Reply
Sun 16 May, 2004 07:07 am
Sat May 15, 5:38 PM ET
PHOENIX (AP) - President George W. Bush's job-approval ratings are hitting the lowest levels of his tenure, as problems in Iraq crowd out other issues for voters, public-opinion specialists said.
A Newsweek magazine poll released Saturday put Bush's overall job approval at 42 per cent, the lowest yet in that poll. Other recent surveys have rated Bush in the mid-40s.
"Iraq is sucking the life out of other issue deliberations among the voters in the campaign," said political scientist Douglas Strand of the University of California-Berkeley.
Strand and Merrill Shanks, also a political scientist at the school, have conducted public-opinion research on how various issues are affecting the campaign.
They found Iraq has had a more dominant effect on the campaign since April 1. Gay marriage and other domestic issues have faded from voters' concerns as problems mount in Iraq, Strand said.
April was the bloodiest month for Americans in Iraq and the prisoner abuse scandal has put the Bush administration on the defensive.
The researchers talked about their findings Saturday during the meeting of the American Association for Public Opinion Research.
Bush's approval on how he has handled Iraq has dipped to 35 per cent in the Newsweek poll, compared with 44 per cent in April. Some 57 per cent of respondents said they disapprove.
"Before people are going to jump over to Kerry, they begin to express doubts about Bush," Hugick said.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/cpress/20040515/ca_pr_on_wo/bush_poll&cid=2149&ncid=2149
It would seem that a few more are at long last rediscovering their genuine patriotism.
Iraq dominates everything in the UK.
Blair who would otherwise be popular is about to take a hammering in the upcoming local and European elections.
I can't see him surviving. Odds of him going before the next general election have shortened from 5/1 to 3/1.
If Americans think that Blair reflects British opinion, think again. It is impossible to get the average Brit to go on record with a good word to be said for Bush. I can't remember a more unpopular president. At least with Nixon we knew it was primarily a domestic American affair. But Bush and Blair have taken us into a nightmare, and for no good reason as far as the average person can perceive.
There is real anger with Bush bordering on a pathological hatred, its quite frightening. I'm sorry for the detrimental affect its having on how Brits see Americans.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace