Posted on 09/27/2002 7:36:34 PM PDT by luv2ndamend
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- The ratings of President George W. Bush and the Republicans have improved sharply as the nation's focus moves from domestic issues to a preemptive war with Iraq, terrorism and national security, a new Harris poll has found.
"The public has responded positively to the president's leadership," wrote Harris Interactive Chairman Humphrey Taylor in a summary.
Between Sept. 19 and 23, the Harris Poll conducted a nationwide telephone survey of a cross-section of 1,011 adults. The results, released on Friday, show that Bush's ratings have risen from 63 percent to 68 percent positive in August, with 37 percent negative now down to 30 percent.
Vice President Dick Cheney's ratings showed an even greater improvement -- from 45 percent positive and 43 percent negative in August to 52 percent positive and 37 percent negative now.
The ratings of congressional Republicans have gone up from 41 percent positive to 47 percent positive while 49 percent negative has been reduced to 42 percent negative. The ratings of the Democrats in Congress have also improved, but less so, from 38 percent positive to 42 percent positive, and 54 percent negative becoming 49 percent.
Taylor interprets these figures -- with the GOP winning more positive support than negative criticism, and the Democrats receiving higher negative ratings -- as encouraging signs for the Republicans as the November elections approach.
The scores of several Cabinet secretaries have changed little since August.
Secretary of State Colin Powell -- with 75 percent positive, 18 percent negative ratings -- continues to rank highest of all U.S. political leaders.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's ratings are also little changed at 61 percent positive and 27 percent negative.
Attorney General John Ashcroft's ratings, at 52 percent positive and 32 percent negative, also are almost the same as they were last month.
The pollsters could find no particular events that account for the improvement in the rather poor ratings of Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill -- which rose to 38 percent positive from 33 percent in August, while negative ratings dropped from 38 percent that month to 30 percent positive now.
The ratings of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., (38 percent positive, 38 percent negative) also are significantly better than they were last month (34 percent positive, 43 percent negative). However, the poll was taken before Daschle's recent criticism of the president.
When respondents are asked to rank the most important issues for the government to address, without being shown any list or being prompted, the economy continues to top the list at 28 percent, but this is down somewhat from its score in July and August (33 percent and 32 percent).
The next four issues, however, are terrorism (24 percent), the "war" (14 percent), Iraq/Saddam Hussein (14 percent) and national security (12 percent).
Copyright © 2002 United Press International
These are all the same issue. War on Terror - 64% Economy - 28%.
Oh, I had forgotten that....she'd have to give up her SPECIAL OFFICE, wouldn't she? All the more reason to vote GOP!
ALL polls overstate Democrat strength. It's a well-documented phenomenon, though nobody has proven why. The most likely reason is sheer PC: Lots of people are still afraid to admit to others that they're conservative, but they sure pull the GOP levers in the voting booth.
My guess is that it's a case of "out of sight, out of mind". He's been keeping a low profile, and some Americans have VERY short term memories!
They won't be able to. The war drums are getting louder, and they're not going to take a break for the last month of the campaign. The RATS are finally going to get their October Surprise, and it's going to happen without a single shot being fired. The month of October is going to be almost entirely horse-race talk and war negotiations and buildup. Besides, the public has said time and again that they do NOT blame Bush for the wobbly economy, which is almost unheard of going into a midterm election, and which is the basis for the old "party in power loses seats in off years" canard. (History always repeats itself in politics, until it doesn't.)
Is it going to be 1994? Doubtful, though hardly anyone in 1994 was expecting 1994 to happen either. But we will retake the Senate, by a wide enough margin to make any potential Benedict Arnolds irrelevant, and we'll make meaningful gains in the House.
let's be careful. Sure it feels good to talk like this now, but remember '98? Wasn't that the first mid-term election that the Prez's party won seats since 1934? And no one was expecting that. It seams our mid-term elections are pretty much the opposite of what we're expecting.
My prediction (based on the last 2 mid-term elections are we will either win really big (like '94 big) or we will barely lose the house and senate.
Right now I'm leaning toward we are going to lose. I just think the RAT base is going to be more energized. I pray that I'm wrong, but I've been burned before ('98).
My guess: Toricelli loses. Carnahan loses. Chaffee jumps. Snowe holds. We win.
He's been low profile. A behind the scenes operator. Most people don't understand the value he is providing.
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