Resources dry up as joblessness drags on

Follow-up: http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/14/bush.poll/

Poll: Bush's job approval rating drops
President still wins high marks on national defense
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 Posted: 3:23 PM EST (2023 GMT)

A new poll finds that Americans have faith in President Bush's personal strengths, but doubts about some of his policies.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush, though still backed by a majority of Americans, finds himself with the lowest job approval rating since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, according to a CNN/USA TODAY/Gallup poll, which points to falling confidence in his handling of world affairs and a perception that his economic policies favor the rich.

...And in what could be a key finding for the administration, more respondents identified the economy as a decisive issue at the polls compared to terrorism, 53 percent to 32 percent. And 56 percent of those polled say they believe that Bush generally favors the rich.

That point is not likely to be lost on Bush. He saw his father's popularity after the Persian Gulf War evaporate as the economy soured, a slide that ultimately led to his ouster from the White House when he was defeated by Bill Clinton in 1992. ...

Will this be what it takes to get the economy front and center, and help push terrorism aside as a main concern of this administration?