Nearly half of Americans wouldn't vote for Bush again

AFP ^ | 08-23-03

[Brian S]

Sunday August 24, 6:48 AM

A growing number of Americans don't want to see US President George W. Bush re-elected next year, and fear US troops will be drawn into a long, costly occupation of Iraq, according to a Newsweek poll.

For the first time the poll has found that more registered voters -- 49 percent -- would not want Bush to return for a second term in office if the elections were now, compared with 44 percent who would.

Only 23 percent said terrorism and homeland security would be the most important issues for them in the November 2004 election, compared with 48 percent who said deciding factors for them now would be the economy and jobs.

Meanwhile, 69 percent are now convinced the United States will become bogged down in Iraq, without achieving ostensible goals in getting the country back on its feet.

Some 40 percent of them are now "very concerned" US troops will be there for the long-haul.

A majority also fears that US forces will be overextended in the event of a security threat elsewhere, according to the poll in the latest edition of Newsweek -- 29 percent very concerned and 30 percent somewhat concerned.

Americans also think that reconstruction costs in Iraq are too high at one billion dollars per week -- 66 percent said they do not support such spending, compared with 34 percent who said they support current spending levels.

And 53 percent said they would oppose an increase to the figure being spent, with only seven percent not opposed to an increase.

Almost half of people polled -- 47 percent -- said they were very concerned that maintaining troops in Iraq is too expensive and will cause a higher budget deficit, seriously damaging the US economy.

Despite some indications the US president's popularity is on the wane, a majority still approves of the way Bush is handling his job. Some 53 percent supported him compared with 36 who did not, with 11 unsure.

In a Newsweek poll released a month ago, 49 percent said they would like to see Bush re-elected compared with 43 percent who would not.

Voters said they prefered Republican President Bush's stance for dealing with terrorists than what they have seen so far from leading figures among the Democrats.

Some 57 percent said they prefered Bush's position on terrorism to 21 who prefered the Democrats. But 45 percent felt the Democrats had more to offer on stimulating the economy, compared with 36 percent who thought Bush had a better approach.

The survey was taken between August 21-22 on some 1,011 adults aged 18 and above. The poll has a plus or minus three percent error margin.

[Brian S]

No one in the oil business is making a dime...........

Exxon's quarterly profit $4 billion

Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest publicly traded oil company, said second-quarter profit rose 58 percent because of higher energy prices and improved performance by the refining business.

Net income rose to $4.17 billion, or 62 cents a share, from $2.64 billion, or 39 cents, a year earlier, the Texas-based company said. Revenue rose 12 percent to $57.16 billion from $50.8 billion.

Higher oil and natural-gas prices boosted profit from the production unit by 27 percent to $2.84 billion, and rising fuel sales led to a 50 percent jump in refining profit.

ChevronTexaco's second-quarter profit nearly quadruples MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Business Writer		Friday, August 1, 2003
(08-01) 14:08 PDT SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) -- ChevronTexaco Corp. said Friday its second-quarter earnings nearly quadrupled, and vowed to become even more profitable with a financial tune-up that will include selling nearly half its U.S. gas stations. The San Ramon-based oil giant earned $1.6 billion, or $1.50 per share, for the three months ended in June, up from net income of $407 million, or 39 cents per share, at the same time last year. Second-quarter revenue totaled $29.4 billion, a 16 percent increase from $25.3 billion last year. If not for a $117 million charge to reflect anticipated losses on assets that will be sold, ChevronTexaco said it would have earned $1.61 per share. That figure beat the consensus earnings estimate of $1.52 per share among analysts polled by Thomson First Call.

[Texas_Dawg]

Lose the knee pads and think for yourself.

Hey, bro... hate to cloud your conspiracy theory but the attack on Iraq sent oil prices plummeting originally. They'll do it again as the sabotage comes under control. Now if you want a conspiracy that's at least logical, you'd be alleging that the sabotage is being funded by the oil companies. But it's easier to attack Bush and oil companies (those "evil CEOs and capitalists", right?). Too bad it makes zero sense to anyone who knows the slightest bit about business and economics laws.

[Texas_Dawg]

Higher oil and natural-gas prices boosted profit from the production unit by 27 percent to $2.84 billion, and rising fuel sales led to a 50 percent jump in refining profit.

