[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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

---

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

I never trust a poll if they don't print the exact questions which were asked.

[nightowl]

Rumsfeld & Senator Bob Graham D-FL will be on Meet the Press this Sunday.

[Mr.Clark]

Does this remind anyone of the huge flap over "Bush knew about 9-11!" hysteria over a year ago? Little actual story, but the press and the Dems go absolutely wild for a week or so.

[zip]

Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Yeah, right. Like there is an ounce of credibility there. Those anti-American idiots would never run an honest poll.

[Mudboy Slim]

"Bush's overall job approval rating dropped to 59 percent, down nine points in the past 18 days. That decline exactly mirrored the slide in public support for Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq, which now stands at 58 percent."

While I support Dubyuh's handling in Iraq, my approval level vis a vis his Milquetoast domestic performance has dropped considerably of late...I wonder what percentage of his loss in popularity is from conservatives who don't like Dubyuh's performance on DrugFerWealthyOldFolks and domestic spending?!

Dubyuh's treading on thin ice if he thinks he can take fiscal and social conservatives fer granted as he flirts with the muddledmiddle, IMHO.

FReegards...MUD

[ladyinred]

With the 24/7 blitz of lies in the media I don't wonder his ratings are going down. The White House needs to come out swinging like yesterday. The war on the homefront has heated up.

[Mo1]

I'd like to know exactly how these polls were worded and what choices they were given to answer to

Also .. I can't help by notice all the names WP mention but yet can't print the names of the "top level anonymous sources"

hmmmmmmmm

[Z-28]

The Democrats opprobriate President Bush's every good action.

2004 will be a Bush landslide, even against Hillary. Yep. she's running.

Because, overall, the American people prefer the positive, not the total negativity of the left.

[veronica]

59% is a very respectable number. My recollection is that Bush has been hovering at around 60% recently, so what's the big whoop about this poll? Funny how these push polls come out just as the press is pushing its agenda - that agenda of course being to smear President Bush and delegitimize the Iraq war. Push an agenda, then take a poll to try and bolster that agenda. Happens all the time. Especially with an election coming up, and the Democrats stuck in a quagmire. ;) I do think however that Bush looks goofy schlepping around Africa, when the situation is still so dicey in Iraq. The war is ongoing, and the WH needs to take that into account in it's general attitude and political strategery. What the heck is a trip to Africa going to do for his administration at this point in time?