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Voters Don't Want Bush Re-Elected - Poll
Voice of America ^ | 8/24/03

Posted on 08/24/2003 6:07:43 AM PDT by truthandlife

The majority of American voters would not like to see President Bush re-elected to another term according to a poll by Newsweek magazine.

The survey released Saturday showed that 49 percent of registered voters would not back the president for a second term if the vote were held now. Forty-four percent would support Mr. Bush's re-election.

The poll marked the first time in a Newsweek survey that supporters of Mr. Bush were out-numbered by those who would not like to see him back remain in office. In April, 52 percent of voters backed the president for a second term, while 38 percent did not.

The Newsweek report attributed the decline in the president's popularity to public disenchantment over the Iraq war. The poll found 69 percent of respondents said they were concerned that the United States will be bogged down for many years in Iraq without achieving its goals there.

Nearly half of those polled said they were concerned that the cost of the war will lead to a large budget deficit and seriously impact the U.S. economy. And more than half said they thought the estimated $1 billion per week the United States is paying for the war effort is too much and should be scaled back.

However, 61 percent still believe the United States was right to take military action against Iraq in March.

Only 18 percent of those polled believe a stable, democratic government can be set up in Iraq in the long term. And only 13 percent of respondents said U.S. efforts to establish security in Iraq and rebuild the country have gone well since May 1, when combat officially ended.

The Newsweek poll results are based on telephone interviews with more than one thousand adults aged 18 and older. It was conducted on August 21 and 22. The margin of error is plus or minus three percent.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bush; electionspresident; polls; reelection
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To: Cedric

OPEN ASSIGNMENT
MISSION TO SAVE AMERICAN JOBS
August 24, 2003

President Bush:

Mr. President your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to recover the 3+ million jobs lost on your watch. You are to find where they went, recover them, and prevent this from happening again.

You have until November 2004 to complete this mission.

If you choose not to accept this mission, or are incapable of performing, don't run in the GOP Primary so another Republican can accept this important mission for America.

American Citizen Voter

PS Ronald Reagan was the last Republican to understand. Ross Perot sent a warning to your Dad but since then all we hear is the mantra, 'Perot gave us Clinton'. Actually your Dad gave us Perot.

41 posted on 08/24/2003 6:55:38 AM PDT by ex-snook (American jobs need BALANCED Trade. We buy from you. You buy from us.)
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To: fortaydoos
If Bush is down so much on the polls and beatable all you would hear is "Hillary is the one"!
42 posted on 08/24/2003 6:57:31 AM PDT by Bringbackthedraft (Living History $1.00 at your local Dollar Store by December.)
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To: dagnabbit
Don't know about you, but I've gotta vote for the best I can get. If it's between Bush and any one of these Demon idiots, I'm not sitting on my duff to give them the Presidency. That's not punishing Bush, that's punishing all of us.
43 posted on 08/24/2003 7:01:53 AM PDT by AMNZ
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To: ex-snook
Perot was manipulated into running by the Clintonistas, who knew they couldn't win without splitting the vote three ways. Sorry, Conservatives fell for this cynical ploy and we all paid a terrible price. It sounds like you're ready to run right off the cliff again. Brilliant!
44 posted on 08/24/2003 7:02:19 AM PDT by Cedric
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To: NordP
Consider the sources, people -- 'nuf said! - Agreed!
45 posted on 08/24/2003 7:05:37 AM PDT by Free_at_last_-2001 (is clinton in jail yet?)
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To: MarkL
So, where are we? Oh yeah...we are in the other 7%.
46 posted on 08/24/2003 7:09:43 AM PDT by scan58
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To: truthandlife
Even if Bush isn't perfect, something like Hillary, Dean, or Clark headed for the White House would be enough to motivate me.

Yeah, I'd like to kick the arse of Frist and Bush re: a number of issues. But I refuse to forfeit to Demons.
47 posted on 08/24/2003 7:10:13 AM PDT by AMNZ
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To: scan58
Liberal news organizations have an interest in defeating Bush, and they have never been shy about producing push-polls to achieve that goal.

Question - "Is it possible another candidate could get your vote if Iraq becomes a quagmire"?

Answer - "Uh, well, sure, I guess so."

:)

48 posted on 08/24/2003 7:13:16 AM PDT by veronica (http://www.majorityleader.gov/news.asp?FormMode=Detail&ID=130)
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To: fortaydoos
What are you toking on this a.m.? I'd like some of it.

Seriously, I've been preaching here for months that there are an awful lot of people on our side who are overly optimistic and think Bush's re-election in 2004 is a done deal. And I know it's 14 and a half months until the election. That is a long time.

And you can shoot the messenger ... i.e., the poll ... simply because it comes from a "liberal" or "socialist" source.

But given the state of the economy right now, and the fact that for the last three generations people have looked to Big Daddy in the White House to ensure that they're employed (thanks FDR), and the fact that even though things are definitely starting to turn around the American electorate in 2003 suffers from chronic ADHD and expects things to happen in one 24-hour news cycle (we've been in Iraq for five months and the way everybody acts, it's like we've been over there for five years in a "quagmire"), these numbers do not surprise me at all.

The answer here is not to shoot the messenger or pooh-pooh the poll results. The answer here is not to list all the ways that Bush has disappointed "true" or "social" conservatives (would you have found Algore preferable?) to where they might sit on their hands or toss their votes away on third parties.

