I noticed two interesting national polls were released yesterday, one from the Pew Forum, the other from Zogby. Both polls were conducted between April 1 and 4, which meant respondents were aware of some good news for Bush (strong employment numbers in March) and some bad news for everyone (the brutal attacks on Americans in Fallujah).
Fortunately for those of us anxious for new leadership in the White House, neither of the polls had much good news for Bush.
The Pew Forum poll pegged Bush’s overall job approval rating at a stunning 43%. It’s not only the lowest rating Bush has had in any Pew Forum poll; it’s the lowest support Bush has seen in any poll conducted during his presidency. A Pew poll from mid-January showed Bush’s approval rating at 56%, which is helpful in noting how far Bush’s popularity has fallen in a short period of time.
At this point, the Pew results suggest an across-the-board lack of confidence in Bush on most of the major issues of the day.
* A majority of poll respondents — 53% — disapprove of Bush’s handling of the war in Iraq. While 40% still approve, that’s down 20 points from mid-January.
* Only 39% support Bush’s handling of the economy, while 53% disapprove, both records for Bush’s term.
* On the nation’s energy policy, which Bush has tried to make a campaign issue of, only 29% approve of Bush’s efforts in this area, down from 47% last fall.
The depressing part of the Pew Forum poll had nothing to do with Bush and everything to do with the public’s attention span.
At this point, the spiraling price of gas may be overshadowing jobs on the public’s radar. Public attention to news about rising gas prices, already quite high, increased markedly in early April — fully 58% paid very close attention to reports on the high price of gasoline, compared with 36% who followed the recent attacks on Americans in Iraq very closely.
That’s pretty ridiculous. Respondents who said they were following the price of gasoline was not only 18 points higher than those following events in Iraq; it’s double the number who said they were following the 9/11 Commission. How sad.
The Zogby poll, which was brought to my attention by a Carpetbagger regular I fondly call Morbo, also had some bad news for Bush. Zogby has Bush’s overall approval rating at 47%, while 53% disapprove.
In a head-to-head general election match-up, Kerry continues to lead Bush, 47% to 45%. Both are down one percentage point since a mid-March Zogby poll. A majority — 51% — said it’s “time for someone new” in the White House.
Kerry is doing better with his geographic base of support than Bush is with his base. Within “Blue” states, where Gore won in 2000, Kerry leads 47% to 42%. But within “Red” states, where Bush won in 2000, it’s much closer, with Bush leading 48% to 46%.
The only results that could be encouraging to Bush were the responses to a question about terrorism.
In the case of a possible major terrorist attack in the United States, exactly 51.6% (52% rounded) of voters prefer to be led by Bush as compared to Kerry with 40%.
I admit, this doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. If the nation were attacked again, wouldn’t that mean that Bush’s efforts to combat terrorism weren’t working? That we may want to consider a different leader who would be more effective in keeping us safe? Just a thought.