CBS Early Poll - Bush 54% Approve 12% Disapprove Katrina Handling

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/01/opinion/polls/main812533.shtml

Hurricane Katrina may give President Bush the opportunity to increase his low approval ratings. In fact, his overall rating did rise on the last day of the poll, after he returned to the White House from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and addressed the nation on the crisis in the Gulf Coast.

But in the early days of this crisis, many Americans are withholding judgment about his handling of it. Fifty-four percent approve of the way the President is handling Hurricane Katrina, and only 12 percent disapprove -- but one-third can't say yet. This question was added to the poll on Tuesday, the day after Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. Gulf coast.

BUSH’S HANDLING OF HURRICANE KATRINA

Bush’s current rating for his handling of Hurricane Katrina is actually lower than what his father, former president George H.W. Bush received for his handling of Hurricane Andrew. In September 1992, nearly two-thirds approved of then-President Bush’s handling of Hurricane Andrew, while three in 10 disapproved -- but that poll was conducted nearly three weeks after Hurricane Andrew hit Florida.

[GRLMGC]

1. How is that possible?

He's done nothing. Like seriously, nothing.

[tridim]

7. It's not

CBS is lying.

[Robeson]

13. I agree. They are lying.

[CityDem]

30. MSM BS

More lies from the MSM. Bush's poll numbers are in the tank and swirling downward.

[expatriot]

8. maybe rove is doing research... how much bush needs to do or

NOT do in order to get a certain approval rating.

[formernaderite]

59. I think perhaps because the victims themselves have been

yelling at the mayor and governor when interviewed. The mayor, unfortunately left town. Sadly they've not seen the news pictorials to know what's going on beyond their own situation. By Sunday this humanitarian crisis will have passed...Bush will probably come out looking good I'm afraid.

[nashville_brook]

2. jeez, where'd they go to find those respondents?

siberia?

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

16. Not in NO or MS

[Totally Committed]

56. If Bush's "base" was seeing white people dying in NO,

his numbers would be VERY VERY VERY different.

Make no mistake about it: The people who are being left to die, are dying because of their color. Even POOR whites would have been "rescued" by now.

There is apparently a large segment of our society still okay with that.

Or, they could be lying... you decide.

TC

[Kitsune]

3. ...what?

He has done NOTHING.

Fifty-four percent of those surveyed approve of him doing nothing?

[Newsjock]

4. Honest to god, this is gonna push me over the edge

If America can't get its head out of its collective ass over this one, I'm done. In fact, we're all done.

[Emillereid]

23. My reaction exactly. If this is true, I swear it's the last straw with

this brain dead nation!

[TheDonkey]

5. media coverage is getting critical. soon America will see the truth

and this administrations horrible planning and strategy.

[Gato Moteado]

6. he hasn't done anything except.....

1. fly over and look at the damage from his plane
2. smirk while talking about how tough it's gonna be for the victims
3. turn down aid from russia and some other countries

wow, and 54% of the people approve? what did they do....only poll racist freeper filth?

[Gloria]

9. If it stays this way, I'm going to kill myself...I can't stand this

country anymore if they let this jerk off the hook...I'm sure "our Democrats" will oblige, of course....

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

10. Readying the catapult....

[WatchWhatISay]

35. Well they better pull that thing WAY back

cause they are gonnna need it to fire off this huge ball o' shit.

[Clarkie1]

11. People simply aren't informed of the facts yet.

They don't know yet what Bush failed to do before to prepare for an event like this, how he cut funding for what would have saved many of these people's lives, and how the ineptitude of his response over the last few days.

These numbers will change. People are going to be very, very angry when they learn the truth of what could have been done to prevent much of this.

[genius]

12. His policies caused the disaster and he only did a fly-over.

Gee, I bet all employees wish they could get that kind of approval from their bosses for causing a disaster and then looking at it from a distance.

[AntiCoup2K4]

I hate to say I told ya so, but....

I told ya so. He's handled this situation WORSE than he's handled the war (if that's even imaginable), but he'll be proclaimed a "hero" again by monday, just as he was for doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on September 14, 2001.

[speedoo]

18. You will soon be proven wrong. n/t

[speedoo]

14. This will get much, much worse for the Coward.

This poll does not reflect today's criticism from the media, nor does it reflect anything close to the number of people killed. Most people have no clue how bad that number will be and they don't understand how badly the Coward and FEMA screwed this up.

His overall approval is 41%, a 4 point drop, consistent with other polls.