The answer here is to dump the overconfidence, dump the strutting and preening and to act, until the polls close on Election Day 2004, with the mindset that Bush is down 20 points on the night before the election, and to work 365/24/7, literally work our fingers to the bone, to ensure that he's returned to the White House. Because he may not be a perfect option, but IMHO he's the ONLY option.

49 posted on 08/24/2003 7:15:32 AM PDT by GB
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To: Thom Pain
But even "outnumbered" is not a "majority". In this case, the supposed "unfavorable" is still only a plurality.

But there was no one-on-one matchup between Dubya and any specific Democrat candidate. While one Democrat or another may lead in a niche group among the undecided (clearly a much larger portion of the respondents that the margin either way), no one Democrat has the hope of leading all undecided or swing voters away from Bush.

Certainly, there are many objections that may be brought up against the way Bush has handled this situation, or that one. But considering the number of corks he is called upon to keep beneath the water at any one time, I would say his performance to date greatly exceeds any hypothetical pairing-up with any known rival for the job.
50 posted on 08/24/2003 7:15:57 AM PDT by alloysteel
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To: Cedric
"Conservatives fell for this cynical ploy "[Clintonistas gave us Perot]

Nah. Bush's performance gave us Perot.

You have been duped by a cynical ploy into thinking that either Bush is Conservative. I want a job-creating Conservative-Republican to be nominated. Not a Clinton II.

51 posted on 08/24/2003 7:16:02 AM PDT by ex-snook (American jobs need BALANCED Trade. We buy from you. You buy from us.)
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To: truthandlife
I remember them saying the same thing about Regan.
52 posted on 08/24/2003 7:16:52 AM PDT by Lady Heron
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To: truthandlife
In a razor-thin victory, EVERYONE is pivotal, not just those who want to feel important.
53 posted on 08/24/2003 7:17:56 AM PDT by The Coopster (Tha's no ordinary rabbit!)
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To: AMNZ
Even if Bush isn't perfect, something like Hillary, Dean, or Clark headed for the White House would be enough to motivate me.

Hillary or Dean might be the best thing for Bush. If a so called "middle of the roader" Democrat wins the nomination, Bush is going to have a lot more dificult time winning because if things go as they have been going, many Christian conservatives will just stay home. If Hillary runs, they will come out in droves no matter how liberal Bush's policies are.

54 posted on 08/24/2003 7:18:38 AM PDT by truthandlife
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To: truthandlife
The oldest liberal trick in the playbook: present conservative defeat as a fait accompli. "NOBODY wants THAT program or THAT candidate."

Utter hogwash, and one more insult to the credibility of this magazine and journalism in general.

55 posted on 08/24/2003 7:20:32 AM PDT by IronJack
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To: grania
Uhhhhhhh....isnt' a majority still something greater that 50%?

Several elections of the last decade were won with less than 50% of total vote. The attacks this faction runs on any who question policy can easily backfire and cost Bush the election.

The paleo and libertarian factions of the republican party are not happy, without them staying with the lessor of two evils mantra Bush is toast.

56 posted on 08/24/2003 7:20:35 AM PDT by steve50 (Faux News: Spinning like a pulsar)
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To: ex-snook
Go ahead. Chant the "Bush's performance gave us Perot" mantra long enough and maybe you can make yourself forget that you and well-meaning Perotistas like you gave us Clinton!
57 posted on 08/24/2003 7:25:01 AM PDT by Cedric
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To: NordP
I agree. This is bogus. Besides, once the economy really turns around and Iraq stabilizies these numbers will change dramatically. People are realizing the benefits of the tax cut now as they see their withholding change and get their checks. The story in Iraq is being unfairly treated by the press. They only report the negative aspects. It seems that most congresspeople that go over there come back with an entirely different view of things.

This Newsweek poll is just part of the liberal media drive to take down Bush. They can't stand him and they will hound him from here on out.

I met him on Friday and he seems tired. We need to continue pray for him now more than ever!

58 posted on 08/24/2003 7:26:59 AM PDT by Wphile (Keep the UN out of Iraq)
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To: irish guard
---if this economy doesn't come around, someone from the democrap side of the aisle is going to win.---

I keep hearing about the poor economy and I am sure that bunches of people with graphs,bells and whistles can show me "proof" but in my life, my non contributory pension plan is healthy and my check shows up every month, my wife is employed (By choice not neccessity), my four adult children are gainfully employed, the market is coming back along with my 401k, I haven't noticed any rampant inflation.
Am I living in a bubble here or what?
As for President Bush, I don't agree with everything he does but he is by far the most electable republican and I do not consider him "The lesser of two evils", just a person with flaws like all the rest of us and as long as I have a single brain cell left in my head I will never vote for a democrat.
59 posted on 08/24/2003 7:27:33 AM PDT by Graybeard58
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To: truthandlife
>The Newsweek poll results are based on telephone interviews with more than one thousand adults aged 18 and older.

Newsweaks push poll didn't even used likely voters, or even registered voters but adults over the age of 18. Did they just use the San Fran and NYC phone exchanges for this poll too?

60 posted on 08/24/2003 7:28:18 AM PDT by Dialup Llama
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