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With Approval Low, Bush seeks NH Boost
The Manchester Union Leader ^ | 10/8/03 | John Distaso

Posted on 10/09/2003 6:00:10 AM PDT by DM1

With his job approval in New Hampshire at a low point, President George W. Bush will seek public support here tomorrow for his economic program and his $87 billion proposal to secure and rebuild Iraq.

Bush is scheduled to visit military personnel at a Pease International Tradeport hangar before heading off to a 20-minute address at the Center of New Hampshire to about 600 members of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and the New Hampshire Business and Industry Association.

A White House official said Bush will “talk about our nation’s top two priorities: the creation of jobs and improving the economy and winning the war on terror.”

Although the visit is taxpayer-funded official business — not campaign-funded — there are political overtones to any Presidential trip to an early primary or caucus state. New Hampshire is considered a potential swing state in the November 2004 election.

Sen. John E. Sununu said, “It’s no surprise that he’ll travel to a lot of the battleground states, states where the margins of victory for him in 2000 were less than 5 percent — states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Hampshire and New Mexico.”

“New Hampshire is . . . still problematic for him,” said pollster Dick Bennett of the Manchester-based American Research Group. In 2000, Bush narrowly won the state’s four electoral votes after losing its first-in-the-nation primary to Sen. John McCain.

A September ARG poll showed Bush with a 51 percent New Hampshire approval rating and 43 percent disapproval. The rating was his lowest since his 49 percent in ARG’s September 2001 poll, taken prior to the 9/11 attacks.

“I never believed President Bush would retain a 70 or 80 percent approval rating through the election,” said Rep. Charles Bass. “All these (Democratic) candidates have been tearing him down, and the press has been unfair in its coverage of the situation in Iraq.”

Sununu, Bass and Rep. Jeb Bradley are slated to fly with Bush from Washington to New Hampshire on Air Force One. Sen. Judd Gregg was expected to attend, but his plans are unclear after yesterday’s incident involving his wife (see Page One story).

Bush’s political opposition will be seen and heard tomorrow. State Democratic Chair Kathleen Sullivan expects party activists to demonstrate against his policies outside the luncheon. She will attend to “give the President a fair hearing,” although she opposes Bush’s proposal to spend $87 billion in Iraq “when we have so many issues here.”

Sullivan said, “The President is going to try to make a case for his failed economic policies and a logical forum for him is the chamber and the BIA. But I’d love to ask George W. Bush to meet with regular New Hampshire people and talk to working people about the economy, health care and the environment, just like the Democratic Presidential candidates are doing.”

A new ad for Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards, which begins airing today, accuses Bush of proposing a “giveaway for Iraq with no plan in sight.”

The Sierra Club says it has bought 30-second ads this week on Manchester and Boston TV stations charging that Bush’s environmental policies expose Americans to more power plant pollution and weaken basic clean air protection.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New Hampshire
KEYWORDS: bush; newhampshire; reelect
This doesnt sound good, anyone know if Bush will win NH? Will Shaheen help Kerry and any Dem running?
1 posted on 10/09/2003 6:00:10 AM PDT by DM1
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2 posted on 10/09/2003 6:02:04 AM PDT by Support Free Republic (Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
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To: DM1
51% approval rating is considered "low"? After all the negative stories and personal attacks I'm amazed it's that high. Anyway, I wonder what other presidents' approval ratings were at this time during their first term??
3 posted on 10/09/2003 6:25:24 AM PDT by Russ
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To: DM1
Is this trip about the campaign ? I don't think that fits Bush's wait and see strategy. I think the writer missed the point. I'm betting Bush is campaiging for the 87 billion that has gotten stalled.
4 posted on 10/09/2003 6:32:13 AM PDT by VRWC_minion (Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and most are right)
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To: DM1
This doesnt sound good, anyone know if Bush will win NH?

If he signs the Assault Weapons Ban, I promise you he won't. Hamsireites aren't screwing around when they say "live free or die".

5 posted on 10/09/2003 6:35:28 AM PDT by jmc813 (Alan Colmes calls Arnold's win a "victory for moderates".)
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To: Russ; DM1; RJCogburn; GraniteStateConservative
I'm going to start linking this graphic to a few of the threads discussing Presidential approval ratings. It really, in my view, puts things into perspective for the handwringsers.

Graph - CS Monitor

Notice in case of Bush I, his approval dropped dramatically among Dems, just like his son's rating has. However, this President is steadily sitting at over 90% support with his base, very much unlike his Dad. And his father still probably would have won without Perot. While I understand the concern, Dubya's really not in any re-election trouble from where I sit. If he were, you'd probably see him having trouble raising funds. It's safe to say we're seeing quite the opposite.

6 posted on 10/09/2003 6:39:40 AM PDT by Coop (God bless our troops!)
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To: Coop
Thank you very much for the graph. Still i do not want compacency to set in or we may wind up with Dean or Kerry
7 posted on 10/09/2003 7:29:36 AM PDT by DM1
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To: jmc813
when is that bill supposed to come up? I heard Repubs in the House may let it die.
8 posted on 10/09/2003 7:30:16 AM PDT by DM1
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To: DM1
Still i do not want compacency to set in or we may wind up with Dean or Kerry

I don't advocate anyone being complacent. On the contrary, I'm so angry at the liberals right now I could spit, and I'll be venting that anger through time and money donations to President Bush's campaign.

9 posted on 10/09/2003 7:33:07 AM PDT by Coop (God bless our troops!)
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To: DM1
It will be coming up sooner than later, and I would bet good money that it will not make it past the House.
10 posted on 10/09/2003 7:41:42 AM PDT by jmc813 (Alan Colmes calls Arnold's win a "victory for moderates".)
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To: Coop
"I don't advocate anyone being complacent. On the contrary, I'm so angry at the liberals right now I could spit, and I'll be venting that anger through time and money donations to President Bush's campaign.
"
you said it!
11 posted on 10/09/2003 7:42:46 AM PDT by DM1
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To: jmc813
Ya got that one right.
12 posted on 10/09/2003 7:42:51 AM PDT by 556x45
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To: Aaron0617
Bush speaking now...Fox News
13 posted on 10/09/2003 9:03:16 AM PDT by Aaron0617
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To: DM1
The speech this a.m. was great. I turned to msnbc and they reported positive economic indicators and acknowledged that it would give President Bush a "bounce."

The problem is always going to be that newspapers will report any economic news with their spin on it.

14 posted on 10/09/2003 9:10:28 AM PDT by freeparoundtheclock (conservative-spirit.org)
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To: DM1
Remember this: The dems will do everything they can to make the people believe Bush is failing.

However, I read somewhere that Bush's numbers (52%) are way higher than Clinton's were in his third year (43%). Which .. according to what I read .. most presidents' numbers are more in line with what Clinton's were - and not higher than what Bush's currently are.

What this proves is that after all the garbage and lie after lie after lie the dems have thrown at Bush .. it's actually a miracle that his numbers are 52%.
15 posted on 10/09/2003 10:49:55 AM PDT by CyberAnt
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