans believe the United States should stay in Iraq, even if it means suffering continued military casualties, but the proportion who favor getting out has increased from 26 percent to 32 percent in barely a month.

At the same time, a 55 percent majority doubts Bush has a clear plan about what to do in Iraq and more than eight in 10 -- 85 percent -- now fear the United States will get bogged down in a long and costly peacekeeping effort in Iraq, up from 76 percent in less than three weeks.

[jos]

1. Bush's best poll

The ABC/Washington Post poll has favored Bush more than any other poll, even Fox's. I'm convinced that if he resigned, the day after they'd have his ratings over 50%. Plus, they have Lieberman leading the Dem race at 23%. PNAC must have a hand in the poll.

[diplomats]

4. Yes, they always have him higher

but his disapproval is at 40 percent. BTW, I checked pollingreport.com, and Bush's lead over a generic Dem has dropped from 53-40 in April to 49-44 today. I agree with you about the Lieberman thing. No other national poll has him leading the Dem field.

[flamingyouth]

2. He has a foreign policy?

News to me...

[sushi]

12. He does have a foreign policy

An arrogant and selfish one.

I hope Anna Lindh's killer is found, and soon. Do you think Sweden will now accept the Euro?

[snippy]

18. Whistle Ass has always had a foreign policy. The three D's.

From Business Week, March24,2003:

But the seeds of the current diplomatic disaster were planted in the first year of the Bush Administration, well before September 11. That's when Washington defined its foreign policy, which has come to be seen as the three "D's" -- disdain, disregard, and disrespect for treaties, allies, and friends.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_12/b3825801.htm

[DemPopulist]

3. 58%!

WHAT THE FRICK??!! :crazy:

[diplomats]

5. I think there's a delayed effect here

I remember other polls where Bush's overall rating was higher than his specific ratings on Iraq or the economy, but eventually it dropped into line (with his Iraq rating, at least). I can't see how his approval in this poll won't drop into at least the low 50s if his ratings on foreign policy and domestic issues stay this low.

[IndianaGreen]

6. Where are Clear Channel's "Support the Troops!" rallies?

Where are the flag waiving, proud to be American, crowds? If they really support the troops, they should be demanding that they be brought home at once. They should also be demanding an investigation into the people that got us into this war.

[are_we_united_yet]

11. The folks you speak of

are clueless. They don't even know what they are supporting.

[JPace]

7. Most Americans may believe that we...

need to stay there because it is like "if you
break it you buy it". Americans are likely to
feel responsible for putting Iraq back together
but the more our troops get attacked by the
same people we were lead to believe would
welcome us, the less we are going to
want to stay there. It is getting bloodier
every month as dedicated suicidal enemies
join forces to attack our troops. American
treasure and blood is being wasted because
of that AWOL egotistical maniac in the
WH that got us into this growing mess.

[young_at_heart]

8. But he recently stated that "we" have a clear plan

for Iraq.....so is the chaos and violence what he expected all along?

[expatriot]

9. the chaos and violence are just feints.... to disguise our real plan...

which is to continue feinting with more chaos and violence.

[sushi]

13. What "clear plan"

Whatever he does will be wrong.

He can't hand Iraq over to the UN. He despises the UN. Besides, big business won't let him because they'd have to share the big contracts with other countries.

If he stays in Iraq more troops might die and he might lose the support of the public.

What he wants is for other countries (the UN) to send troops and money and he remains in charge of everything, but the UN doesn't seem interested in only sending troops to die for his war, and also wants to share in the running of Iraq. Maybe if * offers big bribes...

[expatriot]

10. interesting points... i just wonder though...

do you think the american public is sophisticated to see the difference ethics at play between the 'you break it - you buy it' and *'s crying to the UN to bail him out... only half a year after he told them to all go to hell.

[Pikku]

14. MSNBC poll

http://www.msnbc.com/news/965703.asp

[E_Zapata]

15. 85% think we are bogged down in Iraq - but 58% still approve of Bush

Where is the disconnect?

Bush's "terra" speech did not do a thing except make the money issue a topic of conversation. Note to Rove: welcome to the the real world of politics.

Rove has not made the connection that the manipulation of "thoughts" can only work in respect to the short attention span of Americans. Give us a long, drawn out problem and we tend to start thinking for ourselves and asking questions.

I guess the fact that everyone thought the Afghanistan war was over and done with fooled Rove into thinking that we would forget all about Iraq. His practice exercise in Afghanistan isn't playing out.

[RamboLiberal]

16. A couple of other interesting things in this poll

People are choking on that 87 billion - and we know even that figure is short.

A majority of Americans disapprove of President Bush's request to Congress for an additional $87 billion to fund military and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan over the next year, amid growing doubts about the administration's policies at home and abroad, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Six in 10 Americans said they do not support the proposal, which the president first announced in his nationally televised address last Sunday night. That marks the most significant public rejection of a Bush initiative on national security or terrorism since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

On the question of how to pay for the request, a majority of Democrats said roll back some of the tax cuts while a plurality of Republicans said cut other spending.

[dArKeR]

17. Bush lacks voter support - Less than 50% - News24

Bush says the United States has a clear mission in Iraq to fight terrorists and foster democracy there, yet a new poll shows that fewer than half of Americans share his belief.

"We are following a clear strategy with three objectives: destroy the terrorists, enlist international support for a free Iraq and quickly transfer authority to the Iraqi people," Bush said Saturday in his weekly radio address.

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the US Congress has enacted legislation to better secure airports and seaports, fortify US borders and provide intelligence and law enforcement agencies new tools to track terrorists.

Still, more needs to be done, Jane Harman of California, senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in the Democrats' radio response.

"Two years after the most deadly single-day attack in our nation's history, the question is whether we are as secure as we need to be from future terrorist attacks," Harman said. "Unfortunately, the answer is 'no'".

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1415901,00.html

[snippy]

19. How many Americans know that God told Bush to invade Iraq?

And how would that affect their support of his foreign policy?