Posted on 05/18/2006 9:21:28 AM PDT by NYC Republican
Thirty-six percent (36%) of Americans Approve of the way that George W. Bush is performing his role as President. Just 15% Strongly Approve. Those are the lowest levels ever measured by Rasmussen Reports. Just 65% of Republicans approve of the President's Job Performance, also a new low.
This data is based upon nightly telephone surveys and reported on a three-day rolling average basis. For today's update, more than 75% of respondents were interviewed after the President Bush's speech on immigration.
Just 39% of voters agree with the President's approach on immigration. Most consider the issue very important and believe that strict enforcement of immigration laws will help the economy.
Democrats now hold a 15-percentage point lead over Republicans on the Generic Congressional Ballot. Before the Presdent's speech, they had a 10-point lead. Just 27% of Americans believe the country is now heading in the right direction.
While the President's numbers have fallen, Hillary Clinton's poll numbers are the best they've been in more than a year of Hillary Meter polling by Rasmussen Reports. Another Democrat doing well is Ted Strickland. He maintains a double digit lead in his effort to become the first Democratic Governor of Ohio in 16 years.
Also in Ohio. Congressman Sherrod Brown (D) leads incumbent Senator Mike DeWine (R) by three percentage points. Though within the poll's margin of error, it's the first time Brown has had a lead of any sort.
Montana Senator Conrad Burns (R) once again trails both Democrats seeking his job. Dragged down by his association with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Burns' poll numbers are worse than those for a relatively unknown GOP challenger.
Washington Senator Maria Cantwell (D) has been on the defensive lately and her lead has shrunk to five percentage points. When the year began, she was up by 15.
Visit the Rasmussen Reports Election Polls page to see results from our most recent state-by-state polling for Election 2006
Bush will probably throw a small bone out there in an attempt to appease the conservative base (i.e. the gay marriage amendment issue) in hopes of elevating his numbers. I think that the conservatives, however, are getting sick of piece meal appeasement (i.e. 2 Supreme Court judges, extended tax cuts) and are demanding that President Bush and the Republican Congress start acting like Republicans all the time.
President Bush does not follow polls and that why he is a great leader, you got it in reverse.
"Never get citizenship. Never get any social welfare benefits."
Then you're in disagreement with Pres. Bush.
By the way, cut off welfare and Social Security and much of the problem is solved because then millions will go back home.
You still distort facts. The vast majority of illegal immigrants are hired by small businesses and not corporations.
Also, before we go and vote the entire Senate out, you need to understand that half of them are truelly being conservative. It is just the President and a hand full of Senators being RINO's. Interestingly enough, Senator Byrd from WV actually is being conservative on this issue. That in itself should shame the Senators from Maine, McCain, Martinez etc.
On this one I disagree with him about them eventually getting citizenship which will be a very long process and not a matter of few years. However I am not spending my time butchering the Commander In Chief in time of war because he did not do exactly what I want.
My prediction is the House will be kept by Republicans and the Senate will lose to Democrats. Too many disgruntled voters. The only thing saving the Republicans is that it is a local election and not national.
The term company can be both corporations and small businesses.
What's so complex about securing our nation's borders, post 911, in the middle of a war? That's all conservatives want right now. Secure the border first, then and only then will we entertain discussions on what to do with the millions who are already here. President Bush refusing to secure the nation's borders at the behest of a foreign country's citizens is what infuriates Americans. They see the president using national security as a bargaining chip to force Americans to accept amnesty.
You should be forced to live on the border with the crime and the problems. You would be on here screaming bloody murder. Because it is not directly impacting you, you prefer a slowly slowly approach. "Please guys, it's a complex issue." "We can't deport 12 million people" "BLAH BLAH BLAH. And save the Bush histronics. His speech left no doubt in my mind where he stands. He has absolutely lost his mind and I'm not walking in lockstep anymore. If that means we lose, then SO BE IT.
Still the vast majority of illegals are hired by small businesses and I do not know how you are making the silly conjecture that these millions of small businesses vote Republicans because President Bush is saying that it is impractical to deport 12 million illegal immigrants.
I have found that most complex issues are best dealt with by breaking them down into their components, figuring out the criticality of the various components, and then addressing them in priority order.
I think a pretty clear consensus has emerged among conservatives and even a fair number of GOP moderates such as Peter King that the most critical component in the immigration debate is border security. If we fail to secure the borders first, none of the other possible solutions to the complex problems will have a chance of working.
It's that simple.
You think calling an Oval Office speech in prime time after his numbers dipped into the 30s a coincidence? Trust me, they're looking at the polls.
President Bush doesn't have political clout, and that compromises his ability to get things done.
AMEN! It's so easy to criticize especially by those who have no plausible alternatives. There's no way under God's green earth one can get rid of that many people, many of whom have children that are legal just by the mere action of having been born here.
"What do you think President Bush will do with such a poll? Will he be so scared that he will order the deportation of the 12 million illegals who are here? He will not do it because it is impossible to deport 12 millions of them."
If, or should I say when, the 12 million illegals become citizens and they bring the other members of their families, you suddenly have 40 million +. Mass deportation may not be the answer, but I know citizenship isn't.
Harriet Miers, Dubai -- all politicians look at polls.
Mr. President,
I trust that this communication finds you and the First Lady well.
Id like to congratulation you on the fine speech you delivered the other evening. As I listened to your words, I could not help but compare their sincerity with the increasingly shrill rhetoric of those who have continually attacked you since taking office.
I know you are a man of conviction, a man who follows his principles and not polls; in short, a statesman, and not a politician. I am thankful for that in my daily prayers.
Least your staff become disheartened by the increasing volume and direction of the attacks, I would remind them that we elected you to lead us in this time of great peril. When I say we, I mean the common everyday Americans who simply go about our daily lives without becoming swept up by surreptitious political agenda or fear of our government. No matter how imperfect our current elected government is, it is we who chose it.
We did not elect the journalists who manufacture news and polls to suit their political agenda. Nor did we elect the single issue advocates or talk show hosts who market conservative values for profit. Although they each claim to know the secret to make our government perfect, they do not have the courage of their convictions to run for office and affect change. Instead they attempt to circumvent our will and the election process through demands, threats, cajoling, creating dissent and claiming to speak for us.
These people do not represent your base, any more then they represent we the people.
Stand firm and proud, you are doing a fine job.
God Bless.
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