There’s only one reason for this over-all high unfavorability: The Iraq War.
I know there are other issues. Conservatives disliked his big government tendencies and his lack of interest in the border. Liberals disliked his tax cuts and basic pro-business mind-set. But that’s all background radiation.
The force at the core driving Bush’s favorability numbers lower was — and continues to be — the war in Iraq.
And I say that as a simple fact, without passing any judgement on the war myself.
There’s only one reason for this over-all high unfavorability: The Iraq War.
You don’t think that the biggest recession in half a century — one that has thrown 20 percent of people out of work (if you cut thru the gov’t obfuscation) and turned us into Foreclosure Nation — might have a tiny bit to do with Hoover’s/er, Bush’s unpopularity? I’d say that’s the beginning and the ending of the answer.
Yes, I know that Obama has made it last longer than it should have, and go even deeper — but it started under W, including a stock market crash and a financial seize-up that had average people worrrying about bank runs and mass joblessness. All of that was happening during the last six months of Bush. Go back and read the news from August of 2008 thru Jan 2009. We were in a financial meltdown - Hoover Part Deux.