I smell a mandate...

Poll: Bush's approval rating at 49 percent
Drop reflects partisan split, reduced 9/11 effectThe Associated Press

WASHINGTON - President Bush prepares to start his second term with an ambitious list of tasks but also a public evenly split about his job performance, an Associated Press poll found.

Bush’s approval rating is at 49 percent in the AP poll, with 49 percent disapproving. His job approval is in the high 40s in several other recent polls — as low as any job approval rating for a re-elected president at the start of the second term in more than 50 years.

Presidents Reagan and Clinton had job approval ratings of around 60 percent just before their inauguration for a second term, according to Gallup polls.

President Nixon’s approval was in the 60s right after his 1972 re-election, slid to about 50 percent right before his inauguration and then moved back over 60 percent. President Eisenhower’s job approval was in the low 70s just before his second inauguration in 1957.

Bush and Congress are about to tackle ambitious projects — creating private accounts for those in the Social Security system, overhauling the federal tax code and limiting lawsuit damages. Those tasks will be all the more difficult with the tepid poll ratings for both Bush and Congress.

About four in 10, 41 percent, approve of the job Congress is doing, while 53 percent disapprove, according to the poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos Public Affairs.

The nation’s sharply partisan split is responsible for Bush’s job ratings.

Republicans overwhelmingly approve of Bush’s job performance and Democrats overwhelmingly disapprove — a split found to a lesser extent in the congressional numbers.

Democrats shift since 9/11
Only one in six Democrats say they approve of Bush’s job performance, the poll found. In January 2002, six in 10 Democrats approved of the job done by Bush, contributing to an overall job approval rating near 80 percent four months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In January of last year, about one-quarter of Democrats approved of the job done by Bush.

Rick Dickinson, a cabinet maker from Charlottesville, Va., and a Democrat, said he liked what he saw from Bush after the terrorist attacks, but those feelings have faded.

“I thought he did generally well after 9/11. He was decisive and he had some great momentum,” Dickinson said. “But now I basically disapprove of him. The war troubles me. He picks a plan — regardless of the information — and he goes with it.”

Bush has intense support from Republicans, which has kept him on an even keel or above for months. More than nine in 10 Republicans said they approve of Bush’s job performance.

“I very strongly support what he’s been doing,” said Cheryl McGauvran, a teacher in a Christian school who says she lives in the desert southeast of Los Angeles. “If we had somebody in office who waffled we would be in trouble. It’s almost better to be wrong and then correct it, than to vacillate and be stomped.”

Economy, Iraq, terrorism
People were evenly divided on Bush’s handling of the economy. They take a dim view of his handling of Iraq, with 44 percent approving and 54 percent disapproving, according to the poll of 1,001 adults. It was taken Jan. 3-5 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Even on Bush’s strongest area, handling foreign policy and the war on terrorism, people were evenly split — with 50 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving.

For much of the last year, the public has been fairly evenly divided on Bush’s job approval. He was still able to win about 60 million votes — a record number but just 51 percent of votes cast — at a time most people thought the country was headed down the wrong track.

Bush’s willingness to pursue policies even if unpopular is appealing to some voters.

Gene Kuterboch, a state worker who lives in Stowe, Pa., says he’s been a Democrat all his life, but he voted for Bush this time because Democrat John Kerry “seemed to be following the polls.”

“I voted for President Bush because I think he took a stand after what went on with the terrorist attacks,” Kuterboch said. “We need a leader.”

“I very strongly support what he’s been doing,” said Cheryl McGauvran, a teacher in a Christian school who says she lives in the desert southeast of Los Angeles. “If we had somebody in office who waffled we would be in trouble. It’s almost better to be wrong and then correct it, than to vacillate and be stomped.”


Hmm. How does she feel about being wrong and NOT correcting it?

--PunkDavid

It's ok because Bush is a good Christian man and is just trying to follow what god tells him is right.

Or being wrong and costing 1,400 American lives?

At least Bush is decisive and you know where he stands on an issue. He may be completely wrong, completely unwilling to consider alternatives, and completely unwilling to admit a mistake. But goddammit, you know where he stands on an issue. And if you don't agree, then you're a terrorist.

Guess what? He's your president for the next four years.



Where's this article from? I haven't seen any official polling numbers in awhile, and I was curious...

It's from the AP. I see that the source kinda got buried at the top of the article. Oops.

Exactly. Who gives a shit what his approval rating is. He's in office, he's making decisions. If you don't like what he's up to I suggest you write your representatives today.

You know what's so wonderful about President Bush? He could have an approval rating of 15% and it wouldn't affect him one bit.

Because he's a man of principles, and he'll do what he thinks is right no matter who or how many disagree with him. No matter the facts, or the science, or the hatred he inspires. Because with Bush, he wants you to know where he stands.

And he'll get back to you later about your questions.

--PunkDavid

There's something admirable and something terrifying about that.

Chillax...I posted this because some Bush posts were "requested". Obviously it doesn't matter, but it doesn't mean we can't have a little fun with it.

Of course, I think it's interesting as hell that a President got elected when numbers like this are about. Shows exactly how awful of shape the democratic party is in.

If I didn't vote for the guy who held presidential office, and i disliked him that much, I wouldn't think there was anything fun about it.

Unfortunately, fun is our only choice at this point.

--PunkDavid

No, Bush in office isn't exactly a barrel of monkeys. But if all we did was complain about it, others would just tell us to shut up and deal with it. Sometimes you just gotta laugh.

Don't worry, in a couple of years, the ones who didn't vote for him will be having the last laugh. Mark my words--these next four years will be nothing short of disastrous for the guy.

How are they going to be disastrous for Bush? He's set for life no matter what he does. Unless he commits actual criminal behavior and goes to prison, he'll live the rest of his life in luxury and be hailed by conservatives nationwide. YOU are the one that may have a disastrous 4, and subsequent more, years.

***

Well said, PD.

? Honestly, no matter what he does, he's gonna be happy.