Florida voters give Jeb Bush good marks

[teach1st]

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/democrat/8380673.htm

Gov. Jeb Bush remains popular with Florida voters, according to a statewide poll released Wednesday.

His overall favorable rating in the Mason-Dixon Florida Poll stood at 54 percent, unchanged from last July. Voters gave Bush high marks on his handling of education, jobs and the economy. He scored below 50-percent approval on health care, growth policy and protecting the environment.

His decision to resume the feeding of Terri Schiavo, a comatose Tampa woman whose husband had obtained a court order removing her life supports, left Floridians evenly divided. The poll said 41 percent of those surveyed last week supported Bush's decision, while another 41 percent were opposed.

"Obviously, people think the governor is doing a good job in his stewardship of state resources," said Leon County Republican Party Chairman Tom Rush. "Florida's economy is strong, with steady job growth, and this is the first administration where there's been year-by-year improvement in education in the state."

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[DavidFL]

1. As I keep saying, this State is just screwed.

What was it Christ said? You should cut off the thing that causes you to sin?

From the story:

Also, there's no organized Democratic spokesman to answer what the Republicans are doing. This has allowed the governor to dominate the media day by day."

Yes, the FL Dem Party needs to get someone(s) out there to counter Jeb and George's policies and more forcefully than the last time any State Democrats spoke, when the potential Dem candidates for Graham's Senate seat said Iraq was a "good idea" and they would have voted for the IWR were they a senator.

[watercolors]

2. As a Floridian I disagree

It's plain bull crap, or better yet political spin. Who on earth do they poll? Most people I know think he is worse than his brother and far more arrogant!

[Chitown_Dem]

16. This is how I feel at the national level

I can't understand W's high approval ratings, and I don't feel represented by most of the polls I keep seeing.

[1monster]

20. No one asked me either... of course that might be because every time

a Republican pollster calls this house and asks for my husband (who is registered Republican from way back, but now refuses to vote for ANY Republican), I tell them just what for... And I tell them that my husband feels the same way...

If they won't poll their own disaffected party members, how can we believe anything their polls state?

[Lorien]

34. As another Floridian, I'm with you!

I don't know ANYONE in this state that isn't disgusted with the way things are going. Even the lifelong Repugs I know have had enough of BuschCo lies (and that includes Jebby). The schools are a mess, the Everglades are being destroyed, the State is in a deficit (after years of surplus-sound familiar?), jobs are in short supply, and he killed high speed rail, which was very popular with the voters. Florida is a bona-fide trainwreck!

[bluedog]

35. what where do they get this stuff

I've lived here 29 years and have been polled

[kera]

3. I am sorry to

scare you but I read a well documentated article that jeb is being groomed for president sometime in the future

[murielm99]

4. ewwwww

:puke:

[tkmorris]

5. Won't happen.

When this Bush leaves office the country will be so disenchanted with the whole family he won't have a chance.

Remember, Bush senior was voted out but in the main people thought he was just a weak president. Junior however is evil personified and is inspiring a lot more outright hatred than his father ever did. Of course with junior it isn't really deserved. The people who run him are the dangerous ones; he's just a goofy front-man. Like Reagan was.

No matter, Jeb is done. He might get elected Senator given a weak opponent but no way he wins the White House. Don't be fooled by his re-election to Governor. His opposition was the weakest Gubernatorial candidate I've ever seen. He couldn't have done worse in the debates with Jeb had he pumped full of Phenylbarbitol. In fact, he often seemed as if he was.

Nope, the Repubs have fired their broadside. They will lose this one and to regain the White House they will need a moderate next time in my view. Jeb comes off as one, but he's DOA as I said. McCain may not have another run in him. The Frist/Delay crowd is too tied to the current loser so they are out, and may well be pulled down by scandals of their own beforehand anyway. Frankly I can't think of anyone on the horizon for them to run in 2008 against Kerry.

[keopeli]

7. Interesting thoughts. Maybe I can fill in the blank.

The mindset of the Republican, by and large is regional...not international. Consider the aptitude of Bush* when he came into office. Consider the largely rural base of the Republican party. The lifeblood is the money of the wealthy few who can afford to manipulate their wealth through government intervention.

Since by far the majority of the Republican party is currently the rural population, who are very regional in thought, a loss in this current election will likely harden their position. This will make controlling them as a block with money a more difficult job for the wealthy party donors. The Bush family will not be down and out, even if Bush* is never elected. The Republicans will find a very conservative voice to oppose a moderate alternative, and they are likely to choose the conservative. Consider Elizabeth Dole, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, or even a personality such as Sean Hannity in the fray.

What did Rush do to make these guys unhappy, eh? That'll be a good book someday.

Whoever it is, it can't be worse than the current WH occupant.

[PDX Bara]

12. "Good" Republican Women

As a lifelong liberal/progressive woman (nearly 40 years), I still fail to understand what supposedly thinking women find attractive about a political party that appears to keep them suppressed. Does anyone have any statistics about how many Republican women have "made it" on their own versus Democratic women? Case in point: Hillary Clinton vs Elizabeth Dole. Would Elizabeth Dole be where she is today without Robert Dole's name?

[SharonAnn]

31. Wasn't Elizabeth a Democrat first? Changed to Republican?

Seems that I remember that but it's never mentioned.

