Public Support Collapsing for Bush Foreign Policy in Poll (Approval STILL at 58%!!!)

The Washington Post ^ | September 13, 2003 | Richard Morin and Dan Balz

[Pubbie]

WASHINGTON -- A majority of Americans disapprove of President Bush's request to Congress for an additional $87 billion to fund military and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan over the next year, amid growing doubts about the administration's policies at home and abroad, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Six in 10 Americans said they do not support the Bush's proposal, which the president first announced in his nationally televised address last Sunday night. That marks the most significant public rejection of a Bush initiative on national security or terrorism since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

In a second rebuff to the administration, more Americans said that, if Congress decides to approve the additional money, lawmakers should roll back the president's tax cuts to pay for the increased spending, rather than add to the federal budget deficit or cut government spending.

The survey findings send a clear signal that many Americans are unwilling to give the administration a blank check on peacekeeping efforts in Iraq, despite continued strong backing for Bush's decision to go to war and public support for staying there to help stabilize and rebuild that nation.

The president's overall job approval rating remains stable and relatively strong, a reflection of broad confidence in his leadership despite increasing concerns about his policies. Currently, 58 percent approve of the job he is doing as president while 40 percent disapproved.

Bush's approval ratings on the war against terrorism and homeland security also continue to remain strong. But on many domestic issues, he has fallen to the lowest point of his presidency, from his handling of the economy and health care to the federal budget.

Declining approval ratings on important issues suggest that the president may be vulnerable in his bid for re-election next year. Matched against a generic Democrat, the poll found Bush at 49 percent and a Democratic nominee at 44 percent.

However, when pitted against any of several Democratic candidates running for their party's nomination, Bush is the clear choice. None of the Democratic candidates has emerged as a significant challenger and, according to the poll, Bush comfortably leads all four tested, generally by a margins of about 15 percentage points. At this early stage of the campaign, few of these candidates are widely known to the public.

[Pubbie]

"Currently, 58 percent approve of the job he is doing as president while 40 percent disapproved...

Matched against a generic Democrat, the poll found Bush at 49 percent and a Democratic nominee at 44 percent.

However, when pitted against any of several Democratic candidates running for their party's nomination, Bush is the clear choice. None of the Democratic candidates has emerged as a significant challenger and, according to the poll, Bush comfortably leads all four tested, generally by a margins of about 15 percentage points. At this early stage of the campaign, few of these candidates are widely known to the public."

Up Yours Chris (No-Balls) Matthews!

[Pubbie]

Full details of this poll for you polling junkies:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/vault/stories/data091303.html

[Pubbie]

Bush is up 2 points from the poll taken on 9/7/03.

[ChadGore]

"I'm such a suck"

[Old Sarge]

A majority of Americans disapprove of President Bush's request to Congress for an additional $87 billion to fund military and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan over the next year...

Of COURSE we don't approve of $87 billion! IT OUGHT TO BE MORE!!!

[OldFriend]

It's only $2billion for the reconstruction. The media is tying the two together for obvious reasons.

[mystery-ak]

Again another poll just polling adults...so the first question os *are you over 18*....not, are you a registered voter, do you vote, have you any intention on ever voting.....only Fox's poll asked registered voters....I have no interest in opinions of people who don't vote...to me they are like the people Leno interviews in the street who doesn't know who the VP is or Sec. of State...their opinions are meaningless to me.

[Williams]

It is annoying, if the poll can be trusted, that people would be opposed to the spending because the media is going on about it being "too much." We have an army in the field of war on the other side of the globe. How can Americans be so fickle as to question the needs of those troops as assessed by the administration? And the criticism is from the same crowd that wants to put in MORE troops - also based on nothing more than political rhetoric.

[Pubbie]

5. If the 2004 presidential election were being held today, would you vote for (George W. Bush, the Republican) or for (the Democratic nominee for president)?

