Bush Numbers Virtually Unchanged by Thanksgiving Trip

Zogby.com ^ | 12/8/03 | Zogby

[NYC Republican]

President George W. Bush’s unannounced trip to have Thanksgiving Dinner with troops in Baghdad has had relatively little impact on his job performance rating, which remains relatively unchanged from Mid-October and early November polling.

Bush Job Performance Positive: 49% Negative 51%

The most recent Zogby America poll of 1,002 likely voters chosen at random was conducted December 4-6, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points. Margins are higher in sub-groups.

Overall opinion of the President has improved slightly from early November. Nearly three in five (58%) say their opinion of him is somewhat or very favorable, while 40% say it is somewhat or very unfavorable. In November, opinion was 55% favorable, 43% unfavorable.

There has been a slight improvement in numbers when President Bush is matched against an unnamed (generic) Democratic contender. Two in five (43%) would vote for Bush, while 41% would opt for an unnamed Democrat. In September and October polling, Bush would have lost to a generic Democrat. One in six are unsure or prefer another choice.

The President remains behind in his ‘re-elect’ numbers, where 44% of likely voters now say he deserves to be re-elected, while 46% say it is time for someone new. In early September polling, 52% said it was time for someone new, and just two in five (40%) said he deserves re-election

Americans are equally split on whether they think the US is headed in the right direction, with 46% saying it is the right direction, and 46% voicing “wrong direction.” Eight percent are not sure.

Pollster John Zogby: “Democrats and Republicans continue to act as mirror images of each other. Nearly four in five (78%) Republicans say the country is headed in the right direction, while 70% of Democrats and 54% of independents say it’s the wrong direction. It’s the same thing with the President’s re-elect numbers … 83% of the Republicans say he deserves re-election, while 73% of Democrats and 55% of independents say it’s time for someone new. The concept of an equally divided nation continues.”

[NYC Republican]

OK, the usual disclaimers on Zogby polls- they lump in Fair with Poor, so a Zogby poll is usually around 5% lower than other polls (confirmed by FOX, which has Bush at 52%).

I guess it's a little disappointing, especially on the heels of the Annenberg Poll, which puts Bush at 61%.

In Zogby's poll, Bush's personal approval rating went up to 58%, from 55%

[Pikamax]

considering zogby's site looks like an ad for the DNC, I am wary of any numbers coming from him.

[familyofman]

Still a 50/50 nation. What will change the numbers before Nov? Economy, jobs, war on terror, Iraq.... How they impact opinions is even more problematic.

[bayourod]

Zogby's brother is head of the Arab-American Assoc. No wonder he doesn't think that the trip helped Bush.

[The South Texan]

Zogby sauce all over it.

[NYC Republican]

considering zogby's site looks like an ad for the DNC, I am wary of any numbers coming from him

Yep, I did say the usual disclaimers, I meant to add that he's a liberal, wants the Dems to win, and I wouldn't put too much credence on his polls.

[ThreeYearLurker]

The only problem though is that he is usually right. At least in 1996 and 2000 presidential elections.

[Palladin]

The most recent Zogby America poll of 1,002 likely voters...

Correction: The most recvent Zogby Rat poll of 1,002 Arabs...

[Palladin]

The most recent Zogby America poll of 1,002 likely voters...

Correction: The most recent Zogby Rat poll of 1,002 Arabs...

[oceanview]

jobs are the big issue in my opinion.

even some NY Dems I know quietly support Bush on the war, granted they are not the radical lunatics in their party, but they are Dem voters nonetheless. That's not to say they will vote for Bush (in NY, it hardly matters), but just to give insight as to where his strengths and weaknesses are.

[thesummerwind]

zogby is a fraud

[kegler4]

"considering zogby's site looks like an ad for the DNC, I am wary of any numbers coming from him."

Maybe Zogby and/or Rush have changed but I distinctly remember Rush in a past election (but I don't remember which one -- maybe Bush/Gore or one of the Congressional ones) loudly praising Zogby as the best and most accurate of the polls. Of course part of the reason he liked it then was that it was more positive about the Republicans in that election. And Zogby did indeed turn out to be the most accurate.

[WFTR]

The reality is that the country is still split about 50/50 as it was during the 2000 elections. There was a time when people said that the fringes made up ten to fifteen percent of the political spectrum with most people being in the middle. I think the "fringes" are now a much larger portion of the electorate. In fact, the "fringes" may no longer be fringes. As we move further apart as a nation, more people are part of a "fringe" on one side or another.

These questions are always somewhat deceiving. For me, the most honest answer to whether we are going in the right direction is "no." When we pass new entitlements like the drug benefits signed today, we aren't going in the right direction. When American taxpayers must pay for the costs of rebuilding Iraq instead of letting Iraqi oil revenue pay those costs, we're going in the wrong direction. I like President Bush. I'll vote for him in 2004 if I think he needs my vote to win this state. I think on some level he'd probably like to take us in the right direction overall. However, he is trying to keep the country together by offering some compromises to those who want to destroy it. I think his heart's in the right place, and maybe his strategy is right. However, we are not actually going in the right direction right now.

Race and Mediocrity in Louisiana
Bill

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Also, since he tours the world with CAIR and similar groups, bashing Bush and the 'intolerant American attitude', I'll pass on this.

After 911, his only concern was the protection Muslim rights. I found his obligatory condemning of the attack weak in tone. If not for his multimillion dollar biz interests and family entrenched in the US, he would shill like Ibrahim Hooper.

Also, I have seen credible posts here that said his polls Dem vs Repub polls seemed inflated on the Dim side. A week or less before the election, a number of polls (2002?) showed numbers more indicative of election results. The theory, pretty well stated, was that he was trying to boost the Dims, and then gave the more accurate poll numbers at the last minute to preserve the integrity and accuracy of Zogby. Others say Zogby is accurate.

It is a conspiracy theory. But since CAIR type Arabs and Dim shills are natural liars, I'll follow my gut and ignore him.

[kegler4]

I was talking a conservative state legislator today and he was shaking his head over the way a REPUBLICAN controlled Congress and a REPUBLICAN president are spending our money like there's no end.

[finnman69]

Zogby blew it in 2002.

[Choose Ye This Day]

Who cares, Zogby? Bush didn't do it for the polls (as the cynical left cries). He did it for the troops.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Bush Presides Over Biggest Growth in U.S. Spending Since 1990

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=71000001&refer=us&sid=aiq1gJbXx4Lw

[mjp]

I will start to worry when this bet number from Tradesports.com goes down.

George W Bush is re-elected as United States President.

[onedoug]

He didn't do it for numbers.