[RoyGBiv]

15. Oh, screw that ...

I work with some die-hard Bush-bots who were today all in their evil little freeper huddle exercising their tiny, little freeper minds, and even they were talking about how Shrub's response has been idiotic. One actually used that word. "Makes him look bad" was another phrase used.

Approval rating polls are open to wide interpretation anyway, but that kind of result is just stupid.

[EST]

21. I suspect that the responses in favor of the little creep

were actually designed to try to turn the tide, rather than reflecting real opinion. (As in --well, he may be a crook, but he's our crook.)

[Maple]

17. It was right after he returned

to the WH and people thought he was actually going to do something.

They have now been disabused of even that last faint hope.

This week will do him in. You'll note that even on this one, 1/3 withheld judgement

[jackbourassa]

19. Don't worry too much

He will get that initial bump. But I predict if you start a poll today or tomorrow his numbers will drop.

He's getting a lot of bad press.

Also, I think the Democratic Governor of Louisiana is done. Kathleen Blanco might as well not even run next year.

[tedoll78]

25. All statewide Dems are done.

Without the base city present to anchor our statewide candidates, we stand no chance. Without New Orleans, Louisiana will now be as red as Alabama.

[jackbourassa]

32. I agree tedoll78

I didn't want to sound crass by saying it out loud. But New Orleans is the Dems only shot in LA. Oh well.

But also because I think people are blaming her as much as Bush.

[FrenchieCat]

20. I was saying that to someone earlier......

We've got to raise the temperature round here. These funding cuts and the disassembling of FEMA are getting no play in the corporate media.

That's why I said that it is very important that we put pressure on the corporate media to report this particular issue....Why Katrina was the disaster that it was....instead they are just covering the fact that it is. Big difference!

[tedoll78]

22. Still too early to tell. Look at the poll dates.

Louisiana was totally in the clear at the earliest on Tuesday, so this poll was taken while the last drops of rain were falling on New Orleans.

This poll was taken before the looting, before the media's critical eye, and before nearly 4 days have gone by without any appearance of an effective handling of this disaster. Next week's numbers will be much more telling. By then, the implications and details of this disaster will be more fully understood to all.

[jackbourassa]

33. tedoll78

Again, I agree. Great political minds think alike.

The shit didn't get really bad for Bush until today.

This poll became obsolete before it was even released.

I wouldn't put much faith into it.

[ThoughtCriminal]

24. People in the region have no phone service

Where all the calls made to? Wyoming?

[socalover]

26. Damn phucquing happy I moved back to California!

[Dr Fate]

27. Have they polled the evacuees and their families yet?

???

[texpatriot2004]

28. They polled 871 people, give me a break! They didn't ask me.

They didn't ask the people in my family. The sample isn't large enough to be accurate anyway. It's bogus and misleading but they get the Bush friendly headline.

[obreaslan]

53. They didn't tell you but....

They polled 871 people at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., in Washington, D.C.

[ngGale]

29. That poll is complete BS...

n/t

[Pallas180]

31. are you kidding me?

what are they calling - a republican mailing list?

[WatchWhatISay]

34. I heard Bush speak the other day, (Tuesday?)

and I told my husband that, finally after 5 years, it looked like he was going to handle something right.

But now its a couple of days later, things have gone from bad to worse, and it is obvious that it was just one of those speeches that had nothing to do with the reality that was about to follow. All hat and no cattle. . . again.

So I am hoping that this poll (CBS EARLY poll)was done before today. Because this was like when they kept talking about the Iraq insurgency being in its last throes, when we could all see on TV that it was falling apart over there. So today Bush and his cabinet and all of their mouthpieces keep coming on TV giving long lists of what they are going to do for these people, spliced in with what we can see and hear from everybody else on the tube, the awful scenes and the journalists honesty in reporting that it has descended into chaos.

If I am right about this, a new poll taken after today should show a sharp reversal.

[Warren DeMontague]

36. Is that the same polling group where 64% of the respondents thought

"All lifeforms on Earth have existed in their present forms since the beginning of time"?

I dunno. Lot of people in this country are fucking brain dead, that's all I can get from this.

[WCGreen]

37. I hate to say this but after the dick head walks around

in a few controled areas today, wearin dungaree's...

People will think he is showing leadership.....

They want to believe the president is doing something....

They really do.....

But wait, there is more.....

Sen Landerau is one of the reasons for the spike in Bush's approval ratings as is Clinton, giving him political cover.....

[Halliburton]

38. this poll was taken Tues

so it's not relevant.

