I noticed the same drop in the polls at that time. I think he lost supporters on both sides. Those who value life were disappointed in the limited gesture he gave, and those who support forced euthanasia were angry at him for interfering at all. His poll numbers have steadily dropped since then.
Imagine, the courts say she can't have a drink of water, and a President who fears to give her one.
By the time it got to Bush, he could have stopped it by sending federal marshalls and enforcing the House's subpoena. The judge in Fla. was basically trying to kill a witness to a congressional investigation. He backed off from that, and the House leadership didn't have the juice to do anything without the White House behind it. It was Rove, I think, who blinked.
And bingo, the Dems were energized, the conservatives were demoralized, and we were left with the feeling that it could have turned out differently had someone with some gumption taken action. Like Reagan firing the AT controllers, it needed someone to step in and do what was right, and the country would rally around that kind of leadership. Instead, by shrinking away from leadership, and forcing us to watch her die a slow, terrible death, we all became a little less enthusiastic about GW Bush at that time. All except that small but vocal wing of the GOP that was for Terri's death--people like this guy on this thread who is going around calling people names.
I agree about Bush's poll numbers. Our govt just failed to see that we Americans saw them let a innocent woman be put to death because one pathetic judge in Florida says she deserved to die. I for one lost a lot of faith in Bush after that. I won't go as far to say bad things about Bush here cause I want to stay a member and I love FR, but my opinion on the entire administration and the Governor of Florida changed drastically the day Terri died.