Posted on 08/22/2006 7:04:54 AM PDT by slowhand520
August 22, 2006 Bush Approval at 42% Public increasingly positive about his handling of terrorism
by Jeffrey M. Jones
GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds George W. Bush's presidential job approval rating at 42%. That is slightly better than his summer readings, which have varied between 36% and 40%, and is Bush's best ratings in a single poll since early February. Bush's approval rating for handling terrorism increased significantly from the rating last month, while his ratings on other issues are flat, suggesting that more positive evaluations of Bush are likely tied to his handling of terrorism.
Overall Job Approval
Forty-two percent of Americans approve and 54% disapprove of the job Bush is doing as president, according to the Aug. 18-20 poll. That is the first time Bush's approval rating has exceeded 40% in a poll since early February. The last time Bush had a significantly better rating than the current 42% was last September, when he had two 45% approval ratings and one 46% rating. Despite a higher approval rating in this poll, a majority of Americans continue to disapprove of Bush's performance as president, as they have since July 2005.
Bush has averaged 38% approval since June 1, so the current reading is slightly better than his recent average. It won't be clear whether the new poll represents a temporary blip in his rating or a more lasting change in perceptions until further polling is conducted. It is clear that Bush's ratings are better than they were as recently as May, when the president averaged 32% job approval.
(Excerpt) Read more at poll.gallup.com ...
Actually, IMO a lot of what is driving the improvement is the fact that the Dems got convinced the pubbies numbers were so low because the Dem view of the world was more popular. The more the Dems mouth off, the more people realize that the GOP may have a lot of warts, but the Dems offering nothing as an alternative.
The only Democrats that can win elections are the "Generic" Democrats. It's when you put a face and a name next to them they fall apart.
It's easy to say you don't like something or not like the direction of things, but when voters see the alternative, they'll stick with the "devil they know."
The dems, like the french, offer surrender and appeasement.
If anyone has looked to the Democrats for an altenative plan, they've seen a party divided. Some say they needn't offer an alternative and the rest want to cut and run. No matter how they phrase it theire emphasis is on leaving, not winning. Guess what most Americans want? We'll see in November.
Completely overlooked in these generic polls is the entrenching effect of gerry-mandered districts. The politicians have chosen the voters rather than vice-versa. Then add McCain-Feingold suppression of political speech and incumbents are safe until they retire or are caught in a scandal. Even an awful scandal like Randy Cunningham's didn't cost the GOP his seat.
Of course they offer an alternative. Why just the other day I heard Sen. Kerry say that he would have; "done things differently".
The MASSGOPGUY dictionary defines an adverb as "a word which has no meaning".
(The Machiavellian interpretation is that USA/Gallup is weighting the numbers so they can show progressive gains by the Dems between now and November. But I don't really believe that.)
regular voters its 48-48
LOL!
Well, I sit corrected.
You make some good points and they are well stated.
I would add one more effect: The MSM Effect.
Unlike Freepers, most of "the Folks" are remarkably ill informed on national and world affairs. They can name the Three Stooges, but not the three branches of government. And so, when polled they do not have a clue. The answer they give is not their own, they have no opinion; rather, they tell you what they have heard from Matt, Katie, Brian, Wolf, or the rest of the usual suspects.
Since Republicans in general, and Bush in particular, are routinely savaged by these talking heads, opinion polls will always skew toward the Democrats. However, once a campaign begins in earnest, the Republicans can speak directly to "the Folks" and thereby counter the din of the liberal mantra.
The GOP will begin to speak after Labor Day, and they will go to work to mend fences with their base. They have lots of work to do, but they can get it done.
What is a generic ballot? Unnamed candidates? If we were to name, say, Hillary, how would the Democrats poll against the Republicans?
President Bush is "Up" to 42% and that's something to write about?
What goes down must go back up.
During this same week in the sixth year of his second term, Bubba Clinton-Lewinsky was at 60% positive/35% negative/5% undecided in the same Gallup Poll.
Yep, which means it's absolutely worthless for anything besides giving the DBM a reason to project their fantasies and write endless "the GOP is doomed!" stories months before the election. People are starting to actually pay a little attention to the campaigns now, and while they have serious problems with much of what the Republicans are doing, they look at the Dim candidates and activists, with their idiotic, juvenile "I hate Bush!" rants, and their more or less open support for the terrorists trying to kill us, and all of a sudden the Republicans don't look so bad after all.
That was with the liberal MSM on their knees with Lewisnky willing to do ANYTHING CLINTOON wanted and withholding reporting the truthful facts about him. Those numbers are a joke and spouting them as a parallel to Bush's is too.
"That was with the liberal MSM on their knees with Lewisnky willing to do ANYTHING CLINTOON wanted and withholding reporting the truthful facts about him. Those numbers are a joke and spouting them as a parallel to Bush's is too."
Does that mean that the liberal MSM is no longer on their knees with Lewinsky?
Clinton WAS reelected with more popular votes and more electoral votes than he got in 1992. Face the facts.
Did President Bush appoint Clinton to co-lead Katrina and Tsunami relief efforts with Bush #41 or didn't he?
"Okay CLintoon fan - he NEVER received more than 50% once in TWO outings. Not impressive. If Perot had not ran in 92, Bush Sr. would have been re-elected. Those are the facts.
Of course GW appointed Clinton to co-assist with his dad for Katrina, but that is because POTUS Bush is a uniter, not a divider like lousy donks like to claim. He has always reached across the table to invite donks to assist, but they constantly bite his hand. Facts. Facts.
Isn't Clinton the only former president to lose his law license, be impeached and accused of rape, not to mention receing sex from a young woman WHILE performing his elected duties. Yeah, great president. A POS that is the seond worst president we have ever had, except for Carter.
You are on the WRONG SITE to be defending Clintoon. If this was a breaking news thread, you would be hammered by freepers for your defense of Clintoon the molestor and rapist."
Sorry if you got the wrong idea from what I posted.
I was taught from a very early age to never underestimate the opponent or take them for granted. That advice has served me well throughout my entire life.
I take the Democratic Party, William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton VERY seriously.
I would think that after the 2000 election, all Americans would understand that the percentage of the popular vote a President gets does not determine who is elected. It is the Electoral College vote that matters. President Bush lost the popular vote in 2000 but was elected President by 5 electoral votes.
I am not endorsing, cheering on or defending Clinton when I point out that he got 370 electoral votes in 1992 and 379 electoral votes in 1996. Perot got 0 Electoral college votes both times.
George W. Bush's Electoral College vote totals were 271 and 286.
Once again, my point is don't underestimate the enemy.
Then I owe you an apology. I did misunderstand your post. I am sorry. I too believe we should not underestimate our opponents, and I will do every thing I can to keep the donks the minority party for a very long time and that includes their presidential selections from being elected.
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