[Justitia]

33. I liken "Republican Women" to Log Cabin Republicans

As a woman, I can never, never understand how women can align themselves with any of the major planks of the Republican party.

Here in North Texas (Repub Headquarters), it seems to have soooo much to do with two factors: religiosity & whatever their husband thinks. These could probably be inter-related.

From my point of view, I see them just as perplexing as Log Cabin Republicans. :crazy:

[JCMach1]

10. Wishful thinking... most thought the same about George I

:puke:

[noonwitch]

15. Romney could be a candidate

He's from a political family and isn't too overtied to Bush beyond party loyalty issues. He's also rather nice looking and from the same state as Kerry.
McCain also could run, if his health is good.
Voinovich from Ohio is kind of older, but is popular. Even my liberal brother, who didn't vote for him, admits respect for him as a decent and principled official.

[SoCalDem]

8. Jebbie was supposed to be "the one" in 2000, BUT

Columba got caught smuggling stuff into Florida, on her way back from a shopping trip to France.. Karl Rove probably thought that they needed more time for that to get scrubbed die down.. and Noelle had recently been busted with drugs too..

They needed someone, so Georgie-Boy was the one.:(

[1monster]

21. No, the reason that Jebbie didn't get the family nod for the Presidential

run in 2000 was because he lost his first gubenatorial election in Florida to Lawton Chiles in 1994 (Bless his departed soul!), the same year that ne'er do well older brother George unexpectedly won his first gubenatorial election in Texas.

(The whining and the sniveling from the Jeb Bush camp that year was disgusting... They thought he was entitled and that Chiles somehow stole the election from him.)

Jeb was not quite two years in the Govenor's office for the 2000 Presidential election and was not perceived to have paid his political dues or to have the experience necessary to run for President.

edit to fix year Jebbie lost his first election for Florida Gov.

[FlaGranny]

28. One thing is certain, Jeb is MUCH smarter than George

and just as nasty and mean.

[BiggJawn]

19. There's a whole BOOK out about jebbie's next job!

I heard an interview with the author on Nat. Propaganda Radio this AM. OK, so I was 1/2 asleep still, so it may have been a dream, but the question was raised "Will the American people go for a third President named 'Bush'?"

Oh, yeah, they're looking to 2008 already, and it's gonna be a Bush Dynasty...Then in 2016, it'll be who, the Tequilla Twins' turn? Or will elections be a thing of the past and we'll have Emperor Jeb until 2050 or so, then it'll be Idiot Son George "I get caught fucking in public" Bush's turn?

[leesa]

29. Of course he is. Not news. He was supposed to be where the First

Cheerleader is now but he had some problems like "brown children", a daughter torqued out on drugs and a wife charged with smuggling.
The Bushes are toast. The corporate fascists are alive and well, but I think they will cut the Bushes loose soon.

[Racenut20]

6. Leon County is Tallahassee

One might think the local Chairman would be a supporter of Jebbie.

[TroglodyteScholar]

9. These are good marks?

Even if these numbers are correct, it doesn't exactly indicate that Floridians are rallying behind him.

When *'s job approval rating hits the mid-50's, the administration gets worried, don't they?

[JCMach1]

11. In JEBBIELANDtm it's always a JEBBIE day!

[Submariner]

13. Jebbie probably would have invaded Cuba for WMDs

right after Afghanistan.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

14. Was it a poll of Republican voters only?

[primavera]

18. Well, this is the home of Katherine Harris we're talking about

You can be reasonably sure that no one who did oppose Jeb would ever been given the opportunity to make their voices heard.

[rfkrocks]

17. our nations "groundhog day"-except this is a horror movie

endless Bush princes running the country with their let them eat cake crap-there is plenty of room in the endless war machines for senior citizens of Florida-they may become the "soylent green" of the country if Bushco has its way

[tlcandie]

22. I would like to know how the hell they came up with this .?!?! I was NOT

contacted!! AND I WOULD HAVE HAD AN EAR FULL!!! :mad:

[dryan]

23. jeb is the worst governor we have ever had

Worse than Martinez and that's saying something. Make no mistake about it, he wants to run for President and folks, unlike his brother, Jeb is smart. What the **** is Scott Maddox doing?

[1monster]

27. Well, smart comparatively speaking. Mean as hell though.

Jebbie is truly Barbara's son...

[0007]

24. This is a bull shit article - how could anyone in their right mind

think that this little man from a thieving, lying family with a history for the bizarre think that this little cocksucker is doing a good job?

The proof is in the pudding, look closely at Jebb's own family and his family values. From his wife to his children to Jebb.

[ramapo]

26. Many are out of their mind or have no mind at all

How else can you explain why things are the way they are?

[w4rma]

25. The polls are probably true and alot of work has to be done to bring Jeb

down.

[leesa]

30. Right. Isn't Florida tanking big-time? I guess those are the same

people supporting the First Fool in the WH. Remember, the corporatists own the polls as well as the media. Apparently they still want Jebbie in there. I think they are giving Dubya the boot though. He's becoming a liability.

[teryang]

32. John Ellis Bush is a criminal pure and simple

"devious plans" to defraud the state are what he is all about.

Destin Country Club fraud $120,000,000.00

IMC medicare fraud $150,000,000.00

State Employees Pension Fund purchase $300,000,000.00

How could anyone in their right mind vote for a criminal?