Next stop, an approval rating in the 30s

August 8, 2005

The latest Newsweek poll shows national support for the president continuing to drop, especially for the war in Iraq.

As U.S. troops endured a deadly week in Iraq, 61 percent of Americans polled say they disapprove of the way President George W. Bush is handling the war in Iraq, according to a new Newsweek poll. Thirty four percent say they approve. This is Bush’s lowest rating on Iraq and the first time it has dropped below 40 percent in the Newsweek poll. And 50 percent of those polled say the United States is losing ground in its efforts to establish security and democracy in Iraq; just 40 percent say the U.S. is making progress there. […]

In general, 28 percent say the war in Iraq has made Americans safer from terrorism; 64 percent say it has not, the poll shows.

But what about support for Bush’s presidency in general? Did the flurry of legislative activity two weeks ago, and the relatively tranquil Supreme Court nomination process, improve the president’s standing? Not so much.

Meanwhile, Bush’s approval ratings have dropped to 42 percent; 51 percent of Americans say they disapprove of the way Bush is handling his job as president.

It’s as low a rating as Bush has received in any Newsweek poll. In fact, with that in mind, let’s summarize recent data for those just joining us:

* Newsweek has Bush’s approval rating at 42%, the lowest of the Bush presidency.

* Gallup has Bush’s approval rating at 44%, the lowest of the Bush presidency.

* Associated Press/Ipsos has Bush’s approval rating at 42%, the lowest of the Bush presidency.

* Quinnipiac has Bush’s approval rating at 41%, the lowest of the Bush presidency.

* American Research Group has Bush’s approval rating at 42%, the lowest of the Bush presidency.

* Pew Research Center has Bush’s approval rating at 44%, near the lowest of the Bush presidency.

Do you suppose a month-long vacation is going to do much to boost these numbers? I doubt it.

It generally looks pretty bad when a “war president” takes a five-week vacation while the boys are dying overseas. It is, however, just apropos of his no-sacrifice war. Put a yellow ribbon on your car and spend your tax break, we’re at war, but nobody’s got to do anything except “support the troops”.

The boys over there know we’re living the same as always, but they’re out getting shot at and killed. The only ones making any sacrifices are them.

Meahwhile, President Gas is doing fundraisers and going to Little League games.

  • It generally looks pretty bad when a “war president” takes a five-week vacation while the boys are dying overseas.

    DTK is right. If we’re going to see Bush get into the 30’s, it’ll be because the commander in chief isn’t supposed to kick back for a month clearing brush during a war.

  • Having Cindy Sheehan protesting at his ranch (well, at the 4-mile disntance she is allowed to be from the ranch) her shabby treatment by the president when he couldn’t even be bothered to know her KIA son’s name or relation to her certainly won’t help his poll numbers.

    It won’t help recruiting either. Nobody in the WH cares if you die or get your arms and legs blown off, certainly not the president who ordered it to happen.

  • > Do you suppose a month-long vacation is going to do much to boost these numbers?

    Boost? No. At the same time, though, it’s probably the most effective thing he can do to keep them from falling even farther… 🙂

  • Is it possible the “filters” and “blinders” are coming off of America’s eyes? I pray that is the case, even if it is too late to get rid of the current bastards through the ballot box (and no, I am not forgetting the possible or even likely voter fraud by ES&S and Diebold in Ohio and elsewhere).

    The lies, the fraud, the deception, the misguided yet narrow and radical agenda, the secrecy, the criminal actions (actual crimes as well as gross misconduct and neglect of duty), and yes, the “high crimes and misdemeanors” — ALL seem to be finally catching up to BushCo and his minions. But we’ve been fooled before, so Ihave to emphasize the “seem to be catching up” aspect of my current perceptions.

    How apropos that the public is finally starting to notice the “elephant in the room” — i.e., of course, the Rethugs destroying America and its standing in the world community. Guess there is only so much dirt that can be swept under the rug before we trip over it and decide to clean up the mess.

    I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this trend continues through the mid-terms next year and on into ’08!! Yeeeaaaaaaahhhh [Dean scream here]

  • When it hits the 30s, there will be another 9/11.

    They’ve already planned it and intend to use it as an excuse (again) to launch unprovoked nuclear war on Iran.

    http://www.americanconservative.com

    In Washington it is hardly a secret that the same people in and around the administration who brought you Iraq are preparing to do the same for Iran. The Pentagon, acting under instructions from Vice President Dick Cheney’s office, has tasked the United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM) with drawing up a contingency plan to be employed in response to another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States. The plan includes a large-scale air assault on Iran employing both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons. Within Iran there are more than 450 major strategic targets, including numerous suspected nuclear-weapons-program development sites. Many of the targets are hardened or are deep underground and could not be taken out by conventional weapons, hence the nuclear option. As in the case of Iraq, the response is not conditional on Iran actually being involved in the act of terrorism directed against the United States. Several senior Air Force officers involved in the planning are reportedly appalled at the implications of what they are doing—that Iran is being set up for an unprovoked nuclear attack—but no one is prepared to damage his career by posing any objections.

  • I’m worried instead by the 62% who disapprove of BushCo’s handling of the Iraq war.

    I’m worried that the figure is evenly divided into 31% who think it should be stopped, and 31% who think it’s not being pursued vigorously — i.e. radioactively — enough.

  • Davis X. Machina makes an important point.

    I have long been frustrated by the poll questions
    about the war. To my knowledge, no one is asking
    “Regardless of how you believe the war is being
    conducted, do you believe that the United States
    was justified in taking military action against Saddam
    Hussein?”

    I’m afraid a majority would still say yes. Saddam
    was just a bad dude, and Americans, being naive,
    think that’s what this was all about really. Taking
    a bad guy out. Bringing freedom to the Iraqis.

    So the anit-war sentiment is very fragile. If demonstrable,
    continuing progress is finally made agains the insurgency,
    I think the war issue is dead. The public just doesn’t
    care that Bush lied, as long as things turn out in the
    end.

    And I’m pretty sure the Republicans know they have
    to get out of this mess by 2008, and they’ll figure out
    some way to do it, even if they have to declare victory
    and bring the troops home. They’ll probably claim it’s
    time to take the training wheels off, and if the Iraqis
    fail, hell, it’s not our fault. We did everything we could
    for them.

  • The thing is that (I hope!) people won’t fall for such weak arguments to attack another country– again. Half the reason Americans supported the war on Iraq was because they blindly trusted Bush after 9/11– but now they don’t anymore. How is Bush going to drum up adequate support for another war? I just don’t see it happening.

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