Bush Numbers Hit New Low: majority say job performance fair or poor

Zogby ^ | Sept. 6, 2003

[mrweb]

Bush Numbers Hit New Low; Dean Tops List of Democratic Presidential Contenders, New Zogby America Poll Reveals

President George W. Bush’s job performance ratings have reached the lowest point since his pre-Inauguration days, continuing a steady decline since a post-9/11 peak, according to a new Zogby America poll of 1,013 likely voters conducted September 3-5.

Less than half (45%) of the respondents said they rated his job performance good or excellent, while a majority (54%) said it was fair or poor.

In August Zogby International polling, his rating was 52% positive, 48% negative. Today’s results mark the first time a majority of likely voters have given the president an unfavorable job performance rating since he took office.

Bush Job Performance Positive % Negative %

September 2003 45% 54%

August 2003 52% 48%

July 2003 53% 46%

March 2003 54% 45%

September 2002 64% 36%

September 2001 82% 17%

August 2001 50% 49%

January 2001 42% 36%

[alnick]

If ya don't think the president is doing an excellent job, but don't give him the top of the two medium grades, I would consider that a negative review.

Fair is neutral, which isn't positive or negative. I agree with everyone who said that consistency in polling methods are what's most important, though. If Zogby lumped fair with poor with previous presidents, then I wouldn't expect him to do it any differently with this one.

Frankly, I like the idea of the 'rats counting a neutral poll result as a negative. They should never misunderestimate this president.

[dogbyte12]

40% of the respondents said they would vote to re-elect President Bush, 47% said they would vote for somebody else. In all the good/fair debate, that number has been ignored.

I don't buy that number btw. People vent around now. Those numbers will change. But as I have mentioned earlier, all this does is stop complacency. Nobody is invincible.

[Belial]

Polls mean nothing to this POTUS.

Are you really that naive? Do you think all of Bush's expensive internal polling for Rove is done for the fun of it?

[Mike Darancette]

OBTW: I think that Bush might get about 50% fair on FR.

[Timesink]

Zogby's methods are consistent. You can judge his methodology, but when he was putting out 82% positive 17% negative right after 9-11, he was using the same 4 categories.

Let's not forget about outliers. It's quite possible to do everything right statistically, and still get a dud result every once in a while. (Whether this is an outlier, I can't say. But they do exist.)

In general though, my problems with Zogby are that his methods, while consistent, are just plain wrong, because of the game he plays with the term "fair." He practically always shows the president's support level as being 5 to 10 points lower than every other poll in the nation, so I see no reason to believe these numbers are not equally off-base.

In any case, everything else you say is right IMHO, dogbyte. This is a poll taken at the very end of summer in the third year of a president's first term, which is often when any president get his lowest approval ratings. The election is an eternity away, the RAT candidates are slowly starting to turn on each other, the economy is just starting to rebound from its lows and most people haven't noticed it yet ... even if Bush's approval rating really WERE 45%, for Labor Day 2003 I'll happily take those numbers. They've got nowhere to go but up.

[jimbo123]

Zogby = Terror Apologist

[Timesink]

40% of the respondents said they would vote to re-elect President Bush, 47% said they would vote for somebody else. In all the good/fair debate, that number has been ignored.

Let's not forget that whenever the generic "Somebody Else" is replaced by an actual person who has any realistic chance of ending up being the RAT candidate (questions that Mr. Zogby apparently did not bother to ask, but many other pollers have), Bush beats them all by a minimum of 10 points (usually more like 15). Lots of people love to bloviate about "throwing the bum out," regardless of who the "bum" is, but as soon as they're presented with one of the names they're actually going to have to choose from, they capitulate instantaneously. "Bush? Yeah, I'm tired of him. Let's get someone new. What? President Dean?!? President HILLARY?!?? Holy crap! Dubya forever, man!"

[Timesink]

The poll numbers would drop, the Dems would use up all their best ammo, then Bush could come out swinging, with room to surge in the polls.

And the swinging starts with Bush's address to the nation tomorrow night, right on schedule!

[HitmanLV]

It would be nice if he and Tony Blair announce the info on WMD, also. That would derail these jokers in a big way.

[PISANO]

Yeah I am that NAIVE......I don't agree with much the POTUS has done domestically (except tax cuts) which the greater majority of the people were AGAINST and except for those tax cuts I would venture to say that 85% of conservatives don't agree with his domestic agenda. However I do agree with his position on the WAR which as you KNOW, because you are NOT naive, that, due to the public's short attention span, they are growing more and more impatient with. I trust he will stay the course despite PUBLIC OPINION on that subject.

[Rockitz]

Certainly gives all those who think Bush is unbeatable next year some pause. It's gonna be a fight to the wire because this economy is going nowhere. Any boosts we have seen to date are due to government spending on defense.

[jimbo123]

Zogby = Terror Apologist

[jimbo123]

James Zogby and Billy Blisters

[Lucy Lake]

Consider our alternatives...I'll still vote for President Bush.

[Ann Archy]

Americans sure are STUPID!! They wuld rather have a better stock market than LIFE.....have they forgotten we are at WAR for our very existence and civilization??

[jimbo123]

It's going to be a fight against Dean The Mad Abortionist? Ketchup Boy? Hitlery Rotten?

[Diogenesis]

Zogby's Arab and proTerrorist Poll.

He has less credibility than Debka OR the New York Times.

[Gunder]

Good point! I'd like to see the question asked again, this time with "Good" and "Fair" lumped together.

No liberal media my ARSE!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Faith-Hope]

If anyone has heard John Zogby on the radio you would hear him singing Dr. Dean's agenda. I use to think that Mr. Zogby was on the up and up. I know Rush use to sing his praises. What do I think now? I think Mr. Zogby has the power to swing elections. If you have been paying attention to the media in the past quarter you have heard them pounding Bush about anything and everything. You have seen this happening here on Free Republic. I do think this is a concerted effort to destroy President Bush. Frankly I feel much safer with Mr. Bush in the White House.

[Pikamax]

anyone take a good look at Zogby's site? he has articles linked from the DUmmies and stuff like this I thought he was supposed to be objective or something? The whole site is basically pro liberal.