Newsweek poll: ‘Bush Hits New Low’

January 28, 2007

The NYT’s Thomas Friedman wrote the other day that the State of the Union was almost unnecessary. “[T]he American people basically fired George Bush in the last election,” Friedman said. “We’re now just watching him clean out his desk.”

The latest Newsweek poll, released yesterday, suggests Friedman’s analysis is about right.

President George W. Bush concluded his annual State of the Union address this week with the words “the State of our Union is strong … our cause in the world is right … and tonight that cause goes on.” Maybe so, but the state of the Bush administration is at its worst yet, according to the latest NEWSWEEK Poll. The president’s approval ratings are at their lowest point in the poll’s history — 30 percent — and more than half the country (58 percent) say they wish the Bush presidency were simply over, a sentiment that is almost unanimous among Democrats (86 percent), and is shared by a clear majority (59 percent) of independents and even one in five (21 percent) Republicans. Half (49 percent) of all registered voters would rather see a Democrat elected president in 2008, compared to just 28 percent who’d prefer the GOP to remain in the White House. […]

With Bush widely viewed as an ineffectual “lame duck” (by 71 percent of all Americans), over half (53 percent) of the poll’s respondents now say they believe history will see him as a below-average president, up three points from last May…. Overall, 61 percent are unsatisfied with the way things are going in America; just 30 percent are satisfied.

So much for the post-State of the Union “bounce.”

For what it’s worth — and this stage, the value is admittedly limited — this is all encouraging news for the Dems hoping to replace Bush.

With about half (48 percent) of voters nationwide saying their opinion of Bush will be at least “somewhat important” in determining who gets their vote in ’08, the two Democratic frontrunners have narrow leads over their potential opponents. In a mock election, Clinton tops McCain by six points (50-44 percent) and barely edges out Giuliani by three (49-46 percent). Obama’s lead over both McCain and Giuliani is by the exact same margins (48-42 percent against the former and 47-44 percent against the latter). The races are tighter with Edwards as the Democratic candidate: the former vice presidential candidate edges out McCain by four points (48-44 percent) and is in a statistical dead heat with Giuliani (46-47 percent).

A year out, it’s a good position to be in.

Worst. President. Ever!

  • The yearly State of Delusion is just a report to see what level of denial the President is in at the moment. As always, this year the President showed us the State of Delusion is strong, though he has some ideas about how to make it even stronger: sending more troops, ignoring the election results and expanding the war into other countries.

  • A few years ago, the thought of Bush’s approval dropping to 30 percent seemed a remote possibility. That core that still supports him, believes that we must “win” the war in Iraq (to prove their manhood, national virility or whatever), believes our “loss” is the fault of the media and lib’ruls is now following the White House line; the polls are irrelevant. Making incorrect parallels with Vietnam they are complaining about “soft” Americans and painting themselves as martyrs of the treasonous anti-war forces loose in this country.

    It is possible that this support may further erode. I think we can ensure this erosion. In addition to protesting Bush’s policies, all means (letters to newspapers, etc.) should be used to protest jingoistic nonsense. I’m tired of hearing about how disloyal citizens and Jane Fonda “lost” the war in Vietnam and I don’t care to hear it again with regard to Iraq.

    Maybe we can get ’em down to 20%.

  • There are still 20 million people who will tell George what a great guy he is. And those are mostly the people he will encounter.

    If they thought the Clintonistas trashed the White House when they left, look at how the Bushes are trashing the world.

    There are going to be a lot of sweetheart deals in the next two years.

    Bush should have to establish a Presidential library for one of the GOOD presidents.

  • I think 20% is possible. The combination of too much time left and Bush self-destruction will make him more than a lame duck. He’ll be a lame duck with bird flu.

  • If Newsweek is putting the little monkey at 30, then I’m expecting someone to put him under 27 within a month—and that’s IF we don’t find an excuse to start bombing Iran. Flying explosives will give him a wee bounce amongst the noise machine, followed by a flatspin from the rest of the country….

  • “[T]he American people basically fired George Bush in the last election,” Friedman said. “We’re now just watching him clean out his desk.”

    Friedman sees what he wants to see. All the same, his statement is Not True; Bu..Sh.. is acting as if he’d never received that pink slip at all, and Dead-Eye bolsters that view with every breath he takes.

    Cleaning out his desk? Like Rummy cleaned out his? I’m not convinced that, even in ’09, Bu..$h.. will vacate the premises, unless he’s bodily escorted. Remember, one of his arguments in ’04 was “we shouldn’t change commanders in the middle of a battle”. What odds that he’ll pull that one again? Even if we’ve pulled out of fIraq by then (no guarantees), his War on Terra is set up to last in perpetuity.

  • It doesn’t matter if the percentage drops to 9%. Bush will continue acting as if he has a mandate.

