Poll: Bush Approval Matches Low Point
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON — Public approval of the job President Bush is doing now matches its all-time low, an AP-Ipsos poll says.
The survey, released yesterday, reflects widespread discontent over how Mr. Bush is handling the war in Iraq, efforts against terrorism, and domestic issues. It also underscores challenges Republican presidential and congressional candidates will confront next year when they face voters who seem to be clamoring for change.
Only 32% said they were satisfied with how Mr. Bush is handling his job overall, the same low point AP-Ipsos polling measured last January and a drop of 3 percentage points since May.
Mr. Bush still wins approval from seven in 10 Republicans, though that is near his historic low for GOP support.
Only a quarter of those initially identifying themselves as independents expressed satisfaction with the president, along with 8% of Democrats.
On issue after issue, approval of Mr. Bush’s efforts matched previous all-time lows in the survey.
Twenty-eight percent were satisfied with his handling of the war in Iraq, down 5 percentage points in a month. Two in three Republicans said they approved.
Only a third overall approved of how Mr. Bush is handling domestic issues like health care, with the same proportion expressing satisfaction with his job on foreign policy and the war on terror. And 37% said they approved of his handling of the economy. Support in all categories dropped slightly since May.
In another indication of the public’s bleak mood, only 21% said they believe things in America are heading in the right direction, the worst mark since the AP-Ipsos poll began in December 2003.
Women, older people, and those with low incomes were especially discontent. Only three in 10 conservatives and similar numbers of white evangelicals — usually strong GOP supporters — expressed satisfaction with the country’s direction.
The poll involved telephone interviews with 1,000 randomly chosen adults between June 4 and 6. It had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
