An Associated Press poll released last night shows Bush’s job approval rating slipping to 47%, a nine-point drop from an AP poll in January and a 12-point drop since December. An equally exciting 50% said they disapprove of his job performance.
These numbers are — you guessed it — easily the worst of Bush’s presidency in any AP poll.
Best yet, for the first time in an AP poll since Bush’s inauguration, more voters said they would definitely vote against Bush than said they would definitely vote for him, 43% to 37%.
I guess that State of the Union bounce never really materialized, did it Mr. Rove?
But here’s the kicker: Bush’s 47% approval rating is the same as his father’s at this stage in his presidency 12 years ago before he lost to Bill Clinton.
The perception is, at least among some, that Bush Sr. was terribly unpopular as he struggled to win re-election in ’92, while Bush Jr. has enjoyed strong support. That’s what makes these results particularly encouraging — both Bush’s were at 47% at the same point in their presidencies.