The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #68978   Message #1169702
Posted By: M.Ted
24-Apr-04 - 10:53 AM
Thread Name: BS: Bush pulls ahead of Kerry in latest poll
Subject: RE: BS: Bush pulls ahead of Kerry in latest poll
For those who think that Bush is somehow recovering his popularity, check this report from the folks at the Pew Research Institute:

Public Support for War is Steady, But Bush Job Ratings Slip
After Falluja

Released: April 5, 2004

Navigate this report
Summary of Findings
About the Survey
Questionnaire

Summary of Findings

Public support for war in Iraq has been unaffected by the murders and desecration of the corpses of American citizens in Falluja. However, continued turmoil and violence in Iraq may be taking a toll on President Bush's approval ratings. More Americans now disapprove of the way he is doing his job than approve, though by only a slight margin (47% disapprove vs. 43% approve). Just four-in-ten approve of the way Bush is handling the situation in Iraq, his lowest rating ever and down from 59% in January. Bush's evaluations on other issues – the economy, energy and even terrorism – have fallen as well. And by a wide margin (57% to 32%) the public does not think he has a clear plan for bringing the situation in Iraq to a successful conclusion.

Nonetheless, nearly six-in-ten Americans (57%) continue to believe that the United States made the right decision in using military force against Iraq, which is unchanged from a mid-March Pew survey. However, public attitudes toward most aspects of the U.S. mission in Iraq have turned more negative since January, in the aftermath of the capture of Saddam Hussein.

Just 50% of Americans favor keeping troops in Iraq until a stable government is established there, while 44% support bringing the troops home as soon as possible. In January, the public by nearly two-to-one favored maintaining U.S. troops in Iraq until a stable government is formed (63%-32%).