Posted on 10/07/2005 10:31:47 PM PDT by Ol' Sparky
Poll: Bush Disappointing Conservatives
Evangelicals, Republican women, Southerners and other critical groups in President Bush's political coalition are worried about the direction the nation is headed and disappointed with his performance, an AP-Ipsos poll found.
That unease could be a troubling sign for a White House already struggling to keep the Republican Party base from slipping over Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, Gulf Coast spending projects, immigration and other issues.
"Politically, this is very serious for the president," said James Thurber, a political scientist at American University. "If the base of his party has lost faith, that could spell trouble for his policy agenda and for the party generally."
Sentiment about the nation's direction has sunk to new depths at a time people are anxious about Iraq, the economy, gas prices and the management of billions of dollars being spent for recovery from the nation's worst natural disaster.
Only 28 percent say the country is headed in the right direction while two-thirds, 66 percent, say it is on the wrong track, the poll found.
"There is a growing, deep-seated discontentment and pessimism about the direction of the country," said Republican strategist Tony Fabrizio, who believes the reasons for their pessimism differ for those in one political party or another.
Among those most likely to have lost confidence about the nation's direction over the past year are white evangelicals, down 30 percentage points since November, Republican women, down 28 points, Southerners, down 26 points, and suburban men, down 20 points.
Bush's supporters are uneasy about issues such as federal deficits, immigration and his latest nomination for the Supreme Court. Social conservatives are concerned about his choice of Miers, a relatively unknown lawyer who has most recently served as White House counsel.
"Bush is trying to get more support generally from the American public by seeming more moderate and showing he's a strong leader at the same time he has a rebellion within his own party," Thurber said. "The far right is starting to be very open about their claim that he's not a real conservative."
The president's job approval is mired at the lowest level of his presidency — 39 percent. While four of five Republicans say they approve of Bush's job performance — enthusiasm in that support has dipped over the last year.
In December 2004, soon after his re-election, almost two-thirds of Republicans strongly approved of the job done by Bush. The AP-Ipsos survey found that just half in his own party feel that way now.
The intensity of support for Bush's job performance has also dropped sharply among white evangelicals, Southerners, people from rural areas and suburban men.
"We've lost focus on where we're supposed to be going and not able to respond to the crises that affect the people of this country," said David Ernest, a Republican from San Ramon, Calif., who is angry about the government's response to Hurricane Katrina. "We're mired in a Middle Eastern adventure and we've taken the focus off of our own country."
Bush has tried to reassure conservatives about his Supreme Court nominee. He's also trying to counter critics of the war by tying U.S. efforts in Iraq to the larger war against terrorism. And he's made frequent trips to the areas devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita to offset criticism of the government's initial response to Katrina.
Of all the problems facing the country, the war in Iraq is the one that troubles some Bush supporters the most.
"I approve of what the president is doing, but it's a mixed decision," said Richard Saulinski, a Republican from Orland Park, Ill. "We should get out of Iraq. It seems like there's no light at the end of the tunnel. I just think we're dealing with a culture we don't really understand."
The poll of 1,000 adults was conducted by Ipsos, an international polling company, from Monday to Wednesday and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
I don't see things getting better unless Bush replaces Miers with a known originalist and rallies the base.
Ap/IPSOS is a joke.
I have problems with this nomination, evidence points logically to wide disagreement over it, but I can't validate a poll I do not have faith in under any circumstance.
Nor am I willing to consent to the Liberals with allowing them a role in this family dispute. They may watch from the outside. I will not include their polls in this fight.
RASS, FOX, battleground and Mason Dixon remain the only polls I'll acknowledge.
I'm an ardent Bush supporter, but I've been shaking my head all week about this.
The whirlwind is in the thorn tree. It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Till Armageddon, no Shalam, no Shalom.
The Republican majority is jeopardy. Only fool can't see the damage being done to the Republican party with a revolt occurring in the base.
Just wait until Bush starts pushing his illegal alien amnesty /open borders plan in the next couple of months. His approval rating should go to 25%.
Hell he could do everything his "base" wanted tomorrow and the next day "the base" would be screaming about some new "betrayal". It has been that way for 5 long years and "the base" hasn't stopped screaming for more than 48 hours. If it were me, I would tell "the base" to piss up a rope.
The conservatives I know, who have steadfastly supported the president through all challenges, are starting to bail on him and everyone associated with him.
They were willing to overlook all the other grave missteps including our porous borders and Bush's signing of McCain's campaign finance reform abomination. But allowing Harry Reid to nominate nonentity Harriet Miers to replace O'Connor was the last straw. They look at it as an act of gross and unforgivable stupidity if not betrayal.
Actually, it hasn't.
I would prefer an old Irishism, he should tell them to go crap in their hats.
"Just wait until Bush starts pushing his illegal alien amnesty /open borders plan in the next couple of months. His approval rating should go to 25%."
I forgot about that. What a landmine.....
We'll be told to 'shut up', and instead-- perhaps instead of having the "sexist" charge like they did this time, our own party will charge us with the "racist" label?
Im one of the conservatives who disaproves of how Bush is handling his 2nd term. No one can say Bush has been a conservative this 2nd term... well maybe Sean Hannity.
Number go up and numbers come down. They'll go up again as they always do. It's the nature of politics.
"I guess his Third term is in Jeopardy"
No, but the Republican Party's is.
That is unless they start doing what the hell we sent them to Washington to do.
I have some other versions but I would be banned.
My question for the anti-Myers zealots is what exactly are you trying to accomplish? It seems to me there are three possibilities.
1. Get Bush to withdraw her nomination and appoint someone more to your liking. Well if Bush has shown two traits it's that he will stick to what he thinks is right in the face of overwhelming criticism, and an intense value on personal loyalty, both to and from those close to him. We love that about him when we agree with him, and love the way it drives the Dems crazy. We hate it when we disagree. That's the way it is. He won't withdraw her. And how do you argue that Harriet Miers shouldn't get her up or down vote after arguing for years that the Dems owe Bush's nominees exactly that? How hypocritical is that?
2. You want Miers voted down. Well, do you really think that will possibly happen? If the right comes out united against her the Dems would rally around her for spite. Anyway most Pubs voted for Bader-Guinsberg and Breyer out of respect for the notion that the president gets to choose who he wants. How do they now say that Clinton's choices were acceptable, but Miers is not? And if she was defeated, what makes you think Bush would appoint one of your favorites after conservatives hand him a crippling, humiliating defeat? More likely he would appoint an impeccably credentialed moderate who would get overwhelming bipartisan support.
3. You know she won't be withdrawn, and will be confirmed. You just want to vent, and let Bush know how unhappy you are, so next time he will appoint a judge more to your liking. OK, you've made your point. Time to stop the hissy fit, listen to what the lady has to say, and get on with mending fences.
I was hoping Bush would nominate JR Brown, but before I throw in the towel and roll out the Red Carpet for Hillary, I'll at least wait until after the Harriet Miers Judicial Hearings are over and we know more about her.... Until then I'll trust Dubya isn't trying to push a Liberal on the Court
The base should be ashamed of itself in my opinion. I am just appalled at the behavior. That poor woman won't need the rats attacking her, her own side is doing a darn good job of it. I am sickened by all of those doing this.
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