Gallup: Speech Watchers Give Bush High Marks

Gallup News Service ^ | February 3, 2005 | David W. Moore

[RWR8189]

Viewers more positive than last year

PRINCETON, NJ -- An instant reaction poll of speech watchers last night, a majority of whom were Republicans, found President George W. Bush receiving high marks for his State of the Union address -- higher than last year and the year before, though not as high as the ratings he received in his first two years. As a group, speech watchers' positive views of the president increased even more after the address, both generally and about specific policies he proposed.

The major findings of the CNN/USA Today/Gallup instant reaction poll are as follows:

• Overall, 86% of speech watchers said their reaction to Bush's address was positive, including 60% who said "very" positive.
  
  
  • Last year, 76% said positive, with 45% very positive.
    
    
  • Three years ago, shortly after 9/11, 94% were positive and 74% very positive.

• Seventy-seven percent of speech watchers said Bush's proposed policies in general will move the country in the right direction, while 20% said the wrong direction. Last year, the percentage saying the right direction was 70%, while 26% said the wrong direction.
  
  
  • In Bush's first two State of the Union addresses, one before and the other after 9/11, speech watchers were more positive -- 91% saying the right direction in 2002, and 84% in 2001.
    
    
  • After former President Bill Clinton's two speeches when this sentiment was measured (1994 and 1995), 84% and 83% of speech watchers, respectively, said the president's policies would move the country in the right direction.

• In the pre-speech interview, 67% of people who intended to watch the speech said Bush's policies would move the country in the right direction, compared with 77% who said that after the speech.

[RWR8189]

A little more in-depth than yesterday.

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Gallup Ping

FReepmail me if you want to be on or off the list.

[RWR8189]

Americans are more positive about George W. Bush’s State of the Union address this year than they have been in the past two years. Ratings of his first two addresses – in 2001 and 2002 – were higher. What was your overall reaction to Bush’s speech tonight – very positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative, (or) very negative? ± 5 pct. pts. margin of error February 2, 2005 Sample Size = 485 adults who watched the State of the Union address

 

[ChadGore]

Overall, 86% of speech watchers said their reaction to Bush's address was positive

[GiveEmDubya]

I thought it was the best SOTU he's given in his presidency to date. Home run.

[OldFriend]

President's best speech, surpassing the speech following 9/11......IMHO

[Emmett McCarthy]

I have to admit that I didn't watch a whole lot of it since even grand slam home runs from this guy are derided by the opposition. I did want to watch for the reactions from the Democrats, but figured it was kinda like watching the Acme Safe landing on Wylie Coyote - again. I kept the sound on, though, during and after the speech so that I could catch the latest installment from some of the pundits in their alway enlightening "Wabiit Season!"/"Duck Season!" debate

[GiveEmDubya]

I thought his post-9/11 address to Congress was an excellent speech, and I think one ranks up there, if not passing it in some ways. He hit all target objectives. Overall, I was very pleased.

[frogjerk]

DIMs: The major findings of the CNN/USA Today/Gallup instant reaction poll are as follows:

* Overall, 86% of speech watchers said their reaction to Bush's address was positive, including 60% who said "very" positive.

o Three years ago, shortly after 9/11, 94% were positive and 74% very positive.

"BUSH's slide in the polls indicates that he is losing the trust of the American people he had after 9/11..."

[Dog Gone]

President's best speech, surpassing the speech following 9/11......IMHO

It was a flawless speech, but nothing can surpass the post 9/11 speech, because that was exactly what the country needed to hear. Last night, the sore losermen probably didn't watch in large numbers.

Maybe it comes down to how you define "best." You can't beat flawless. But the 9/11 address was the most important of his Presidency and he handled that brilliantly as well.

[frogjerk]

DIM SPIN

DIMs: The reason why the President's numbers were high was because the poll failed to take into account the unusually high number of Democrats that were still high after the first of the month...

or

DIMs: The reason why the President's numbers were high was because the DNC was unable to get our talking points to the Gallup poll takers...

[OldFriend]

This speech was so well written and so well delivered that I never once looked at the clock and was disappointed when it was over.

It was seamless in it's narration.

[GiveEmDubya]

NOTHING like Clinton's speeches, that's for sure. He may have been a persuasive speaker (to some), but he just kept going and going during those SOTU speeches...

[Chong]

Now if he would just do something about the illegal immigration problem... that would be the ! to the speech.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Count me among the 86% of Americans who viewed this speech as positive!!!

Godspeed, Mr. President.

[bperiwinkle7]

YES, BUT WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, IS, DID PEGGY LIKE IT?

[Victoria Delsoul]

Good news.

Bumpity bump.

[rightwingintelligentsia]

You stole the words right out of my fingers!!

[Cicero]

Excellent news. No one but a Communist traitor would have objected to Bush's speech after 9/11, and that's about what the numbers show.

The approval rate for this last speech dropped only FIVE PERCENT from 9/11. I think that's an extraordinarily high number, because this time he had no 9/11 to energize American patriotism. After a full year of being lambasted by the lying media and the Democrats over Iraq and other issues, in what amounted to a $2 billion PR campaign against him, it's just extraordinary that Bush did so well.

[OldFriend]

Can't you just see Rather and Jennings now. Lamenting lamenting lamenting.

They tried so very hard to help the dems..all for nought.