The Jackson Square speech didn’t help

September 20, 2005

U.S. News reported this week that the White House isn’t “expecting big changes in Bush’s poll numbers soon.” They had relatively high hopes for the reaction to last week’s speech in New Orleans, but it was, in the words of one former Bush aide, a “tourniquet.”

Except it wasn’t even that. Since the speech was delivered, several polls have been conducted. If there’s any good news for the Bush gang in them, it’s hiding very well. SurveyUSA, for example, found that the number of Americans who approve of Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina dropped immediately after the speech, to just 40%. Rasmussen Reports found a similar trend over the same period of time.

But to truly appreciate Bush’s predicament, consider the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll — an outlet that has usually given the White House stronger results than other polls.

President Bush’s vow to rebuild the Gulf Coast did little to help his standing with the public, only 40 percent of whom now approve of his performance in office, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released Monday.

Just 41 percent of the 818 adults polled between Friday and Monday said they approved of Bush’s handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, while 57 percent disapproved.

Point by point, issue by issue, the public is rejecting every aspect of Bush’s presidency.

* Approval Rating — Bush is down to just 40% support according to Gallup, with a whopping 58% disapproval rating, the worst of his presidency.

* Iraq — Support for Bush’s handling of the war in Iraq has dropped to stunning lows, with 32% in support and 67% disapproving. A record high of 59% say they now consider the war a mistake. 63% want some or all U.S. troops withdrawn from Iraq.

* Foreign Affairs — Support for Bush’s foreign policy in general has also reached unseen lows. Just 38% support the president on foreign affairs, while 58% disapprove.

* Economy — Just 35% of respondents approve of Bush’s handling of the economy, easily the lowest of his presidency.

* Personal Qualities — Bush has dropped below the 50% threshold in being a “strong and decisive leader,” “honest and trustworthy,” and Americans seeing him as someone who cares about people like themselves.

* Katrina — Support for Bush’s handling of the disaster fell after his New Orleans speech to 41%. What’s more, given a series of funding options, Bush’s stated choice (domestic spending cuts) came in a distant last among Americans, garnering only 6% support. The support for a Democratic proposal to independently investigate the government response was overwhelming (81%), while only 18% support the GOP plan of a congressional investigation.

In a nutshell, Americans just aren’t buying what Bush is selling. When someone like the Wall Street Journal’s James Taranto say the president’s poll numbers are “bouncing back,” he’s just embarrassing himself.

Why, oh why, couldn’t this disaster happened LAST August or September. Maybe then I would have had some shred of hope that my city would be rebuilt responsibly and sensibly, and by a party that has a better grasp on governing. Funny, but I bet the vast majority of residents harmed by this storm (MS, LA, AL) voted for Bushevic. Talk about buyers’ remorse now. I bet those low taxes and tax cuts sure look great now to those who supported the administration and were victimized by both the storm and the administration–services and infrastructure suffered but hey, they got a few hundred dollars in their pockets over the past couple years. Great government. I was watching the local news last night here in Baton Rouge and they were interviewing MS mayors and residents whom they had interviewed in the immediate aftermath of the storm–initially those asshats were stating the party line that the response by the feds was fine and dandy. However, now that 2 plus weeks have passed and housing and other aid has not shown up, their tune has changed drastically. But I bet these jackasses vote GOP come 2006 and 2008. Morons. America, what has happened to you?

  • These sinking poll numbers are quite predictable given the fact that Bush was at 48% before last year’s election, mysteriously went up to 52% the week of the election, then went back down to 48% the week after the election.

    Bush’s numbers were medicore then, even if the election wasn’t fixed (something someone somewhere, besides John Conyers, should be investigating!!), and with no prospect of getting out of Iraq or truly improving the economy and the budget, they were bound to get worse.

    We still have OVER THREE YEARS of Bush & Co. at the helm. By this point we know them well, them and their friends in the Congress, the military/industrial complex, the lobbying biz and the media. The general direction the polls will take during that time should not be too hard to figure out for anyone who reads the Carpetbagger regularly.

  • The shrub is at the helm,so what`s new? He made us an offer in the second debate,”want to buy some wood”? Well I have thought it over,and I don`t want the wood or anything else these sleezy wimps are selling!

  • It has to get bad before it gets better. (By that I mean people have to become disillusioned with the GOP before they give the Dems a mandate again,) I might even have to get even worse than it is now considering they reelected Bush just last year AND expanded GOP majorities. The GOP only has to work those poll numbers up to 51% for a presidential election, which, from ~40% now isn’t much, and from the sound of things on the congressional side they aren’t about to lose the majorities in either house.

    That said, dropping into the 30s is a great opportunity for the Democrats to start hammering home their message, that THEY are the party whose values truly reflect America’s, that the image the GOP has crafted of them is a bunch of lies like the image the GOP crafted of itself, that the Dems aren’t corrupt, and that the Dems, unlike the GOP, are actually interested in governing and governing well rather than using taxes for handouts and federal agency positions as a gravy train for their college buddies. The Democrats need to get off their butts and show they still know how to govern and that they are interested in actually challenging the GOP stranglehold on every branch of government rather than becoming a permanent minority party. They need something like Newt Gingrich’s Contract With America, something high profile that will convince voters to return to them.

    Korayel, you need some more punctuation for added emphasis.

    WORST. PRESIDENT. EVER.

  • I found this on Andrew Sullivan’s blog – it is from wait for it…. John Podhoretz. You know they are fealing the heat.

    “For the crime of noting that the president’s speech didn’t help his poll numbers, I’m getting battered by e-mailers who suggest, among other things, that I am somehow unmanly because I’m not “supporting” the president enough. I never thought a day would come when I — the author of a book entitled ‘Bush Country: How Dubya Became the First Great Leader of the 21st Century While Driving Liberals Insane’ — would be accused of being a fair-weather supporter of GWB. Let me just try to explain something to my e-mailers. The president gave his speech Thursday night in an effort to reverse the decline in his political fortunes… It appears his effort was unsuccessful, in part (I think) because he sounded like a Big Spender and alienated more Republicans without winning over more Democrats… Bush supporters don’t help him or themselves any by pretending his troubles are all due to the MSM. He has, for the moment, lost the country’s confidence.” – John Podhoretz, National Review Online.

  • Enjoy the poll numbers now because come election time the democratic party will slip further into extinction.
    The problem this new radical left doesn’t understand… Bush is a leader. A leader is someone who makes hard decisions even if those decisions could damage his politcal career. A leader believes something in his heart is the best move and goes for it.
    This like or not is why this guy wins. There are NO dem leaders fittting this mold. Poll first decide second. Too many years of this and now you find yourselves fading away as Americans come to realize the game.

  • Have James Taranto’s shoes caught on fire yet? He’s spinning so hard that any moment now his shoes will burst into flames.

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