Net Leaned Vote:

Democratic Other Neither Would No
Bush nominee (vol.) (vol.) not vote opin.
9/13/03 49 44 1 2 2 2
8/11/03* 48 40 2 1 1 7
4/30/03 53 40 * 2 1 3
*Washington Post

6. How about if the candidates were (George W. Bush, the Republican), and (Joseph Lieberman, the Democrat,) for whom would you vote?

Net Leaned Vote:

Other Neither Would No
Bush Lieberman (vol.) (vol.) not vote opin.
9/13/03 54 40 * 3 2 2
4/30/03 61 34 * 2 1 2
7. How about if the candidates were (George W. Bush, the Republican), and (John Kerry, the Democrat,) for whom would you vote?

Net Leaned Vote:

Other Neither Would No
Bush Kerry (vol.) (vol.) not vote opinion
9/13/03 54 39 * 3 2 2
4/30/03 60 34 * 2 1 2
8. How about if the candidates were (George W. Bush, the Republican), and (Richard Gephardt, the Democrat,) for whom would you vote?

Net Leaned Vote:

Other Neither Would No
Bush Gephardt (vol.) (vol.) not vote opin.
9/13/03 54 39 * 3 2 2
4/30/03 60 35 * 2 1 2
9. How about if the candidates were (George W. Bush, the Republican), and (Howard Dean, the Democrat,) for whom would you vote?

Net Leaned Vote:

Other Neither Would No
Bush Dean (vol.) (vol.) not vote opinion
9/13/03 56 36 1 3 2 2

[Pubbie]

Usually that means they underestimate Bush's support with registered and likely voters.

"This Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted by telephone September 10-13, among a random national sample of 1104 adults, including 525 self-described Democrats and an oversample of 102 black respondents. Margin of sampling error for the overall results is plus or minus 3 percentage points and plus or minus 5 percentage points for results based on the Democratic subsample. Sampling error is only one potential source of error in this or any other public opinion poll. Fieldwork by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, PA."

[ChiMark]

Leadership is what Pres. Bush is about. Doing what is right is not always popular. Clinton ran his life on polling. He let Osama Bin Laden off the hook perhaps because the issue did'nt poll high enough.

[Pubbie]

"14. Earlier this year, Congress approved spending 79 billion dollars to help pay for the war in Iraq and the rebuilding effort there. Bush has now called for spending 87 billion dollars more. Do you support or oppose this additional spending for the war and rebuilding in Iraq?

Support Oppose No opinion
9/13/03 38 61 1
"

[Old Sarge]

How can Americans be so fickle as to question the needs of those troops as assessed by the administration?

Because their political masters told them to. And most of Americans - I don't think I'm as alone as I once was in this - do whatever the Dems want them to.

[aruanan]

Yeah, and Bush's public approval is still WAY ahead of Clinton's at the same time in his presidency.

[skr]

People will pour money into the yawing, bottomless pit of public education, despite the pathetic results and despite the less expensive, more effective alternatives, but they don't want to spend money on the people who are in the line of fire for all of our sakes.

[WOSG]

ooooh I especially like the last one ... 56% GWB 36% Dean.

The ComPost thinks American aversion to "blank checks" means we dont like the policy. nonsense. It's a typical 'show me' reaction. Wish we had more disapproval of the billions we spendin on NEA, NEH, AIDS in Africa, energy boondoggles, $600B in discretinary spending, etc.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

The games begin.

My personal message to Richard Morin and Dan Balz:

You can kiss my royal Irsh ass!

[Mo1]

The survey findings send a clear signal that many Americans are unwilling to give the administration a blank check on peacekeeping efforts in Iraq, despite continued strong backing for Bush's decision to go to war and public support for staying there to help stabilize and rebuild that nation

President Bush didn't ask for a "blank check"

This is nothing but a DNC talking point

[Pubbie]

"but they don't want to spend money on the people who are in the line of fire for all of our sakes."

But that's not how they posed the question -

If they had asked "Do you support spending 87 Billion more in order to allow US troops to succesfully complete their mission in Iraq" you would see +60% approval.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

"The only thing I enjoyed more than screwing Republicans in the media was giving fantasy head to Bill Clinton in my little mind."