Bush voters say nation going in wrong direction

The Houston Chronicle ^ | Oct. 8, 2005 | WILL LESTER

[neverdem]

Poll finds fears about gas prices, Iraq, the economy and disaster costs

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - 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 natural disasters.

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.

Supporters uneasy

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 served as White House counsel.

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 has dipped over the last year.

Party backing slips

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 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.

[Paulus Invictus]

The RATs and the MSM are stuck on wishful thinking again. Dean is now trying to imitate the Republican victory tactic of last election and trying to figure out how the RATs can be winners again. It's up to all of us to make sure that we never see the RATs in power again. Just keep the image of the likes of the Clintons, Read, Dirty Harry, Dean, Kennedy, Schumer, and Kerry in power! GAG!

[murphE]

But it wasn't the only question, right?

But none of the other questions were a follow up to this question.

[neverdem]

But none of the other questions were a follow up to this question.

Was there no question which asked about your political preferences, preferred candidate or party affiliation?

[Black Tooth]

What you described is precisely what you do, yourself. You go from thread to thread with the same nonsense.

What are you talking about? You attack me in #213 for voicing my opinion. You do this to people all day long every day.

[Black Tooth]

And I wasn't even post to you. You come out of the blue getting personal because you don't like my opinion. Pathetic.

[Black Tooth]

This is what we call "PROJECTION!"

Bull. This is what you call rdb3 running from thread to thread attacking others and getting personal just because you disagree with their opinions. This is what you do. LOL!

[rdb3]

I'm loving how you're making a complete fool out of yourself. So, don't mind me. Continue, please. Retread.

If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
They're going fast!

[Black Tooth]

No I am a fool?

Hurry rdb3, someone on another thread somewhere is probably saying something you disagree with. Run along and go get personal with them. Feel free to call them scoundrel's and fools if their opinions. Differ from yours. Better hurry!

[rdb3]

Awww...

Now you're squealing like a little girl. Man up! Don't bitch out on me now. If you can dish it, you better be able to take it.

It's real out here on the battlefield!

If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
They're going fast!

[Black Tooth]

It's real out here on the battlefield!

Look, if I were to get personal with you like you are doing right now with me as you do many others, I'd get banned in a second. I would verbally jack hammer you. But you are one of those I was told about, that is above the rules here, and do what you please. Getting personal is suppose to be against the rules here. Notice the AM is no where to be seen? Like the cops in many situations, my hands are tied, and people like you, routinely get a pass.

[rdb3]

Look, if I were to get personal with you like you are doing right now with me as you do many others, I'd get banned in a second. I would verbally jack hammer you. But you are one of those I was told about, that is above the rules here, and do what you please. Getting personal is suppose to be against the rules here. Notice the AM is no where to be seen? Like the cops in many situations, my hands are tied, and people like you, routinely get a pass.

Where'd you get this idea? It's not true at all, but I'd still like to know. Who told you what?

Come on, now. Man up! Let it out and let's see where it leads.

If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
They're going fast!

[Black Tooth]

Where'd you get this idea?

Lets see now?? Where would I get this idea??

How about the last 6 posts?

What don't you get about getting personal and breaking the rules?

[neverdem]

Oh ya, these polls do a great job of distinguishing the difference between "The nation" going in the wrong direction, and "The President" going in the wrong direction....

Please read the title again. It says "Bush voters say nation going in wrong direction", not the usual reference to the general public. Most polls never get that specific because the numbers aren't there for the sub-group analysis to be considered significant. They're claiming it here. Please read comment# 93. If I could access the poll, I would, but you have to be a subscriber. http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/ap/

[spinestein]

[Although your metric you are using is true it is the wrong indicator and is misleading. You are diluting the impact of controllable spending with mandated/ongoing entitlements expenditures.
Table 7&8 are the only relevant data sets for the context of this discussion namely growth of gov. or run-away spending. These tables are of DISCRETIONARY SPENDING the spending by definition that is controllable and the metric that results in indicating gov. growth and spending.]


I understand why you focused on the discretionary spending because that is what is controllable by Congress and the President and the discussion is about just that, but I used the total expenditures for a specific reason; that is what affects the economy.

As far as the negative drag on the economy that results from filtering our money through the federal government is concerned, whether the spending is discretionary or not is irrelevant. The economy feels it the same, and I was only making the case that total year to year growth of government spending is not out of line with what is reasonable.

And when comparing Bush 41 to Clinton to Bush 43, that's not the whole story, because the real motivation for controlling spending growth in the middle 90's was federal spending caps enacted by Newt Gingrich and his followers when they "took over" the House. Newt is gone now, along with his fiscal responsibility, when he was thrown overboard by moderate Republicans, with the approval of most grassroots Republicans in order to try to make the Republican Party more appealing to Big Network Media.

Personally, I'd like to see a lot more of us fiscally responsible minded voters making a whole lot more noise to our representatives (both in Congress and the President) about bringing back spending limits, but I just don't see it as being all that important to the average voter, and that's disappointing.

[G Larry]

K
Post 93 is fine.
Is my point less valid?

[righttackle44]

"Yes I did. How did you Know?"

It figures.

[righttackle44]

"The rest are real men and are probably used to having to fight for what they get."

And so it's perfectly all right to go ahead on dump negativism on them anyway? I'm sort of glad I don't have any friends like you.

[righttackle44]

"My best regards for your son and cousin. . .--well, here is one old man, WW2 combat vet, . . ."

We're proud to know you, sir. You're in the generation who raised me, taught me in school, coached my teams, taught me in Sunday School.

Thank you for all YOU did for us.

[Souled_Out]

"And so it's perfectly all right to go ahead on dump negativism on them anyway?"

---

Standing up for what you believe and questioning issues rather than following blindly is "dumping negativism"?

I'm sort of glad I don't have a father like you.

[righttackle44]

"Thanks goes to you as well as you have/are going thorough hell with your concern for your son."

Thank you for your words. God bless you.