Bush Hits Record 23 Percent Approval Rating Low As Americans Mood Sours: Zogby Poll
May 21st, 2008 by JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief
President George Bush has broke yet another record — hitting an all time 23 percent approval rating as the Americans’ mood sours on the economy and their own financial plights, a new Zogby/Reuters poll shows:
Despite a brief rebound last month, the overall mood of Americans has since fallen sharply, with majorities now taking a negative view of both U.S. economic policy and their own personal financial situation, a new Reuters/Zogby poll shows.
The Reuters/Zogby Index, a measurement of American confidence, has fallen to 87.9 from 95.5 in April, and is now just slightly about the all-time low of 87.7 registered in March. In February, the index boasted its highest rating since the baseline rating of 100 for the index was established in August. The Reuters/Zogby Index includes 10 poll questions that gauge perception of the state of the country and the economy. The telephone survey of 1,076 likely voters nationwide was conducted May 15-18, 2008. It carries a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percentage points.
Bush’s approval ratings have now gone so far south that he will soon spot Polar Bears clinging to pieces of melting ice:
The slight job approval gains made by President George W. Bush and Congress in April’s Reuters/Zogby survey evaporated this month. The job approval rating for the President have hit an all-time low, and now stand at just 23%, down from 27% in April and surpassing his previous record-low approval of 25% in October of 2007. Bush has lost support from both Republicans and Democrats, although he does show a slight increase in job approval among political independents. Just 44% of fellow Republicans give Bush positive job approval marks in this latest poll, falling from 55% last month. Among Democrats, just 6% now give the president a positive job approval rating, down from 8% in April, while 22% of independents give him positive marks, up from 18% last month.
And Congress? It’s close to being attacked on a piece of ice by polar bears, although it’s rock bottom numbers are up (and part of the bad rating for Congress is due to Democrats who don’t feel Congress is bold enough or has done enough):
The latest job approval ratings for Congress have fallen to 11% from 16% in March, back to the all-time low approval ratings Congress experienced in both September and November of last year. The Democratically-controlled Congress earns positive ratings from just 11% of Democrats and Republicans, compared to 15% of Democrats and Republicans who said the same in April. Job approval ratings for Congress have also fallen sharply among independents down to just 9% from 20% who gave positive marks to Congress last month.
Meanwhile, some 73 percent of likely voters feel the country is on the wrong track — up from 69 percent in April.
What does this likely mean? (a)The Democrats clearly have a voting public that wants things to be done differently. (b)GOP presumptive Presidential nominee Senator John McCain is going to have to distance himself from Bush and show he is not Bush Lite, particularly as likely Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama keeps tying McCain’s name to Bush. (c)Neither party can take independent voters for granted, but it’s clear independents are now siding more with Democrats than Republicans…so independent-friendly McCain is probably the strongest Republican that party could field right now.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 10:10 am and is filed under John McCain, Barack Obama, Elections, Approval Ratings, Newsweek Blogitics, Bush Administration, Republicans, George W. Bush, Congress, 2008 Elections, Economy, Polls, Democrats, Politics. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
