Last week was when the Bush White House was finally going to get back on track. No more playing defense, no more delays in presenting a coherent policy for Iraq, no more leaving the bully pulpit empty. The president would take to the airwaves on Wednesday, the White House team would fan out with aggressive talking points, and a new public relations offensive would help turn the tide.
The initial polls showed the effort failing, but that was before the president’s plan had time to sink in. Now that Americans have a better sense of what Bush said and what he wants to do, they’re really convinced he’s wrong.
President Bush’s address to the nation last week failed to move public opinion in support of his plan to increase U.S. troop levels in Iraq and left Americans more pessimistic about the likely outcome of the war.
In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday, more than 6 of 10 people back the idea of a non-binding congressional resolution expressing opposition to Bush’s plan to commit an additional 21,500 U.S. troops to Iraq.
The good news for the White House is that the percentage of Americans who believe Bush has “a clear plan” for the war has gone up, from 25% to 29%. The bad news is, that’s the only good news.
Bush’s approval rating dropped after his speech, from 37% to 34%, the third-lowest of his presidency. General confidence in the future of the war went down, with more Americans believing it is less likely we’ll win the conflict. The number of Americans who want an immediate withdrawal went up.
And no matter how muddled the Democrats may appear, by a 51% to 36% margin, poll respondents still have more confidence in congressional Democrats to handle Iraq than in the president.
Josh Marshall offers some helpful historical context:
As Atrios aptly notes, poll numbers showing President Bush became less popular after his speech should not surprise anyone. President Bush is by any reasonable measure extremely unpopular. Not unpopular — extremely unpopular. Mid-low forties is unpopular. Mid-low thirties is extremely unpopular. Almost, but not quite unprecedented in the modern era for such a sustained period of time.
The Iraq War is one of the few things that rivals his unpopularity. And the public, after signaling deep opposition to the war at the polls, sees this extremely unpopular president come before them to announce that he’s expanding the really unpopular war. And if that’s not enough he has the quavering look of a degenerate gambler begging his wife, half cockily half desperately, for one more chance.
And speaking of history, Atrios reminds us of the political environment eight years ago.
Just adding to what Josh says, it’s relevant to note that Bush hasn’t hit 50 in Gallup since May of 2005. I’d bet a reasonable sum that he won’t hit 50 again while he’s in office. One wonders why questions such as “why does hideously unpopular president think a teevee appearance will persuade anyone?” don’t appear regularly.
In 1998 when Clinton’s personal favorability rating flirted with sub-50 this was evidence he should resign. An odd poll, with a strangely re-worded question, was touted as a reason he should…. Bush’s last several favorability ratings are: 45, 38, 42, 39, 46, 48. Any discussion of resignation?
No, but wouldn’t that be nice? It won’t happen, but I’d love to see Tony Snow’s face if once, just once, a White House reporter asked if the president has considered resignation over the fiasco in Iraq. That would be entertaining.