  • Oddly, Harry Truman had horrible poll numbers at one point and yet history shows him to be the one individual brave enough to make the fateful decision to end WW II by dropping atomic weapons on civilians. Not that I’m comparing Truman to Bush; I’m saying polls are a measurement of mood and at this point the country is in no mood for more of Dubya’s decision makin’. Thankfully Bush wasn’t around in August of 1945 or October of 1962.

  • Here’s the elaboration of what I posted on the other post; looks like I messed my link up before.

    here’s part I

    here’s part II

    Yeah, CB, I didn’t expect a bounce. I thought you were totally right on when you said there wouldn’t be a bounce on your first post following the State of the Union. Of course, though, I don’t always say all the things I think on this blog because I’m busy all the time.

  • With such a poor national image of Bush, it’s remarkable how many Republicans running for prez in ’08 are doing their best to imitate Bush. Considering how the term flip-flop had such a negative connotation in ’04, I can’t imagine coming to their senses while on the campaign trail will help the R’s candidates as they try to lose the Bush boat anchor.

  • A majority is finally saying, “fool me 5,387 times, shame on you — but after that, I won’t believe a word you say.”

    I just hope that “not believing” does not become “not listening,” because Bush is every bit as dangerous as he’s been thus far, and probably more so.

  • Just one more thing I wanted to mention about Hillary’s popularity:

    I fully understand that the way the “electibility” word is being used by the media latterly is to refer to Hillary as having a popularity problem. Long-time readers of the comments section of this blog will recall that I support Hillary and that I think the electibility meme, when used against her, is nothing more than a smear that’s made in defiance what the polls are telling us, just as the polls indicated Clinton was popular during the Monica Lewinsky scandal while the polls indicated otherwise.

    I think the real problem is Dem activists or staffers allowing the meme to sink in and not realizing that Hillary had great poll numbers until the media, basically unopposed, kept repeating how unpopular she was over and over- and then the numbers sank. It’s obvious that the Republicans are setting out to undermine the prospects of our candidates, of Hillary and Obama, at an early date, and we should be sticking up for them. Democratic campaign staffs really have to be doing the same thing- like spreading around that ridiculous quote Giuliani made the other day, etc.

    But if I had to choose who really has more in the way of a public opinion problem, I’d think it was Obama. To put it simply, people are less prejudiced against white women than they are against black men. At least historically this country has gone further to overcome sex discrimination earlier than it has to overcome race discrimination.

    Usually when I write something on this blog I have reasons for what I write- for reaching the conclusion I reach- but I don’t always write all of them mostly because I don’t have time. When I (much less frequently) write something more in the way of an opinion, I tend to assume that it will be evident that it’s just an opinion. The comment about Hillary’s electibility problem versus Obama’s is more in the way of an opinion, but I’m just making clear that I don’t mean to say by my prior comments that Clinton shouldn’t be considered as a candidate.

  • That image of Shruby cleaning out his desk is dangerously misleading. He may be putting pens and pencils in boxes but he’s also pulling the pins on grenades he had in his bottom drawer and mailing them around the world and tossing them out the window.

    When the U.S. military cleared the Iraqi Army out of Kuwait, they found that the floors and walls of many homes and buildings had been profusely decorated with Iraqi feces. Shruby’s crap may be figurative but it’s going to leave a lingering stench and he ain’t finished spreading it around by a long shot.

    The desire of the 58% to wish him away won’t get us back to Kansas. Shruby is still in there giving aid, comfort and cover to the avaricious and delusional. He’s not done with us yet.

  • I’ve said for a while now that the more the deciderer speaks, the more people dislike him. He’s given 2 speeches (counting the SOTU) to rally support for his escalation, and it’s popularity (along with his own) is dropping. This is what scares me. There is nothing positive he is willing to consider that might improve his standing, leaving him one ugly option: War with Iran. The guy’s shown he’s willing to gamble the house, no matter the odds. If he sees that as his only option, he’ll take it – just for the sake of his ego.

    Between Bush’s megalomaniac desperation and Cheney’s long slow slide into dementia, I’m truly frightened by what they might concoct.

  • ***And I’m still not convinced that he and Cheney actually intend to leave.***
    ——-burro

    They will be transferring the “Sanctum Sanctorum” shadow government that Cheney’s been building the past 6 years to that big chunk of real estate in Paraguay. Think of it as the ultimate in absentee landlord situations. It’ll take at least a decade to clean the thousands of vermin lackeys that they’ve hired out of the federal bureaucracy—and the damage to be repaired will be unbelievable….

  • I wonder how long it will be until right wank talking heads claim that airing bad poll results “emboldens the enemy.”

    I’ve got nothing to support this but I suspect his failure to mention the favourite topics of the radical xtian set (anything to do with sex) wiped out any “bounce” he might have gotten from the STFU. I suspect the dwindling few who still say they support him (if they aren’t just insane) are supporting the office of the PotUS or America or some other concept that has nothing to do with the actual person who happens to be President. Too bad there’s no easy way to filter these people out. We might see single digit approval ratings.

