Posted on 09/02/2005 1:46:49 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative
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.
Bushs 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 Bushs handling of Hurricane Andrew, while three in 10 disapproved -- but that poll was conducted nearly three weeks after Hurricane Andrew hit Florida.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Take that, Ted Koppel.
How could his ratings have raised after he addressed the nation. The NYT's said it was the worst speech of his life. Hmmmm. Maybe the NYT's is out of touch with reality. Go figure. Of course CBS is desparetely trying to spin these numbers any way it can and even goes so far as to project terrible numbers in its next poll. But then, isn't CBS part of the NYT's?
Possibly true. But I imagine that by now, 98% of us disapprove of pollsters and their sheer idiocy.
These people need to get real jobs, as it is, they're leeches.
I don't recall Hurricane Andrew all that well, but did President George H.W. Bush have to deal with an ill prepared local government that refused to recognize the danger its city was in? Or how about two related disasters... a hurricane and then 24 hours later, the flooding?
Myself, I'll be withholding any judgment on the handling of the relief effort until well after the recovery is nearly done. I suspect this disaster is going to highlight our nation's need for a comprehensive and modern natural disaster relief and recovery plan. I don't doubt that our current procedures are better than any other country in the world, but we're America - and when the fallout clears we're gong to be sitting down and trying to figure out how to do this better. In the past, our haphazard conglomeration of relief efforts, and loose coordination have been sufficient, but after this expectations are going to be higher the next time.
Perhaps we can cut back on our foreign aid while we fund and build an emergency response, recovery, relief system in our own country. Stock piles of non-perishables, streamlined procurement for perishables, transport and evacuation plans, quick construction temporary shelter capabilities... Rapid deployment large scale medical assistance, etc. Can it be done? For a few years at 15-20 billion dollars that we currently spend on foreign aid, I'm sure we'll be able to think of something.
Bump!
Question. How did the Dem Mayor get his "SOS" out to the media???? It was the first we heard of him since Katrina hit.
Give it a week.
Of course it was the Federal government's job to know in advance where the hurricane was going to hit. Of course it was the Federal government's job to have men, machines and meals on the ground the minute the devastation hit. Of course it was the Federal government's job to move in and take over when the ill-prepared mayor of NO and the governor of Louisiana floundered and fell flat in their so-called preparedness for disaster.< /sarcasm>
Let's just hope that today we'll see a pointed response to some of the inane questions being asked of FEMA, DoD and the rest.
OH NO! Only 12% disapprove. The MSM is not doing their job! Gotta get those disapproval numbers up!
It wouldn't matter to that fringe 12% what Bush did. If it's Bush, they are against it, they don't even need to know what "IT" is. Amen.
If a terrorist nuclear attack occurs is that FEMA's responsibility or not? An honest question, but I am shocked and ashamed that 4 years of planning after 9/11 our rapid response to a disaster has been so poor and ill-coordinated.
The majority of American's are just not as stupid as the dims and MSM hopes they are regardless of all the lies they constantly spew.
A stupid poll? This is the LAST thing that is needed at this time. Leave it to leftist's and the main stream media, to focus on a poll during a national catastrophe.
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