ABC/WASH. POST POLL: A New Low in Approval Starts Bush's Final Year

[Hissyspit]

Source: ABC News

POLL: A New Low in Approval Starts Bush's Final Year
Just two in 10 say they are getting ahead financially
The economy and Iraq fuel Bush's lowest ratings (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) ANALYSIS by GARY LANGER
Jan. 15, 2008

Beset by growing economic concerns on top of the long unpopular war in Iraq, President Bush starts the last year of his presidency with the worst approval rating of his career. Just 32 percent of Americans now approve of the way Bush is handling his job, while 66 percent disapprove. Bush's work on the economy has likewise reached a new low. And he shows no gain on Iraq; despite reduced violence there, 64 percent say the war was not worth fighting, 2 points from its high.

- snip -

Three post-World War II presidents have gone lower than Bush in overall approval -- Jimmy Carter (28 percent), Richard Nixon (24 percent) and Harry Truman (22 percent). But after three straight years in the doghouse, Bush is just two months away from Truman's record of 38 months without majority approval -- far beyond any other.

Bush's ratings have stayed remarkably stable lately; he received between 33 and 36 percent approval in nine ABC/Post polls in 2007. The change in this poll, while not statistically significant, marks his first foray below one-third approval. Intensity of sentiment, moreover, remains very heavily against the president. Fifty-one percent strongly disapprove of his work overall, while just 16 percent strongly approve -- strongly negative by better than a 3-1 ratio.

RIDE -- It's been a remarkably bumpy ride. Bush has been so low for so long it can be hard to remember that he also holds the highest approval rating on record for any president in ABC/Post polls, or Gallup polls before them, back to 1938.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/Vote2008/story?id=4133095&page=1

[Journeyman]

1. I predict, by this time next year, BushGo will have better than 90% approval. . .

easily 9 out of 10 will be ecstatic to see him go . . .

[mdmc]

34. go... in to Iran?

:shrug:

[grantcart]

2. How much you want to bet he doesnt even get a primetime

invitation to the Rep convention

[lapfog_1]

4. I'm betting already that if he is invited to speak at all

it will be an early daytime event, probably early in the week.

And we will be told that scheduling conflicts prevented him from doing a primetime speech.

[Warren Stupidity]

15. I'll take that bet. He will have a prime time standing O spot.

His 'speech' will mention ninelem 12 times, terrsts 7 times, freemum an moxy 4 times. His theme will be that the Reknucklian Party is the only thing standing between us and the nasty mooslim terrsts and their allies in the DemocRat Party from turning our proud nation over to the homosexuals and communists.

23 standing ovations.

[lapfog_1]

17. Ok, what's are the stakes? Friendly wagers only I'm afraid.

I'm thinking that he is SO unpopular that they will shuffle him off somewhere... they may have KindaSleezy speak, but Bush and Cheney will appear from a balcony or something.

I just can't imagine that he will speak in prime time unless it's the first night or second night of the convention. Even the repukes are running on "change Washington". Only McCain would want junior up there so they can hug each other some more. And even HIS people will be telling John it's a bad idea.

[The Wizard]

37. And the corporate media talking heads

will spin it as the Party didn't want to draw attention from the candidate. Any affiliation with this whole criminal Administration is like drinking political Drano.

[Warren Stupidity]

49. The luser posts a mea culpa thread

in fine Renucklian tradition: the post must end up explaining why it is not the lusers fault that he got it wrong, and manage at the same time to change the context of the original wager such that there now exists an interpretation that has the luser being right. See rational #38 for why we went and invaded Iraq.

[Historic NY]

33. It has to be before 9:30 bedtime, so Pickles can tuck him in.....

then Uncle Dick read him his favorite book, "My Pet Goat".

[truthisfreedom]

3. They must have doctored the early polls. I blamed him for the events of 9-11-2001.

Fuck him and the goat he rode in on.

[Lasher]

5. I'm a 10 percenter too.

Never liked the jackass, or anything he did.

