Bush's Approval Rating Drops Sharply (Bush approval: 59%)

Washington Post ^ | 07/12/03 | Richard Morin and Claudia Deane

[Pokey78]

Snip:

Despite broad doubts and growing concerns, few Americans say it's time for the troops to come home. Three in four support the current U.S. presence in Iraq -- a view shared by large majorities of Republicans (89 percent), Democrats (60 percent) and political independents (75 percent).

Typical poll where anyone can make anything out of it.

[Support Free Republic]

A horse walks into a bar. The bartender comes up and says "Hey pal, what will it be?"

The horse orders a beer.

A few minutes later, John Kerry walks in and sits at the bar. The bartender walks up and says "Hey pal, cheer up. Why the long face?"

I'll stop if you guys will donate and get us over our fundraising goal

[Batrachian]

The Bush numbers will continue to go down if those jobs numbers don't turn around (they won't), and if things are perceived as going badly in Iraq. The news media is aggresively pushing the story of how bad things are in Iraq. I don't know the real story there, but I'm not very hopeful.

[tubebender]

It's going to be a tough weekend for the President...

[dagnabbit]

I'm sure it'll all turn around after a massive illegal alien amnesty.

[Hildy]

The press has put its teeth into this and they're going to do everything in their power to make sure GWB looks bad. I'm just hoping that the public has come a long way. I honestly don't know.

[RoseofTexas]

By faith! Greater is he that's in us than he that in the world!! All we can do is pray for our President and America! Satan is out there only to kill and destroy what is good and noble. PRAY for a good outcome from all this MESS!!

[nailspitter]

Their last poll had him at 68% if I remember correctly. That was five or six points above everyone else. Several polls out in the last few days have Bush at 60-61%. This is in line with those. I suspect their earlier poll was flawed. Not to worry.

[RoseofTexas]

that=that's

[snooker]

Laqst I saw Bush stood at 60% for the last month or so.

[kesg]

The interesting question for me (I didn't read the article) is where the drop from their last poll is coming from. Bush hasn't exactly given his base much to cheer about over the last three or four weeks (e.g. reaction to recent Supreme Court decisions, Medicare bill, government spending in general, Israel and Liberia related issues). The last time he dipped into the 50s, it was when his base was getting impatient over attacking Iraq and messing around with the UN.

[Joe Hadenuf]

He ought to get the hell out of Africa and come home, and concern himself with this country, our economy, our borders and sovereignty, and figure out what the hell we are suppose to be doing in Iraq....Him watching the freaking elephants do the bump, aint helping him at all back home.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" The Bush numbers will continue to go down if those jobs numbers don't turn around "

Last week,on Friday's NBC Nightly News, when Brian Williams was discussing the economy and President Bush,he showed black and white footage of hundreds of men on bread lines during the Depression. The equation was unmistakable.

[coloradan]

Media spin alert! Bush's approval drops from 68 to 59% and that's "drops sharply" but when the Million Moron attendence goes from 40,000 to 400 from the first year to the second, it merely "dips."

[metalboy]

Well of course it`s going to drop as we have seen how many people love fiction in this country when it relates to the `rats, ie: Hitlerys book sales, as to when fiction is thrown upon the right. 'Oh so what if Clinton lied on national TV and lied ten billion other times. He was a `rat and that don`t count." BTW, here`s an EXTREMELY annoying flash cartoon I made today. I suggest you ask the kids to leave the room and you wear earplugs before hitting it.(I`m not kidding)Any suggestions for adding to it?

Hitlery speech

[Pukin Dog]

I think you folks should stop worrying so much. When the full force of the Media can only drive Bush's numbers down a few points, you should be happy, not worried. THEY are the ones that are worried. Let them have their weekend. Who cares? Dont forget; Bush is the one who decided to make the announcement on this subject. I think he is pulling the Dems in, so he can shoot them at close range. I'll worry when Bush looks worried.

[FranklinsTower]

I wouldn't really read too much into this poll. Summer poll numbers are inaccurate due to people being on vacation.

[Marcus Alonzo Hanna]

This chart should add some perspective. People who claim Bush's approval has dropped "sharply" in x number of days thanks to the news coverage need to be smacked upside the head.

Although the chart shows declines from the peaks of 9/11 and the Iraq war, the declines are quite consistent and can be traced in almost straight lines. Indeed, following the straight post-war line, Bush's approval should be averaging 58% on or about today, July 10. The fact that this poll shows 59% and it's the low of the last 3 polls (67%, 60%, 59%) may be a sign that Bush's approvals are beginning to stabilize.

The bottom line is that we should assume a softening in the approval rating over the next few months. This is a product of the perfectly normal and predictable waring off of the statue falling, not day-to-day events.

[Joe Hadenuf]

I'll worry when Bush looks worried.

LOL, maybe that's the problem. No concern, or worry about the economy, our borders, and govenment spending. Everything is not peachy, and most everyone knows it, yet he is not worried? Hehehe.....He better have a talk with his Dad......

[deport]

Polls go up and down......

---

CBS News Poll. July 8-9, 2003. N=753 adults nationwide. MoE ± 4.

.

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?"
		Approve	Disap- prove	Don't Know
		%	%	%
	7/8-9/03	60	32	8
	6/12-13/03	66	27	7
	5/27-28/03	64	29	7

---

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. June 19-July 2, 2003. N=1,201 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.
.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?"
		Approve	Disap- prove	Don't Know
		%	%	%
	6/19 - 7/2/03	60	29	11
	4/30 - 5/4/03	65	27	8

---

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. June 30-July 1, 2003. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 3.
.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the job George W. Bush is doing as president?"
		Approve	Disap- prove	Don't Know
		%	%	%		.
	6/30 - 7/1/03	60	27	13
	6/17-18/03	65	25	10
	6/3-4/03	66	26	8
	5/20-21/03	64	26	10

---

Gallup Poll and CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll
.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?"
		Approve	Disap- prove	Don't Know
		%	%	%		N
	6/27-29/03	61	36	3		1,003
	6/12-15/03	63	33	4		1,006
	6/9-10/03	62	34	4		1,029
	5/30 - 6/1/03	64	32	4		1,019

---

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. June 18-22, 2003. N=1,024 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3. Fieldwork by TNS Intersearch.
.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?"
		Approve	Disap- prove	Don't Know
		%	%	%
	6/18-22/03	68	29	4
	4/27-30/03	71	26	3

---