Bush's approval rating remains at all-time low

**Adam** · 8th October 2005, 09:31 AM

Ruh roh

heh

Quote:

WASHINGTON - Evangelicals, Republican women, Southerners and other critical groups in President Bush’s political coalition are increasingly worried about the direction the nation is headed and disappointed with his performance, an AP-Ipsos poll found.

The growing unease could be a troubling sign for a White House already struggling to keep the Republican Party base from slipping over Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, Gulf Coast spending projects, immigration and other issues.

“Politically, this is very serious for the president,” said James Thurber, a political scientist at American University. “If the base of his party has lost faith, that could spell trouble for his policy agenda and for the party generally.”

Public sentiment about the nation’s direction has sunk to new depths at a time people are anxious about Iraq, the economy, gas prices and the management of billions of dollars being spent for recovery from the nation’s worst natural disaster.

Only 28 percent say the country is headed in the right direction while two-thirds, 66 percent, say it is on the wrong track, the poll found.

Those most likely to have lost confidence about the nation’s direction over the past year include white evangelicals, down 30 percentage points, Republican women, 28 points, Southerners, 26 points, and suburban men, 20 points.

Lowest approval rating of his presidency
Bush’s supporters are uneasy about issues including federal deficits, immigration and his latest nomination for the Supreme Court. Social conservatives are concerned about his choice of Miers, a relatively unknown lawyer who has most recently served as White House counsel.

“Bush is trying to get more support generally from the American public by seeming more moderate and showing he’s a strong leader at the same time he has a rebellion within his own party,” Thurber said. “The far right is starting to be very open about their claim that he’s not a real conservative.”

The president’s job approval is mired at the lowest level of his presidency — 39 percent. While four of five Republicans say they approve of Bush’s job performance — enthusiasm in that support has dipped over the last year.

Almost two-thirds of Republicans strongly approved of the job done by Bush in December 2004, soon after his re-election. The AP-Ipsos survey found that just half in his own party feel that way now.

The intensity of support for Bush’s job performance has also dropped sharply among white evangelicals, Southerners, people from rural areas and suburban men.

“We’ve lost focus on where we’re supposed to be going and not able to respond to the crises that affect the people of this country,” said David Ernest, a Republican from San Ramon, Calif., who is angry about the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina. “We’re mired in a Middle Eastern adventure and we’ve taken the focus off of our own country.”

Seen as having a political agenda
Bush has tried to reassure conservatives about his Supreme Court nominee. He’s also trying to counter critics of the war by tying U.S. efforts in Iraq to the larger war against terrorism. And he’s made frequent trips to the areas devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita to offset criticism of the government’s initial response to Katrina.

Even those efforts get viewed with suspicion by some.

“I just think the president is doing things for political reasons, not what’s right for the people,” said Traci Wallace, a Democrat from Tallahassee, Fla. “Every time he makes a trip to the hurricane zone, he’s blowing a million dollars.”

Of all the problems facing the country, the continuing war in Iraq is the one that troubles some Bush supporters the most.

“I approve of what the president is doing, but it’s a mixed decision,” said Richard Saulinski, a Republican from Orland Park, Ill. “We should get out of Iraq. It seems like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. I just think we’re dealing with a culture we don’t really understand.”

The poll of 1,000 adults was conducted by Ipsos, an international polling company, from Monday to Wednesday and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

**Dra'ki Areese** · 8th October 2005, 09:41 AM

YAY... oh... sorry

Tukaram · 8th October 2005, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Bush's approval rating remains at all-time low

It could never get any lower with me. I would have voted for Pee-Wee Herman before the shaved monkey "W"

Cassie · 8th October 2005, 10:01 AM

i'm an evangelical and a woman (not sure about rep or dem), and i still don't agree with him. but i'm not really probably incluced in that list as i didn't even vote for him anyway (actually in latest election i didn't) *blushes*

**Adri** · 8th October 2005, 11:18 AM

Why should Bush care? He cannot be re-elected anyway. He has already proven to be self centered enough to not give a crap if he screws things up for his party, or even for the whole nation. I didn't vote for that man either time. I didn't exactly support his opponents, I was just anti-Bush.

