Bush: Less Popular Than Nixon During Watergate

Unfortunately these numbers don't mean anything unless those who don't like the way he's handling the job vote next year against those who support shrub. Maybe then he'll pay attention to every citizen and not to the ones who just say yes and blindly follow every decision he makes. I doubt it though

 

I'm not familiar with the watergate scandal but.. did anybody die or get hurt because of the watergate scandal? or were there any significant taxpayer money spent ofr it? or did ameican become more unsafe becasue of itl?

 

That's hilarious. It seems amazing that this could be true and that Republicans hold onto their seats.

 

You took the words right out of my mouth........

 

Looking at the breakdown of the poll, Republicans comprised 35% of the people polled, Democrats were 37%, and Independents were 28%.

Republicans are still firmly in his corner with over 70% of them approving of his job. Over 80% of Democrats disaproved of Bush. The real interesting stat is that over 70% independents disaproved of Bush.

Basically, Democrats disaprove of Bush more than Republicans approve and Independents disaprove of Bush as much as Republicans approve.

 

BRING ON THE FITZGERALD INDICTMENTS!!!!!

 

I'm not crying there is something in my eye.

 

America as a whole is just realizing the true cost of the War, that there is little possibility of realistic accomplishments to make it worth it. It has been almost 10 months since the election and the GOP is running scared for 11/06.

This is similar to in 1972 I believe when Nixon won re-election, Watergate was known by some, but the Watergate story finally became main stream months after the election. Within the year Nixon was on the ropes.

The lies and stupidity of the Iraq War are not holding anymore. I know there are still a substantial number of true believers in the War out there, but their spin is not holding and their numbers are declining.

 

Well, as soon as Bush starts breaking into hotel rooms, maybe this will be relevant.

 

Oh, he doesn't have to-- he OWNS the hotel rooms.

HE OWWWNS THEMMM!!!!

 

Here's the latest poll numbers, and a graph showing Bush's numbers since he obtained office in 2000:




The trend looks doesn't look good for Bush and the Republican Congress. It will interesting to see what impact, if any, the disaster unfolding in the New Orleans region will have. 9/11 helped Bush and his party politically, but we all knew that. The mid-term elections will tell us if the numbers really mean what I think they do, that Democrats will take back at least one branch of Congress.

Sorry... the news has really gotten me depressed. What's happening to New Orleans, and to the people of Louisiana and Mississippi, is blowing my mind, so I saw this as a slight diversion. This is the article that the graph was attached to, if anyone is interested. You have to register to read the Washington Post:


President's Poll Rating Falls to a New Low

In Post-ABC Survey, 53 Percent of Respondents Say They Disapprove of Bush

By Richard Morin and Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 31, 2005; A06

Rising gas prices and ongoing bloodshed in Iraq continue to take their toll on President Bush, whose standing with the public has sunk to an all-time low, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The survey found Bush's job approval rating at 45 percent, down seven points since January and the lowest ever recorded for the president in Post-ABC surveys. Fifty-three percent disapproved of the job Bush is doing.

The war has been a drag on Bush's presidency for many months, but his Iraq approval ratings in the new poll were little changed from two months ago, despite widespread violence, a rash of U.S. casualties, antiwar protests outside the president's Texas ranch and a growing debate about reducing U.S. troop levels.

What may have pushed Bush's overall ratings down in the latest poll is pervasive dissatisfaction over soaring gasoline prices. Two-thirds of those surveyed said gas prices are causing financial hardship to them or their families. Gas prices stand to go even higher after Hurricane Katrina's rampage through the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico.

More ominously for the president, six in 10 Americans said there are steps the administration could take to reduce gas prices. Slightly more than a third say the recent run-up has been due to factors beyond the administration's control.

"I supported him last year," said Gina Coleman, 29, a homemaker living in Camden County, N.J. "I wouldn't vote for him again. It's gas prices, the war -- just the way he has been handling things. The rise in gas is something that has been happening for a long time, and the prices are getting worse. This makes me feel more negative about him, definitely."

Bush also received negative marks for his handling of immigration, the economy and Social Security, although his ratings on the latter two were not as low as they were two months ago. A majority of Americans supported his handling of the campaign against terrorism.

