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The actual numbers are revealing -

1) The weaker number on a two ticket races - I don't think it is due to the strength of Kerry+Edwards, but rather the weakness of Cheney. Hardcore conservatives still ignore the huge warning sign, Cheney is a liability, especially to Independents. Put Cheney in an advisory role, off the ticket he goes, Bush need someone more vigourous in campaigns and drawn in the Indpendent votes.

2) The Split numbers on party votes - it is remarkable to see a 42 vs 50 split when you have a 88/8 R, 8/88 D and 41/44 I..I don't know the exact distribution of R/D/I in the sample..It is definitely not R = D, R is likely the smallest sample there or they oversample the Ds. If you believe R = D with I in the middle, the composite could not be that far apart - 42/50. The R will cancel the D and the 41/44 in I is not enough to push a 42/50 split.

3) Discrepancy of the approval rating and actual ticket vote - assume a 47% approval is correct, a 42% ticket vote is very low. Maybe it reflects the weakness of Cheney, and indeed the top of ticket Bush vs rest vote is consistently in the 46-49% range in the Rammussen daily tracking poll.

I wish the WH start to move aggressively to repair the damage, and seriously considering the future of Cheney. Put Cheney in an advisory role, put someone can energize the party. If Bush losses the independents by more than 5% this fall, he can't win regardless how many hard conservatives will go out to vote this fall. He needs the swing states with lots of Independents to win - if he lose those, he can write PA off and if he losses OH on the jobs issue, he is toast.

I agree with the Cheney issue...although I like him he is whacked by the press almost more often the President. And the "little guy" (i hate that word but the bleeding heart dims use it) is always suspect of the big powerful corporate guy. they just do not relate.

i know Rudy is a little soft on social issues but the guy is a HERO with the masses......same thing with McCain. The guy brings in alot of moderates....

But Bush is as faithful as it gets...so i expect him to fight it out with Cheney by his side......

Put Cheney in an advisory role, off the ticket he goes

I doubt this will happen, and I can think of good reasons it should not happen. Number one, the partisan media shills will state (as if a fact) that Bush is on the defensive due to slipping poll numbers, and that whomever he picks (Dennis Miller? We've seen worse choices. Henry Wallace comes to mind) will be pandering or some such crap.

Number two, Cheney would have to have a health crisis to avoid the problems in number one, or at least claim to have some, and everyone already knows that he's had plenty in the past. There's no way anyone would buy it, or worse yet, it will be made to appear that the true state of his poor health has been deliberately obscured.

Number three, Cheney will destroy anyone put against him in any VP candidate debate.

Number four, Cheney is a hawk. If GWB puts anyone else onto the ticket, chances are it will NOT be a hawk. Those who claim to believe that GWB is a RINO (and I figure all the folks who do are just DemocRATs throwing bricks through the windows) will be even less inclined to show up election day.

Once GWB has been reelected and sworn in, Cheney can step down for health reasons, Bush can appoint whomever he wants to replace him, and the Republican majority in congress will approve.