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May 13, 2004

Bush Poll Numbers Collapse

This is a deadly poll for Bush:

President Bush's overall approval rating has fallen to the lowest level of his presidency, 44 percent, in the latest CBS News poll.
Not surprisingly given the events of the last few weeks, the population now see Iraq as a disaster:
The highest figure ever recorded, 64 percent, say the result of the war in Iraq has not been worth the cost in lives or money. Only 29 percent, the lowest figure yet, believe the war has been worth it. And just 31 percent of Americans now say the United States is winning the war.
Worse for Bush, they think the goals of the war might have been a good idea; they just see Bush's leadership as a failure:
the public remains split on whether the United States should have taken military action against Iraq in the first place: 49 percent think it was the right decision, 45 percent think it was not.

Fifty-eight percent of Americans now disapprove of the president's handling of the war in Iraq, while 39 percent approve.

Which means that much of the public doesn't think the Iraq war had to be a mistake. They just think Bush screwed it all up with his arrogance and incompetence.

But the most interesting number is on Bush's handling of the economy. Despite all the statistical noise saying how well the economy is doing, the public isn't buying Bush's economic leadership:

American's opinion of Mr. Bush's handling of the economy is also at an all-time low, 34 percent, while 60 percent disapprove, also a high of the Bush presidency.
Are the Iraq disapproval numbers leaking over to the economic numbers? Partially, no doubt.

Or maybe after years of job losses and stagnant growth, Americans aren't buying "mission accomplished" based on a couple of nice monthly job reports.

Without having to know the details, they know the present economy is on steroids-- artificially low interest rates, massive federal deficit spending, and large infusions of military buying.

And yet they all know that the job market is still enemic and wages are still under pressure from corporate union busting and global markets.

So they don't buy the present economy as any kind of economic miracle. And 60% blame poor leadership by Bush.

Put a fork in him. Bush is done.

Posted by Nathan at May 13, 2004 07:57 AM