  • Between Bush’s megalomaniac desperation and Cheney’s long slow slide into dementia, I’m truly frightened by what they might concoct. —Comment by JoeW —

    I have the same concerns. If Bush and Cheney were rational, they would be trying to figure a way out for our country, and that way would have to focus on diplomacy, and should include Iran and Syria. Instead they have chosen to rebuff and insult the very people we should be talking to to solve the problem.

    Eventually we will have to talk to our “enemies” and find a way for a cease fire. In the meantime, Iraq in in flames as Bush threatens another country and tries to expand his war powers even more. If you aren’t frightened, you’re not paying attention.

  • Wow- according to this, 2006 was the warmest year NJ has had, ever, since they started keeping track of the temperatures in the 1800’s.

    I know it’s totally off topic and I’m sorry, but I just noticed it and it’s totally creepy.

  • As I get older, I get no wiser, but I do learn enough to make some observations and predictions:

    We keep hearing how “national dissent emboldens our enemies”, but most understand without being told that Presidential stupidity make enemies and gives them whole countries and nuclear weapons.

    This President is the epitome of the worst of the CEO President – overpaided, underperforming and making everyone else take responsibility for his terrible job.

    This President will go lower in the polls before this is all over.

  • Tom Frieman says, ” the american people fired George Bush, in the November elections “. I guess that Tom can be right once in a while.

  • Baby Bush is putting two carrier groups in the Persian Gulf, which is narrow, full of sandbars, and a deathtrap for our ships.

    “Wake-up call…

    Friday September 6, 2002
    The Guardian

    “At the height of the summer, as talk of invading Iraq built in Washington like a dark, billowing storm, the US armed forces staged a rehearsal using over 13,000 troops, countless computers and $250m.

    “Officially, America won and a rogue state was liberated from an evil dictator. What really happened is quite another story, one that has set alarm bells ringing throughout America’s defence establishment and raised questions over the US military’s readiness for an Iraqi invasion. …

    “In the first few days of the exercise, using surprise and unorthodox tactics, the wily 64-year-old Vietnam veteran sank most of the US expeditionary fleet in the Persian Gulf, bringing the US assault to a halt.”

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/ sto…,786992,00.html

    Bushco is dangling our Navy to invite a cassus belli, an extention of his ‘flypaper’ treason against our ground troops. He gives not one shit for their lives or this nation — he’s going to make a KILLING on this new war, because you can never be too rich.

    “His driving concern, he tells the Guardian, is that when the real fighting starts, American troops will be sent into battle with a set of half-baked tactics that have not been put to the test.

    “The game was theoretically set in 2007 and pitted Blue forces (the US) against a country called Red. Red was a militarily powerful Middle Eastern nation on the Persian Gulf that was home to a crazed but cunning megalomaniac (Van Riper). Arguably, when the exercises were first planned back in 2000, Red could have been Iran.”

    Boom go the ships. Boom goes Tehran. The war of terror never had it so good.

  • Ripper sank most of one Navy carrier group with Silkworms and a lot of low-tech suicide plane strikes.

    “a U.S. Navy carrier strike group typically includes:”

    • A carrier usually Nimitz-class or Kitty Hawk-class…
    • A Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) …
    • A AEGIS guided missile cruiser (CG), of the Ticonderoga class…
    • Two to three guided missile destroyers (DDG), of the Arleigh Burke-class…
    • Up to two attack submarines usually Los Angeles-class…
    • A combined ammunition, oiler and supply ship (AOE/AOR), usually supply (T-AOE)…

    DOUBLE that number of ships. Two such fleets trying to maneuver under fire in the narrow and shallow Gulf? Add in the Israeli and Iranian submarines, and it is QUITE the ‘chicken run.’ Haven’t we already had enough of Bush’s ‘Rebel Without A Cause’ replay?

    But, oh well, we have plenty of ships (nevermind the sailors):

    The carrier “George H. W. Bush (CVN-77)…will enter service in 2008.”

    (quotes – wikipedia)

  • None of the poll results cited are nearly as important as this one from that poll:

    “Congress is criticized by nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of Americans for not being assertive enough in challenging the Bush administration’s conduct of the war.”

    In November the population voted to end the war, but Bush could claim they sent a complicated message. This shows how clear and simple that message actually was. One thousand people are descending on Congress today to participate in the United for Peace and Justice Lobby Day to urge defeat of the Supplemental Appropriation to fund the war in Iraq. Congress can not be allowed to claim to oppose the war and continue to fund it.

    Add your voice today with a call or email.

  • What made Friedman think Bush has anything in his desk to clean out? Maybe some old baseball tradings cards and that pistol that used to be Saddam’s. That’d be it.

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