[davekriss]

16. Proud 10 percenter here, too

In fact I'm part of the 90% of the ten percenters who thoroughly, with every fiber of our bodies, strongly disapproved of George W Bush, the worst pResident ever.

[mwb970]

23. Me too - I have "strongly disapproved" since 1999.

The first time I ever heard bush speak, I thought he was an idiot. Nothing that has happened since then has changed my mind. The only things I have been wrong about are:

1. I didn't think he would get nominated.
2. I didn't think he would get elected.
3. I didn't think he would get re-elected.

In contrast, my prediction about his performance (that he would fail at every damned thing he did) was spot on!

[Thor_MN]

24. I too, disliked him before he was nominated.

I didn't know of him before he was a candidate. The first time I saw him, my initial thought was "You have to be kidding, this idiot should be training to collect shopping carts at K-mart.

[lonestarnot]

28. Well you were right on #3.

:shrug:

[kenfrequed]

30. I despised him sense he took office

And I think I am one of the portions of the 10% that gave him absolutely no break whatsoever. In fact my first Politcal reaction to 9-11 was something on the order of "Oh hell, now those bastards are going to really do some friggin damage"

[0007]

42. Accordingly, the freepers didn't even like junior. They were pushing

for Gary Bauer and Ralph Reed. A few left overs even thought Steve Forbes was cool!

I sure didn't think junior would ever ever be elected.

[krispos42]

6. Ah, another chance for me to Flush Bush...

[diane in sf]

7. Nice chart!

[Lochloosa]

19. Best Chart Ever!

:toast:

[Mithreal]

8. Bush's approval rating after Morgan Spurlock's new movie?

My bet is 16 percent if Spurlock did indeed find the most wanted man. His director of photography has hinted positively, at least that is who I think I remember hearing on the radio interview.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963208/

Very few scenarios remain for Bush to end his presidency on a high note.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

29. Some scuttlebutt...

Based on insider rumors. Says the he didn't find him. But who knows?

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/01/09/spy-report-did-morgan-spurlock-find-osama-bin-laden/

[krispos42]

47. And many of those scenarios...

involve massive explosions and death on US soil.


:scared:

[robbedvoter]

9. "New low" and they keep pushing the numbers up..it was 26...Still, headline's good.

except it reminds me of Onion scary headline:

BUSH PREPARES NATION FOR FINAL YEAR

[Pierzin]

10. Who are the 32%??? Are they making that up or what?

Who are the morons who approve of this idiot?
How do we know the wizards at ABC aren't making this up? Let's be real here folks, how has it stayed at 32% for this long??? How has his approval stayed in the same neighborhood 9 other times??? If that poll where taken in my neighborhood i would be surprized if his approval rating were over 15%!
I have a hard time beleiving there are 32% of Americans who can approve of what he is doing when he has screwed up so much of our nation. Those people must be knuckledraggers who listen to Fox News, if indeed they exist at all.
If in reality his approval is actually 20-25%, I would still be surprized and bewildered though.

[JPettus]

11. That 32%

Is about the same percentage of the Republican Party that claim to be evangelicals, and I don't see much of anyone else saying nice things about Georgie.

Whatcha want to bet that ABC news, them of the Disney mouse and duck show, are only interviewing Republicans and this is STILL the best they can get?

[flashl]

14. Thats what I am wondering ...

His polling #s had bottomed out leading into 2004 election and then miracles of miracles, his numbers jumped to the 30s and have not dropped. :shrug:

[Jacobin]

22. I know some of them

They are out there

[bdamomma]

38. .....

they are out there unfortunately, who are these people?? his base perhaps and his religious fanatics.

[phatkatt]

41. I know a few

My SO's mother is one. You don't dare say one negative comment about * or you'll have to sit through a ten-minute foam-at-the-mouth tirade. Watches Fox Noise ONLY!

Absolutely cannot tolerate a differing opinion.

[momster]

46. That Must Be Amusing

Do you ever just say something to set her off? I wouldn't be able to resist.

But I have some relatives who still 'think' he's great. You can't exactly call it thinking when they've never given a brain cell to actual examination of GWB's prognostications, manners, and results. But heck, it not as though they have a child who will be eligible for the draft by the end of the next administration or anything (He's eleven)...but they'll still vote for whichever Reuglycan is nominated.