The poll numbers paint a portrait of national frustration with the direction and leadership of the country, which, if not reversed in coming months, is likely to color the environment for next year's midterm elections, putting incumbents in both parties on the defensive.

Dissatisfaction is not limited to the president. Fewer than four in 10 Americans -- 37 percent -- approve of the way the Republican-controlled Congress is doing its job, the lowest rating for lawmakers in nearly eight years.

The survey also provided bad news for Democratic leaders, who are judged as offering Bush only tepid opposition. Slightly more than half of those surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with congressional Democrats for not opposing Bush more aggressively.

Self-identified Democrats were particularly impatient. More than three in four said congressional Democrats have not gone far enough to oppose Bush on Iraq or on administration policies in general.

"Somebody needs to speak up," said Michelle Burgess, 41, a home health aide in St. Louis. "Enough is enough. I don't understand why we're over there in Iraq or what he's doing on other issues. There are too many lives being lost."

Independents were similarly dissatisfied with Democratic leaders for not challenging the president over the war and other issues, with six in 10 saying Democrats have been too meek.

Public attitudes toward the war have not changed significantly since the first of the year, the poll found. Slightly more than four in 10 -- 42 percent -- approved of the job Bush is doing in Iraq; 57 percent disapproved, unchanged in recent months. Slightly more than half -- 53 percent -- said the war was not worth it, while 46 percent said it was, identical to the results of a Post-ABC poll two months ago. By a 51 percent to 38 percent ratio, the public said the United States is winning the war, despite mounting casualties and insurgent attacks.

A majority (54 percent) continued to say the United States should keep military forces in Iraq until civil order is restored there; 44 percent said U.S. forces should be withdrawn. Six in 10 opposed announcing a timetable for withdrawal. Only about one in eight -- 13 percent -- said U.S. forces should be withdrawn immediately.

Michael Strickland, 31, a factory worker who lives in Pine Bluff, Ark., said he opposed the war before the United States invaded in March 2003: " It's just another Vietnam. . . . No matter what we do over there, they are going to kill us."

His solution: withdraw -- but not immediately. "Don't tell them when we're going to leave. . . . But do it in a reasonable time frame -- six months to a year. Even if we leave, it can't get any worse over there."

These ambivalent feelings about the war and Bush's policies in Iraq are felt even by many of his supporters who continue to back the U.S. invasion.

"I have really mixed feelings, like probably the whole country has," said Wayne Almlie, 51, a warehouse worker and part-time pastor in Des Moines, who said he approves of Bush's overall performance. "We need to stay the course. I really think we do. The whole region would disintegrate if we would pull out. . . . I'd hate to have to be making those decision."

Despite escalating bloodshed, the struggles to approve a draft constitution and the well-covered antiwar protests led by Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, the survey found little evidence that antiwar sentiment has increased the past two months.

The survey also found that Sheehan, who has been protesting the war outside Bush's ranch near Crawford, Tex., has become the most visible symbol of the antiwar movement. Fully three in four Americans have heard or read about her.

Sheehan met last year with Bush at an event for military families and has been seeking another meeting with him. Slightly more than half of the country -- 52 percent -- said Bush should meet her again; 46 percent said he should not. Fifty-three percent supported what she is doing and 42 percent opposed.

The poll found that opposition to the war has deepened among Democrats. Two months ago, two in three Democrats said they strongly disapproved of Bush's handling of Iraq; that has risen to three in four. Over that same period, the proportion of Democrats who described themselves as "angry" over Bush's Iraq policies has risen from 36 percent to 46 percent.

The poll found that Sheehan's activities may have helped increase support for the war among Bush supporters. Although eight in 10 Americans said Sheehan's protests have not changed their attitudes toward the war, one in 10 said she has made them more likely to support the conflict -- the same proportion that said she has made them less likely to support the war.

A total of 1,006 randomly selected adults were interviewed by telephone Aug. 25-28. The margin of sampling error for the results is plus or minus three percentage points.

Assistant polling director Claudia Deane contributed to this report.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083000302_2.html



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