Won't success in Iraq bring oil prices down?

[lasereye]

from the numbers above the spending on Iraq seems to concern Americans more than the continuing casualties.

This poll doesn't indicate the spending in Iraq is what people are thinking about. It indicates that the pollster asked "Are you concerned that we are spending too much in Iraq?" The average person has no idea what we're spending in Iraq. The pollster told them that.

[Burkeman1]

Good point!

[BenLurkin]

Nearly half of them didn't vote for him last time. Why? Who the He[[ knows?

[lasereye]

This poll is partly indicative of the constant hammering on Bush and his inability to counterpunch. For instance, they've blamed him for the power outage last week. If you took a poll asking who is better on energy, probably a majority would say the Democrats, based solely on those attacks.

If he was like any Democratic President in his position, he would announce that "The Democrats in Congress have blocked my energy plan and they're to blame" etc. I know Bush wants to seem likable, above the fray etc., but sometimes you have to be political. Reagan got political with pointed jabs at the Democrats.

[alethia]

Only about 1000+ responding -- and where? How can someone extrapolate this over the entire US population? This size of sample is not a reliable gauge of public sentiment.

The President will be re-elected. He has not even begun campaigning yet. It's interesting to see how much mud is being slung at him. I'm sure that the liberals, lefties and terrorist groups would prefer to have a democrat in office. I don't see this happening.

[Publius6961]

Aha!

Another "herd public opinion via polls" attempt.
We seem to be having a lot of these suddenly.

But I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures.

Just let me know when things are so certain that I can save the time and forget about voting, OK?

(/sarcasm)

[Brian S]

Won't success in Iraq bring oil prices down?

I thought we have "success" in Iraq...wasn't that what the aircraft carrier landing/flight suit was all about?

Mission Accomplished...

Further, we are nowhere close to seeing substantial quanities of oil exported from Iraq, I don't care how many "guards" we hire to patrol the pipelines.

Now that suicide bombers are being deployed into the region, no amount of patrol can protect the 100's of miles of pipe.

We need cheap oil and we need it now if the US is to see a sizable boost in its economy by election 2004.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Border security now Bush!

And replace Karl Rove with Joe Hadenuf. (Because he's a political mastermind, you know.)

Let me guess, you actually believe Bush and his man behind the curtain wants to secure our borders and end this invasion of our country and attack on our sovereignty?

If you believe this, than indeed, compared to *you*, Joe is a political wizard.....

[Texas_Dawg]

We need cheap oil and we need it now if the US is to see a sizable boost in its economy by election 2004.

So what was the point of posting the Exxon earnings? I love how this "all about oil" conspiracy "works" no matter what happens. Conspiracy theories are a sign of absolute mental retardation.

[winker]

America must have been murdered; otherwise 3000 souls sure don't make much of a difference these days do they? The future does not bode well if these numbers are anywhere close to being right which I think not!. Frankly I wonder at the speed everyone has given up to even make such an assumption but hey! I'm the one who never thought anyone would succeed in removing God from our Country. "TEARS" FOR THE COUNYRY!

[Texas_Dawg]

Let me guess, you actually believe Bush and his man behind the curtain wants to secure our borders and end this invasion of our country and attack on our sovereignty?

We're all doomed.

[Brian S]

Conspiracy theories are a sign of absolute mental retardation.

Perhaps, and insults are a sign that one has run out of factual or supportive arguments and resorts to that which comes easily.

Buh bye...

[Sparta]

Were there any head to head to contests polled in this poll? If so, how bad did Bush beat the mental midget in question?

[Joe Hadenuf]

Let me guess, you actually believe Bush and his man behind the curtain wants to secure our borders and end this invasion of our country and attack on our sovereignty?

We're all doomed.

A cute, worn out quip. A very predictable response.

[hadaclueonce]

ok, I will vote three times this time...

[Kenny Bunk]

Good post. The author seems to forget that nearly half didn't vote for him the first time. Take away the illegal votes in California, Missouri, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, Arizona, Wisconsin,and God knows where else and GWB would have won in an electoral landslide.

If we are serious about vote fraud , particularly among illegals, GWB could porobably get away with running for king for life.