Iraq is a messed up situation. I have family and friends over there, aand I support my troops. I just want those troops to come home NOW before anything else goes wrong. I don't support the "war" at all.

Santi · 11th October 2005, 03:17 PM

I don't necessarily approve of GW but I don't think he has done that bad. If a president has a bad presidency I would say it is more to blame on his cabinet. Sure he picks them...but, still they have to perform as well. The war, many don't support it. I don't say I like it, but I feel it was necessary. I don't want to go back and I want our troops home. However, now that we are in we have to make that place safe...well, relatively speaking. In any case, I agree...I don't think he has to care about his ratings...this is his last ride.

**Adri** · 11th October 2005, 03:53 PM

Yeah, I know. A lot of people say Bush is just a sock puppet. A lot of times I have to look and wonder what the man is thinking however.

I agree that we have to make it safe over there as best we can. If we don't, it will just turn into a training camp for terrorists probably. Why are we over there in the first place again? Still no WMDs have been produced. Terrorists still threaten and kill people. The so called war on terrorism has just been a dud, but we are so firmly entrenched we can't back out now.

8th October 2005, 09:41 AM	#2
Dra'ki Areese Slave to emptiness Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 343 Gold: 83 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Bush's approval rating remains at all-time low YAY... oh... sorry I've never figured out how to be gracefully humble without appearing weak. Nor have I figured out how to be gracefully passionate without appearing arrogant. In the end, I always seem to be arrogant and weak instead of humbly passionate.

8th October 2005, 10:01 AM	#4
Cassie I'm high on life, can't you tell? Join Date: May 2005 Shard: Drachenfels/LS Posts: 226 Gold: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Bush's approval rating remains at all-time low i'm an evangelical and a woman (not sure about rep or dem), and i still don't agree with him. but i'm not really probably incluced in that list as i didn't even vote for him anyway (actually in latest election i didn't) blushes

8th October 2005, 11:18 AM	#5
Adri Wearing metal panties in a lightning storm Join Date: May 2004 Shard: Pacific/Landroval Posts: 3,848 Gold: 1,031 My Mood: Thanks: 211 Thanked 118 Times in 85 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 2	Re: Bush's approval rating remains at all-time low Why should Bush care? He cannot be re-elected anyway. He has already proven to be self centered enough to not give a crap if he screws things up for his party, or even for the whole nation. I didn't vote for that man either time. I didn't exactly support his opponents, I was just anti-Bush. Iraq is a messed up situation. I have family and friends over there, aand I support my troops. I just want those troops to come home NOW before anything else goes wrong. I don't support the "war" at all. We are all broken and wounded in this world. Some choose to grow strong at the broken places. --Harold J. Duarte-Bernhardt

11th October 2005, 03:17 PM	#6
Santi El Mero Mero Join Date: Apr 2004 Shard: Legends Posts: 589 Gold: 113 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Bush's approval rating remains at all-time low I don't necessarily approve of GW but I don't think he has done that bad. If a president has a bad presidency I would say it is more to blame on his cabinet. Sure he picks them...but, still they have to perform as well. The war, many don't support it. I don't say I like it, but I feel it was necessary. I don't want to go back and I want our troops home. However, now that we are in we have to make that place safe...well, relatively speaking. In any case, I agree...I don't think he has to care about his ratings...this is his last ride.

11th October 2005, 03:53 PM	#7
Adri Wearing metal panties in a lightning storm Join Date: May 2004 Shard: Pacific/Landroval Posts: 3,848 Gold: 1,031 My Mood: Thanks: 211 Thanked 118 Times in 85 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 2	Re: Bush's approval rating remains at all-time low Yeah, I know. A lot of people say Bush is just a sock puppet. A lot of times I have to look and wonder what the man is thinking however. I agree that we have to make it safe over there as best we can. If we don't, it will just turn into a training camp for terrorists probably. Why are we over there in the first place again? Still no WMDs have been produced. Terrorists still threaten and kill people. The so called war on terrorism has just been a dud, but we are so firmly entrenched we can't back out now. We are all broken and wounded in this world. Some choose to grow strong at the broken places. --Harold J. Duarte-Bernhardt

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