The White House spin machine (but not the same folks that managed the military photo-op) will have to shift into emergency gear, given this latest poll that says most Americans now view the Bush presidency as an unsuccessful one:
WASHINGTON – For the first time, more people say George W. Bush’s presidency will be judged as unsuccessful than say it will be seen as a success, a poll finds.
Forty-one percent of respondents said Bush’s presidency will be seen as unsuccessful in the long run, while 26 percent said the opposite. Thirty-five percent said it was too early to tell, according to the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
In January, 36 percent said successful and 27 percent said unsuccessful.
Not a good trend. It fits in with Bush’s overall polls, which resemble the direction a high school swim team member immediately goes when he jumps off a diving board (or for elected Bush defenders, when someone is asked to blindly walk the plank). MORE:
The increasing pessimism about Bush’s long-term prospects comes at a time when many polls have found the public increasingly is negative about Bush’s performance and the direction of the country.
Seven in 10 said they want the next president to offer policies and programs that are different from the Bush administration’s.
Only half said they wanted the next president to offer different policies in 2000, at the end of the Clinton presidency. By a 2-1 margin, people said the Bush administration has had a negative impact on politics and the way government works.
People were inclined to say Bush’s policies have made things worse on a wide range of issues such as the federal budget deficit, the gap between rich and poor, health care, the economy, relations with U.S. allies, the tax system and education. By 47 percent to 30 percent, those surveyed said Bush has improved the situation with national security.
And if you think that all Republicans are defending Bush and saying Pew stinks, then think again:
Republicans give the president mixed reviews in many of these areas. Almost half of Republicans said Bush’s policies have made the deficit worse and just 12 percent say he has improved that situation.
If you’re a political junkie, you have to ask yourself (1) what Bush can do to turn the overall polling and this concrete-is-drying perception around and (2)if with these trends going steadily south there is anything he can do to turn it around.
A separate issue is if the Democrats can profit by it, because the answer depends on their political competence — an unproven commodity in recent elections. HINT TO DEMOCRATS: You need to be able to offer specific alternative policies and solutions, a cohesive vision, and unite despite factional disagreements in order to win — just as Republicans have in recent years.