A couple of weeks ago, a few polls showed Bush’s job approval ratings ticking back up, perhaps in light of strong GDP growth in the third quarter.
Nevertheless, three national polls from the last week show that if Bush was enjoying a small bounce in the popularity, it’s since disappeared.
First, the latest CNN/USA Today survey, released yesterday, has Bush’s approval rating down to 50 percent, down from 51 percent from last week and 54 percent the week before. Not only is this number 16 points lower than it was this time last year, but Bush’s 50 percent approval rating is tied for the lowest rating he’s had since becoming president.
The same CNN/USA Today poll had other encouraging numbers. When respondents were asked if Bush “cares about the needs of people like you,” 49 percent said he does, while 50 percent disagreed, the worst Bush has done on this question since becoming president. Similarly, when asked if Bush “is a person you admire,” 50 percent said they admire him, while 49 percent said they don’t, which is also the worst he’s done on this question. A majority of respondents also said they believe Bush does not agree with them on issues they care about and is not in touch with the problems ordinary Americans face in their daily lives.
Perhaps most importantly, 33 percent of national adults said they are certain to vote against Bush next year, while 22 percent said they’re certain to vote for him.
Other polls showed similar results. A Wall Street Journal/NBC poll released a week ago had Bush’s approval rating at 51 percent, the second lowest point of his presidency.
Bush did the worst in a CBS News poll released late last week in which his approval rating was down to 49 percent. This was down 5 points from a CBS poll done in late-October, and is also the lowest support Bush has had since his inauguration.
The same CBS poll showed that 43 percent plan to vote for the Dem presidential candidate, while 41 percent said they plan to back Bush.
There’s still hope for next year…