Posted on 12/03/2005 7:16:26 PM PST by bloggodocio
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush, trying to lift his sagging approval ratings, has launched a push to take credit for recent positive economic news the public has largely shrugged off.
In one example of the pessimism, an ABC/Washington Post poll taken in the month ended November 13 showed 64 percent of Americans described the economy as poor or not so good, with only 36 percent judging it to be good or excellent.
That dovetails with November 17-20 Gallup poll that found just 36 percent of Americans thought the economy was getting better while 58 percent saw it as getting worse.
"I think the White House is very frustrated," said Cesar Conda, former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney. "There's been good data on gross domestic product, employment and business spending, and even oil prices are receding. But it's not reflected in the polling data on Americans' views."
In addition to a desire to stem a slide in the president's own popularity, Bush aides hope honing the economic message will help create a more favorable environment for Republicans ahead of next year's congressional elections.
Some congressional Republicans fear their chances in the 2006 elections may suffer because of Bush's intensive campaign early this year to sell a proposal for Social Security change.
The plan proved unpopular and some in the party feel it was a distraction when the White House should have been doing more to showcase economic improvement.
The latest Gallup survey put Bush's overall approval rating at 38 percent, just above the 37 percent record low.
Carroll Doherty, editor at the Pew Research Center, said worry over economic factors like higher gasoline prices and the General Motors layoffs were contributing to weakness in Bush's popularity.
But he said the dominant factor seemed to be angst about Iraq and that, to some extent, may be coloring views of Bush's leadership on other issues, including the economy.
2005 GDP SEEN GROWING 3.5 PERCENT
Bush will tour a construction machinery plant in Kernersville, North Carolina on Monday and deliver a speech that will highlight signs the economy is "cooking along," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
After a report showing the economy grew a brisk 4.3 percent in the third quarter, the White House bumped up its projection for 2005 gross domestic product growth to 3.5 percent from a mid-year forecast of 3.4 percent.
Bush has trumpeted news of a 215,000 jump in November jobs as evidence there is "every reason to be optimistic about our economic future." But Allan Hubbard, Bush's top economic adviser, acknowledged to reporters there was a "disconnect" between numbers like the jobs figure and how Americans feel.
He said higher energy costs were making people "feel ill at ease" and worries about Hurricane Katrina's impact were at play, too.
"The other thing is, to be perfectly honest, I probably have not been doing a good job -- I should be spending more time with all of you talking about how the economy is doing," Hubbard said.
His pledge to be more accessible came as some Republicans privately vent frustration that the White House did not move sooner to give a greater focus to the economy.
On the policy front, Bush aides are hopeful Congress will agree this month on a budget-cutting plan, which would soothe conservative anger at deficit-spending.
Less certain are prospects for extending Bush's tax cuts. If the cuts are not extended this year, some Republicans hope to make the push to do so a theme in next year's elections.
One uncertainty about next year is who will be the point person within the Cabinet to pitch Bush's economic program. There has been speculation that Treasury Secretary John Snow may leave as early as late December or early next year.
Former White House economist Glenn Hubbard and White House chief of staff Andrew Card are among those mentioned as possible replacements if Snow leaves.
Reuters still sucks. Film at eleven.
This just shows us how subversive the MSM is. All the economic indicators are pointing to the heavens, and people still think that the economy is in the toilet.
And as for the President's approval ratings: not only are they based on very biased samples, but the Dems' ratings are even lower. Americans are unhappy with politicians in general, not just the President.
The MSMs have run out of spindoctors to spin the other way?
"Upbeat reports???" This is media-speak I guess.
In comparison to what?
The thing that has been bothering me about the president is that he seems to be in hiding lately. He finally is starting to get out and hit some of the issues. A bit late! He doesn't have to be Clintoon out there taking credit for every sunny day, but he needs to be pointing some things out to folks who have been only hearing the gloom and doom. You have to fight slanted news with good PR.
And why is that? Perhaps because the media is telling them this, when it isn't true?
"President George W. Bush, trying to lift his sagging approval ratings, has launched a push to take credit for recent positive economic news the public has largely shrugged off. "
How can they shrug off something that Bush or the White House has never touted as the WSJ pointed out. Better late than never.
Relax.
Trying to turn hard facts into poppycock will kill you every time.
And so it will be with the ninnies of the MSM.
They are on a fools errand that will certainly backfire and blowup in their faces.
I just watched briefly as Chris Mathews and his little brand of commie news commentaters merrily described a desperate Prez Bush attempting to save his non-legacy by throwing over Cheny in favor of McCain for the last years of his tenure. Dream on!
No point in being around as the Dimonerds self-immolate.
Aren't there any rich republicans who could buy Reuters or AP? Good grief, I'm sick of these anti-American "news" services that are little more than KGB propaganda tools.
Oh no, it is just a snide remark to laugh at the MSM that even they now can't spin a good news for the conservative side into a bad one.
Gas prices and MSM depiction of the war hurted GWB despite good economic news. I think as US unwinds from Iraq and gas prices ARE dropping. When that happens, GWB poll numbers will go up. So will GOP prospects in 2006 and 2008. Good news is that despite GWB poll dips, the Dems were unable to increase their approval rates.
So he isn't allowed to take credit for a boost in the ecomomy but, its law for the media to blast him if it slides... Now I understand....
When is PravdABDNC going to report this good news?? Have we not been posting all those glowing reports?
Pray for W and Our Troops
....or the great economy, [job creation, GDP growth or 5% unemployment] all the MSM has to do is ignore him with this.
When he talks about IRAQ all they have to do is preface the Presidents speech with, "10 Marines were killed today by an IED as the POTUS give a glowing speech about the successes in Iraq or...........this.
Today as the president attempts to take credit for WHAT HE calls good economic numbers, the FED CHAIRMAN warns of a not so rosy economic future as interest rates steadily rise and the housing bubble seems ready to burst and upcoming baby boomer retirement portends major problems for Social Security and Medicare.
As much as I hate to admit it, the MSM still has awesome power as evidenced by Bush's 37% approval rating.....either that OR....the IQ of 63% of our nation is around room temperature.
Yea, Reuters sucks and that was one of the most biased news feeds I have read.
However, Bush and the Republicans are in real trouble because Bush has depressed the base. Immigration and spending are the main culprits. The Meirs appointment was the last straw. Yea, the Meirs appointment was reversed and Bush fixed it by appointing "Scalito". But the base had to scream bloody murder before it was reversed. And in the mean time, we were called sexist by the first lady. At that moment, conservatives stopped unconditionally trusting the President. He gets a lot of things right but he proved that he can be just as bad as any other politician. And therefore, can not be trusted.
The Bush administration also did not defend itself when the Democrats attacked it over the Iraq war. There are signs they are finally starting to fight back but its a little late now. How many of us are sick and tired of responding to the "Bush Lied" accusations from liberal co-workers. Why do people such as myself defend the administration more fervently than they defend themselves? Why should we?
In summary, we have a huge problem here. Bush pushing for amnesty for illegals isn't going to fix it either. I, for one, was very happy with Bush's first term. It was a great term and I thought, for the most part, he performed flawlessly. The second term has been fraught with mistakes, most of them political. Its been very disappointing. Like it or not, Bush is now a lame duck President.
Whether it is 'law" or politics, it appears to apply here that an odd set of standards seems to be in place.
A key factor appears that he just is'nt moving at your timetable for response to a sea of shifting PR options.
It just may be that he sees the timetable thing differently than you do.
A large part of why he's the appointed guy is his special decision making abilitiy.
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