Poll: Bush credibility down (BS Title Alert)(Bush 51% Kerry 47%)

USA Today ^ | 3/29/2004 | Richard Benedetto

[icwhatudo]

Poll: Bush credibility down By Richard Benedetto, USA TODAY WASHINGTON — President Bush's credibility rating is down since his former counterterrorism chief went public last week with accusations that Bush minimized the al-Qaeda threat to focus on getting rid of Iraq's Saddam Hussein, according to a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll. The Bush administration did not do all it could to prevent the attacks, 54% say, and 53% say the White House is covering up something about its handling of intelligence before Sept. 11.

Still, 67% say the administration should not have been expected to prevent the tragedy.

But Americans' doubts have not meant greater reluctance to return Bush to office.

In a two-way matchup, Bush leads Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic candidate, 51%-47%, which is a 7 percentage-point gain in three weeks for Bush and a 5-point drop for Kerry. Three weeks ago, when Kerry was coming off a string of primary victories, Bush trailed him by 6 points.

[icwhatudo]

Every number is up for Bush and down for Kerry except Bush's "approval of his leadership in the war on terror is down to 58%, the lowest level of his presidency". The title of the article is not supported by any info contained within and almost every number is up for Bush.

[Sangria]

USA Today's credibility is down with me. I think they lean toward the left.

[freekitty]

Nonsense.

[ConservativeMan55]

John Kerry owes me a new computer.

[Patrick1]

Yes..and the sun rises in the east.

[dwd1]

Still, 67% say the administration should not have been expected to prevent the tragedy.

??

I agree that it is very likely that nothing could have been done to prevent all of 9/11. The problem Bush has here is that it happened on his watch. If he can convince the majority of the electorate that he will not let it happen again and he can get some movement on jobs, he will be re-elected. If not, he will get some quality time in Crawford next year.

[icwhatudo]

The numbers in article that changed from previous poll:

In a two-way matchup, Bush leads Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic candidate, 51%-47%, which is a 7 percentage-point gain in three weeks for Bush and a 5-point drop for Kerry. Three weeks ago, when Kerry was coming off a string of primary victories, Bush trailed him by 6 points.

Before they began, 60% rated Kerry favorably and 26% unfavorably. Now, 53% view him favorably and 36% unfavorably.

Bush held steady at 57% favorable, 41% unfavorable.

But approval of his leadership in the war on terror is down to 58%, the lowest level of his presidency.

Overall, 56% say it was worth going to war in Iraq, little change from the 55% who said that in early March. However, only 50% see Iraq as part of the war on terrorism, down from 57% last August.

However, when poll respondents were asked whether they trusted Bush or Kerry more to make a decision about sending troops to war, Bush came out ahead, 52%-41%. In late, February, people trusted Kerry more, 50%-45%.

SO WHERE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT SUPPORT THEIR TITLE????

[lilylangtree]

Do the "Moonies" still own USA Today?

[ambrose]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/polls/usatodaypolls.htm

Bush gained 7 points, and Kerry dropped 5%.

That's a 12% swing in Bush's favor since the last Gallup poll was taken - before Clarke's testimony.

Looks like the Clarke testimony has backfired, BIG TIME.

[RWR8189]

Gallup Ping

FReepmail me if you want to be on or off the list.

[FRgal4u]

Holy cow, Bush is over 50% in gallup.

There must be a lot of sad faces in the DNC.

I heard Susan esterich said the Bush presidency is all over.

Somehow I think the worst impact from the Clarke thing had passed.

Seriously, like I posted elsewhere, in order to make a charge sticks, the public has to buy in the idea in the first place.

To charge Bush is soft on terror while Clinton has the highest priority on the issue just don't pass the smell test.

As long as Bush is comparing Clinton on the WOT stuff, he will win every single time. Kerry is the third man out there, and his message will get lost in the charges, countercharges between the Whitehouse and Clarke.

One thing tho - Bush must be careful about the "he is obsessed with Iraq" charge, Bob Woodward is coming out with a hit book in Mid April - citing the WH pushes Powell to lie about the evidence in the UN and portrait the president as some religious zealot.

The Bush team may bite the bullet this time around in the polls, but they can't count on being lucky all the time. Get ready to line up and fight against the liberal scum in the media.

[marlon]

No the Moonies own The Washington Times which is an unabashidly conservative newspaper. Go figure. I really don't know the Moonies platform but I never perceived it to be conservative.

[Recovering_Democrat]

BWA HA HA HA HA! The left wanted this to be the beginning of the end for GWB. It ain't workin'! Still, I'd like to see a bit more of a fight from the White House. Or, perhaps, dare I say it, the Republicans on the Hill????

[Iron Matron]

I know who I am voting for. I know who I find credible. USA Today, Babs, and the swimmer will not change my mind or the minds of thousands of Christians and Patriots (and Christian Patriots).

Its Good againts evil this time, and I am not the only one who believes this. Since good always wins over evil in the end, if evil (kerry or any dem) wins the presidency , then I concede that God has decided it is time for this nation to become socialist, time to prepare for the pus of society to bring war to the Homeland.

A bunch of evil, loathsome stuff has to happen before Christ returns - if that does not call for the "JUDAS DEMS" to be in power to obtain true satanic evil, then I dont know what does.

[ilgipper]

I agree that it is very likely that nothing could have been done to prevent all of 9/11. The problem Bush has here is that it happened on his watch. If he can convince the majority of the electorate that he will not let it happen again and he can get some movement on jobs, he will be re-elected. If not, he will get some quality time in Crawford next year.

That's a little over-dramatic. The wackjobs on the left are doing their damndest to pin this on Bush. So far, it's not getting the desired effect. Sure, the numbers took a minor hit. I am sure there is more to come. The major media will do their part, but I don't think it is going to stick. Unless the GOP completely drops the ball, the images of 9-11 include strong leadership from GWB and Guliani. History will not be re-written.

They are bring out all the stops in this campaign, but fortunately the liberal media now has competition in television, internet, and radio. Our message still gets through. If this election did not have the leftwing media and unscrupulous Dems, it would be an historic landslide. With this circus atmosphere, they will make it fairly close.

[easonc52]

SO WHERE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT SUPPORT THEIR TITLE????

The only thing that supports the title is toward the bottom of the article IMO.

Mark Mellman, pollster for the Kerry campaign, says repeated charges that Bush has not performed well in the war on terror are eroding public confidence in his ability to carry the fight. "A lot of questions have been raised about his core issue, the war on terror," he says.

Other than that, I don't see it (I could be wrong).

[gal522]

If DNC is pulling things like Clarke out of their hats NOW, eight months prior to the election, what sort of dirty stuff do you think they have planned in October?

[EllaMinnow]

Thanks, icwhatudo!

Better breakdown of numbers here, cyn and jim.

[TXLady]

I agree with you 100%. I know who I will vote for and I know certain things have to happen to usher in the terrible things we know are coming. I pray for the President daily and truly believe that if Christians pray the end results are in God's hands.

[FRgal4u]

One thing about what the media scum is doing to me personally is - I was pretty lukewarm about the Iraqi war, I personally met with families who had lost their sons and I was pretty upset as well. But after I see what the media left what us to do in WOT, all those finger pointings and all the charges against GWB, I am totally had it, I am fumed to the max, and I double my quota to sign up more undecided to vote this fall. I am gonna have my SUV ready and haul these people out to the polling places. I just don't care what the media scum is saying, I feel they are trying to squash what I believe in, I feel they are trying to blame all the ills of the world on our president and America and I won't ever let that happen in my lifetime. Time for the grassroots, get busy and show the media scum that they have no power over us.