Posted on 10/08/2005 7:35:16 PM PDT by 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.
Or a sideshow of FREAKS!
Or any other dem, for that matter. Works for me, too. I mostly support President Bush, although I'm not totally happy with everything he's done. I think he's a good man and has been overall a good president.
I also don't trust polls. Too easy to skewer the questions to get the replies you want, IMO.
Me too. Too much spending is my main concern..
"I don't think people who are disappointed in his performance are going to change party."
yep, they'll just wonder why they should bother next time they're asked to donate their time and money to help the republicans.
Ignoring your base is such a wonderful strategy. It worked so well in 1992!
See? Bonehead gets it, why can't the GOP muckymucks?
It's really not that difficult.
I wouldn't disagree with you...but I'll still thank our lucky stars when I think of how close we came to the alternatives...either Gore or Kerry. If Gore had been President on 9/11 he'd still be holding blue ribbon committees on the effect of burning jet fuel on the ozone layer
Who said Bush was ever conservative?
Disregard anything that the unwashed masses may have to say. What do they know anyway.
Agreed....I'd have loved to see Michael Luttig nominated, as well as stern actions (not just policies) on immigration. But, as the Stones said, you can't always get what you want. I'm not yet ready to throw the baby out with the bath water just because some of what I would like hasn't come to pass.
"See? Bonehead gets it, why can't the GOP muckymucks? "
Common sense is in short supply in the elitist cesspool that is Washington DC
Just wait until shamnesty gets pushed through. This is only the beginning. BOHICA!!!
Well, like the man Yogi said, when you come to a fork in the road, take it.
The Democrats and some stupid pollsters read the right track wrong track polls as an indication that Bush would lose in 2004. The fact is that a lot of people who thought the country was on the wrong track voted for Bush or he would not have won. That can be translated into many people were smart enough to vote for the devil they did know instead of the devil they didn't know. The wrong track crowd should not personalize the nation's problems with Bush. I see two corrupt, incompetent, and clueless political parties as the problem. These parties need new blood and it will not be found with Washington insiders and the ever growing cadre of politically correct political hacks.
Sold us out? What planet are you from?
If that is truly how you feel, you were never a Bush supporter to start with.
Try honesty. It works.
Yup, that's the Dems/MSM's only hope at this point. Discourage people from voting. Long as we show up, they're toast.
President Kerry
After considering that possibility, things don't look too bad"
Huh??
Are you rationalizing that we should be thankful for a more benign smelling stench?
Sorry, I'm still holding my nose.
AP up to its old tricks. Same ol same ol.
I couldn't agree more.
Conservatives get screwed by the DemonRats and now President Bush has played his hand and the Republican party seems to think they do not need us.
Why bother?
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