Political Jackass

For the first time in Bush’s presidential history, his approval rating has dipped below 40%. Last week the AP-Ipsos poll found that only 39% of Americans approve of Bush’s job handling. A poll by Newsweek found only 38% approving.

On another interesting note, last week a Zogby poll found for the first time more people having an unfavorable view on Bush than favorable. 49% think favorably of Bush while 50% think unfavorably. This poll looks more at Bush’s character as a human being and statistically he’s always had above a 50% favorable view. Not anymore…

Bush’s ratings have been dropping dramatically since spring but it seems his 5-week vacation and delayed (even non-existent) reaction to Hurricane Katrina is really hurting him. Oprah Winfrey is speaking out against him, and her views are deeply respected by many conservative women across America. Insane gas prices and a falling economy probably aren’t helping him either. I wonder…when is he going to do something about it? Whether we like it or not we’ve got 3.5 more years of him and if he keeps doing nothing to help America it’s not going to be pleasant.

A new Gallup Poll reflects further erosion in President George W. Bush’s job approval rating, continuing the slow but steady decline evident throughout the year so far. The poll — conducted Aug. 22-25 — puts Bush’s job approval rating at 40% and his disapproval rating at 56%. Both are the most negative ratings of the Bush administration. Bush’s previous low point in approval was 44% (July 25-28, 2005) and his previous high point in disapproval was 53% (June 24-26, 2005). The Moderate Voice

Quinnipiac Univ. 7/21-25. MoE 3.2% (May 25)

Bush approval ratings

Approve 41 (44)
Disapprove 53 (50)

The poll has a lot of great data on attitudes toward abortion. 61-32 say Judge Roberts should answer questions about his views on abortion. 57 percent think it should be legal in all or most cases. 36 want to criminalize it in all or most cases. But when it comes to some restrictions, there is broad support — 70 percent for a 24-hour waiting period, 74 percent support parental notification, and 76 oppose late-term abortions except to save the life of the mother. 42 percent of Republicans agree with Roe v. Wade, as do 79 percent of Democrats and 71 percent of independents.

• For the first time, a majority of Americans, 51%, say the Bush administration deliberately misled the public about whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction — the central justification given for invading. The administration’s credibility on the issue has been steadily eroding since 2003 after stores of the weapons weren’t found.
• By 58%-37%, a majority say the United States won’t be able to establish a stable democratic government in Iraq, similar to the results when the question was asked in April 2004.
• About one-third, 32%, say the United States can’t win the war in Iraq. Another 21% say the United States could win the war, but they don’t think it will. Just 43% predict a victory.

Source: Gallop

Atrios is reporting an ABC poll that says:

Just a quarter of Americans think the White House is fully cooperating in the federal investigation of the leak of a CIA operative’s identity, a number that’s declined sharply since the investigation began. And three-quarters say that if presidential adviser Karl Rove was responsible for leaking classified information, it should cost him his job.

Skepticism about the administration’s cooperation has jumped. As the initial investigation began in September 2003, nearly half the public, 47 percent, believed the White House was fully cooperating. That fell to 39 percent a few weeks later, and it’s lower still, 25 percent, in this new ABC News poll.

Will Bush lie, again, and keep Rove in the administration, or will he do the right thing? History has proven he likes the former and not the latter.

The new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll finds 49% of Americans disapprove of Bush’s job performance.

As Tim Russert pointed out on the Today Show this morning, that’s a near majority (very near). Only 46% approve.

On the question of Bush’s honesty (it’s a question?), only 41% think he is, while 45% think not.

And these are the pre Karl Rove as Traitor numbers!

Source: Tennessee Guerilla Women

Read more…

Bush’s Job Approval Ratings:
Approve: 43%
Dissaprove: 56%

Note: Bush’s speech this week actually made him LOSE another approval percentage point…

If it is proven that Bush lied about the Iraq War:
42% of all Americans support impeachment
60% of Democrats support impeachment
25% of Republicans support impeachment
43% of Independents support impeachment

Error margin of plus or minus 3.3%