Former Pres. Bush and former V.P. Dick Cheney have taken opposite approaches to the new administration — silence for Bush, and harsh criticism from Cheney. But the general public has a very low opinion of both:
Neither George W. Bush’s deliberate silence about the Obama administration nor Dick Cheney’s ready criticism of it appear to have altered U.S. public perceptions about either man. The former president and former vice president are each viewed unfavorably by 63% of Americans, very similar to where they stood with the public in their final White House years.
Indeed, back in January, a few days before the inauguration, a Gallup poll revealed that Americans do not share George W. Bush’s opinion of his own historical significance:
A mere 17% of Americans believe George W. Bush will go down in history as an outstanding or above-average president — out of sync with Bush’s own confidence that his presidency will be appreciated with time. Another 23% of Americans predict he will be remembered as “average” while 59% say “below average” or “poor.”
Eric Kleefeld notes that:
Bush’s popularity had been inching up a bit over the course of the 2008 campaign and as he was on the way out — up to a high of 40% favorable and 59% unfavorable in early January — but his numbers now are back near the all-time low of 32% favorable and 66% unfavorable from April 2008.
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