[acmavm]

12. Obvioulsy 1/3 of the people they talked to were either CEOs of oil

companies or people who couldn't raise a blip on an EEG if there were hit with a cattle prod.

[From The Left]

13. But Speaker Botox Still Refuses to Impeach

Speaker Botox refuses to order the Articles of Impeachment. Sez Princess Nancy:

"Impeachment is off the table."
"Bush isn't worth impeaching."
"I don't see the connection between torture and impeachment."

Translation:

"I'm a Dianne Feinstein-style war profiteer and don't want this becoming public."

Just think. If there had been another House Speaker elected in Nov. 2006, it's possible Bushco would be on his way back to the Crawford, TX pig farm right now. But alas, Pelosi was elevated to Speaker and rest, as they say, is history.

[Patsy Stone]

18. That's a long way from 45%

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/10/bush-poll-prediction

He'd better start sending out the gift baskets.

[BridgeTheGap]

20. 32% = The People you can fool ALL THE TIME

The damage is already done. How many decades to fix it?

[Jacobin]

21. Time to start a new war!!!

[Vinca]

25. Do 32% of Americans own oil wells? Why else would you like this guy? nt

[Mithreal]

48. Rated R: Republicans in Hollywood will give a few more clues

who the 32% are.

[liberal N proud]

26. The PDF Charts are trying to compare him to past Presidents

They are trying to make him look like he was a better President than Truman or LBJ:

http://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/1057a2BushFinalYear.pdf

Three post-World War II presidents have gone lower than Bush in overall approval –
Jimmy Carter (28 percent), Richard Nixon (24 percent) and Harry Truman (22 percent).
But after three straight years in the doghouse, Bush is just two months away from
Truman’s record of 38 months without majority approval – far beyond any other.

Trying to make shit smell like roses.

[A wise Man]

27. 32 percent approval....mmmmmmm

I'm betting that his true ratings are well below Carter, Truman and Nixon. Remember this also is his media and they will lie and twist the truth by any means necessary to make him look half way good.

[TheCowsCameHome]

31. The fruit of seven years of hard work destroying America

Nice going, you no good ****

[kenfrequed]

32. I have only one question.

Hey Nancy, Can we impeach him now?

[bdamomma]

35. can we please get this SOB OUT!!!

[bdamomma]

36. he is our worst nightmare

and they should conduct psychiatric and psychological tests on all candidates who plan to run for office.

[shaniqua6392]

39. The remaining 32% percent of idiots

should be given their own island somewhere to prevent the spread of this horrible lack of brain cells.

[Doctor_J]

40. EVERY DEM should make sure, every time he/she opers his/her mouth,

that the name George Bush comes out. George Bush's economic disaster, George Bush's disastrous foreign policy, etc.

[phatkatt]

43. Say "Republican" instead of "George Bush"

They are trying to distance their neocon policies that have been proven faulty time and time again from Bush so they can continue those policies. He is a horrible person and worse president, but he is only the empty suit they trot out in front of the cameras and do as he is told. Poor SOB doesn't even realize he is taking the fall for all the horrible mess that republican policies create in the world while the Bill Kristals of the world get a column in the NY Times.

[Stalwart]

44. End of Term Approval Objective

At the end of his term he intends to go out with an approval rating equal to the number of people that have benefited greatly from his term in office. If he has the approval of anyone that did not benefit greatly then he did not take full advantage of them for the gain of those that did. Cheney's definition of failure.

About 5%. The definition of success. Anything more is an increase in failure.

[Javaman]

45. This just in...

Moron* walks on water!

Several people this afternoon witnessed a remarkable event. While visiting the middle east the prez* walked on water at the sea of Galilee. Several spectators fainted at the sight of such an awe inspiring event.

Asked later, how this will effect his* pole numbers, an adviser was quoted as saying, "well, this will probably boost him* a couple of points, but what we were really hoping for was him* to rise from being dead, but you can't have everything."