Bush Position Continues to Deteriorate

[TexasEditor]

http://www.tcf.org/Opinions/Public_Opinion_Watch/July29-August31_2003.html

Public Opinion Watch

July 29-August 31, 2003

Bush Position Continues to Deteriorate

Pew Research Center poll of 2,528 adults, released August 7, 2003 (conducted July 14–August 5, 2003)

CBS News poll of 798 adults, released August 13, 2003 (conducted August 11–12, 2003)

Dana Milbank and Mike Allen, “Security May Not Be Safe Issue for Bush in ’04,” Washington Post, August 22, 2003

Princeton Survey Research poll of 1,011 adults for Newsweek, released August 23, 2003 (conducted August 21–22, 2003)

CBS News poll of 930 adults, released August 29, 2003 (conducted August 26–28, 2003)

Well, Public Opinion Watch is back from the beach––tan, rested, and ready, as they say––and he notes, with considerable interest, that public disenchantment with Bush is continuing and intensifying. Start with the Pew Research Center data, released on August 7. That poll has Bush’s approval rating down to 53 percent, with 37 percent disapproval, the highest disapproval of his presidency. Bush now has given back all of the approval spike and more he got from the Iraq war; indeed he’s down over twenty points in this poll (about five points a month) since his high of 74 percent when the statue of Saddam came down in Baghdad. While he’s unlikely to keep on losing approval at this clip, he doesn’t have far to go before he starts dipping below 50 percent, an unambiguous danger sign for incumbents.

The poll also has about an even split between those who say that they would like to see Bush reelected (40 percent) and those who say that they would prefer that the Democratic candidate win the election (39 percent). In addition, the Democrats have a seven-point lead on party identification, once independents who lean toward a party are factored in. If more evidence of Bush vulnerability is needed, consider this: by thirty points, the public now says that it is more important for Bush to focus on the economy (57 percent) than on the war on terrorism (27 percent). When the public is asking you to focus on your chief area of weakness, that’s not a good sign.

CONTINUED...

[Brucey]

1. We're going in the right direction, but I worried about what

STumphead will pull next. He has shown no conscience about doing whatever to get the media to pay attention only to his wars, so what might we expect next from a psychopath?

[TexasEditor]

2. However...

It's three years into his administration, and the economy and US troops dying everyday are very real problems. "Things ain't like they used to be."

[onecitizen]

3. Yep he's going down in all the polls...............

and you can tell by the way he's out speaking to the troops lately. And the fact that he FINALLY visited the wounded at Walter Reed. That was the first time I believe.

The newest spin machine mantra (and I think it is hilarious) is that all the terror attacks in Iraq right now are actually a part of a BRILLIANT plan by our illegitimate leader. That he took the war to them to avoid terror attacks on the "Homeland". How clever he is!!HA!! What a joke! Now, if I were an Iraqi, and I weren't ticked at bush before, I would be so angry now that I would pick up arms against the occupiers. And if I were a relative of someone serving over there, I'd be on a protest line somewhere.

I've heard several of the pundits repeat this on the shows lately. Obviously, they have been given their marching orders.

[gristy]

4. newest spin machine mantra

The newest spin machine mantra (and I think it is hilarious) is that all the terror attacks in Iraq right now are actually a part of a BRILLIANT plan by our illegitimate leader. That he took the war to them to avoid terror attacks on the "Homeland".

I heard that the first time on a RW talk show (don't ask why) about a month ago.

[pruner]

6. it's called the flypaper theory

all the terrorists are flocking to Iraq and thus not attacking America.

after all, it's a well known that fact that there's a finite number of terrorists thoughout the world.

once every last one of them is in Iraq blowing shit up we'll be totally safe here.

[Demobrat]

5. Absolutely brilliant plan.

Should go off without a hitch. Right up until the moment of the next attack here.