I just remembered who Barry Allen really is...
Posted on 09/10/2005 5:12:46 AM PDT by Brian Mosely
WASHINGTON - President Bush's job approval has dipped below 40 percent for the first time in the AP-Ipsos poll, reflecting widespread doubts about his handling of gasoline prices and the response to Hurricane Katrina.
Nearly four years after Bush's job approval soared into the 80s after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Bush was at 39 percent job approval in an AP-Ipsos poll taken this week. That's the lowest since the the poll was started in December 2003.
The public's view of the nation's direction has grown increasingly negative as well, with nearly two-thirds now saying the country is heading down the wrong track.
"As a nation, we are pretty well stretched," said Barry Allen, a political independent from Reed City, Mich. "I approve of some of the things the president has done, and disapprove of others. Overall, I disapprove."
Allen said he liked some of Bush's economic steps during his first term but has been dissatisfied with the president's economic moves in his second term, his Iraq policy and his handling of gasoline prices.
Allen worries Hurricane Katrina has taken the wind out of an economy that was moving in the right direction.
With gasoline racing past $3 a gallon, Bush's standing on dealing with those prices may be one of his biggest problems — seven in 10 said they disapprove.
And just over half in the poll, 52 percent, said they disapprove of the president's handling of the hurricane.
For Bill Kane of Kingsland, Ga., the government's slow response to the hurricane "was terrifying to see in our own country. It made you mad, because it made you think where's our money going?"
More evidence of problems with the storm response surfaced Friday when the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it would discontinue a 2-day-old program to issue debit cards worth to displaced families.
The administration also dumped FEMA Director Michael Brown, who had come to symbolize the stumbling early days of the hurricane response, as commander of Katrina relief efforts.
Brown once served as the judges and stewards commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association.
"Bush puts people in jobs who don't know what they're doing," said Shirley Carignan, a retiree and a political independent from Weymouth, Mass. "I think he's picking friends for these jobs. My girlfriend raises Arabians. You know horses, so what? Horses and people are different things."
The number of people who think the country is on the wrong track grew from 59 percent last month to 65 percent this month. Tumbling consumer confidence after Hurricane Katrina may be contributing to that sense of pessimism.
The RBC CASH Index, based on polling by Ipsos, showed that consumer confidence sank in September to the lowest level since early March 2003 before the start of the Iraq war.
Economic woes and a continuing war in Iraq have been complicated by the continuing hurricane recovery crisis.
"A lot of Americans don't pay attention to their leaders on a day-to-day basis," said Robert Blendon, a public opinion analyst at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "They measure presidents, governors and mayors on how they handle big events like a hurricane. This event is not over because the bodies are going to be discovered day by day."
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On the Net:
Ipsos: http://www.ap-ipsosresults.com
I do not believe this poll; but oh my God how will he be re-elected (sarcasm)?
Ipsos is a left of center entity. Granted that W probably has lost some popularity, but I wouldn't get all tangled up over an Ipsos poll.
"Barry Allen, a political independent"
Another Lib afraid to admit their true affiliation.
I can't wait to see the underlying stats on this poll. Let me guess....35% Dem, 25% Repub, 40% Indep. Thanks for the laugh AP.
You didn't give this the all-caps, multiple exclamation-point, hallelujah-style headline that the mainstream media have already begun using. I saw the first "Well, Trixie, the people are finally smartening up" talking head while I was burping the baby at 6:30 this morning.
Oh, I believe the poll. Lots of people who never vote don't like Bush. Re-election will indeed be tough. Evil Genius Karl Rove is going to have to rig a lot of voting machines and deny a lot of black people the right to vote.
I still approve of Bush, but he's needs to stop trying to get everyone to like him, he needs to get ugly.
There was a post here yesterday showing an over sampling of RATS was need to get theses results. I think it was by 9%.
It also included a lot of respondents who didn’t/won't vote.
BUT, if it makes the RATS happy and comfortable..............why not have the poll on every MSM outlet.
They're going down, let's enjoy the spectacle, watch the surprised expressions on the rare occasions they get it, and give them an extra push whenever we can.
No he won't run again but what about the perceived damage to the Republican party as a whole? Should this be taken lightly and laughed off, wanna bet GOP isn't taking this lightly?
Right now the bad guys are winning with this firestorm of controversy, but he has weathered many storms (excuse the pun) and he will once again, I am certain of that.
See how the press encourages and reinforces the public's ignorance about how the world works and what affect a president can have on commodity prices? The press not only doesn't educate the public about the world oil market, but they encourage their misconceptions by asking stupid questions like this. That's why these polls are meaningless, unless you're trying to gauge how stupid and/or disengaged the average American is. These people probably even think Bush is up for re-election.
"Another Lib afraid to admit their true affiliation".
No. Another Lib afraid to admit HIS true affiliation.
";^)
Which means Bush is only now as dropped to a popularity level as Clinton was when Clinton was at his most popular time of his presidency.
"These people probably even think Bush is up for re-election."
Wouldn't doubt that a bit.
"effect"
1 - He is doing NOTHING about the illegal immigrants coming across the border
2 - He is spending money like a drunken sailor
3 - He is cow-towing to the whiney dems and black politicians over Katrina
"HIS true affiliation"
You mean this Barry Allen person is really.....God?
I just remembered who Barry Allen really is...
I keep telling libs that we ARE going to have Bush run again in 2008. They are the ones saying he was selected and not elected. He ought to be able to run again, right?
This whole article drips with idjuts repeating the MSM BS lies.
Cow-towing? Must be the rural equivalent of kowtowing. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
"...but he's needs to stop trying to get everyone to like him..."
I agree. Now would bve a good time by nominating a conservative Supreme Court nominee.
Yes I agree, he needs some nasty Sicilian Blood in him. He let's everyone step all over him. He should bash allot of people.
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