[OneTwentyoNine]

40. That was my first thought--WHEN was the poll taken.....

Take another today or tomorrow and see how it comes out after nights of the horror in NO shown on national TV....

[Mad_Dem_X]

39. Another bullshit poll

I don't believe it for a second.

[deutsey]

41. I hope I'm wrong, but I suspect Bush will come out of this shitstorm

smelling like a rose.

I really hope I'm wrong...

[OneTwentyoNine]

42. Nope...WAY,WAY to much TV coverage of the suffering.....n't

[deutsey]

47. As I say, I hope you're right...however

I'm hearing people around me here at work making all sorts of excuses for why aid isn't getting to the victims.

"They're shooting at helicopters."

"There's only so much they can do. It's not like they can get in there."

"They're sending ships. It takes time for them to get there."

In other words, a number of people I'm seeing are not making the bigger connections, even though they're watching all the coverage we are.

I'm hoping they're in the minority, but I'm not convinced of that at the moment.

[leesa]

43. Wouldn't surprise me. Absolutely NO ONE is talking about this where

I work...and it's a University. Lot's of Bush/Cheney stickers, brand new ones on trucks and cars.

[mnmoderatedem]

44. not to worry

once it makes it out in the media as to how the Department of Homeland Security has taken over the show and has actually BLOCKED relief efforts, his approval ratings will get lower, if that's possible...

[deadparrot]

45. This is so, so fucked.

I didn't think my anger at huge percentages of Americans could be topped after November 2004.

I've been proven wrong.

Excuse me while I curl into a ball and sob. :cry:

[auburngrad82]

46. They only polled oil executives

They're thrilled with Bush's response.

Everyone else thinks he sucks.

[blondeatlast]

48. These are early stats. Let's see what happens when the bodies pile

up, the streets dry out, and we know the real devastation.

Even the lapdog press is attacking the lack of relief efforts.

[JugDack]

49. He'll be at 55% approval or better soon.

Sorry, but I think people just want to support the president during a time of crisis. It's not logical. It's certainly not justified in this case. It's like a reflex, and I don't think it can be stopped. He'll ride this right past any problems with Antiwar/Sheehan, SCOTUS/Roberts, Rove/Plame, etc. And anybody who pushes those issues in the next few weeks will be tarred with "politicizing" the disaster and see their own poll ratings sink like a stone.

And we're all f*cked again, as the cow(sh*t)boy smirks off into the sunset...

:banghead:

[mdguss]

60. No he won't:

He'll be lucky to be above 25%. Between the thing that happend in Iraq (killing 1,000) people and the Hurricane, nothing good came out of the week for the president.

This is the richest country in the world. We have plenty of extra food and water, and people know it. But we can't get it to people who are dying of thirst and starvation in New Orleans. We've spent four years as a nation obsessed with this very scenario (the destruction of a major city); but there wasn't a plan.

People are seeing it for what it is: a national disgrace. National disgraces get blamed on the president. Notice he changed his tune to the response on the ground is unacceptable. They probably are running internal polls at the White House--polls that show a huge decrease in approval ratings and a giant leap in the president's "out of touch" rating. My guess is his approval rating will be in the high 20's or low 30's next week and for the foreseeible future.

[npincus]

50. BULLSHIT

[enough already]

51. No Fucking Way

I don't believe that for a second. This is finally the end of Bush and even CBS isn't going to be able to save him.

[obreaslan]

52. CBS = Complete Bull Shit. eom.

[DaveinMD]

54. that's a low positive

for handling a crisis. The rally around the Pres factor is usually much higher. A similar poll afert 9-11, had him over 90 percent.

[Beetwasher]

55. Poll Taken TUESDAY, 54% BLOWS CHUNKS FOR CHIMPY

That's an AWFUL number and it WILL go down, considerably. Right after 9/11 he was at 90%+. Not nearly as many people are giving him the benefit of the doubt this time, and that poll was taken before any really knew what a catastrophe the hurrican was and how poorly the feds performed.

[DemsUnited]

57. Exactly, poll taken BEFORE people dying in streets from dehydration

starvation and lack of medical attention. News stories started turning pessimistic Tuesday/Wednesday. And by Thursday, every MSNBC, CNN, and network reporter I saw were pissed as hell and calling out the government.

[gristy]

58. An on-line poll a couple days ago was nearly the opposite

It was something like 58% "poor response" and 15% "excellent response". I remember noting that it was a 4:1 ratio.