Bush's Approval Ratings Up In April, Poll Says

[Kadie]

Bush's Approval Ratings Up In April, Poll Says
Pew Survey: Overall Rating Up 5 Points From Early April

POSTED: 6:07 p.m. EDT April 26, 2004
UPDATED: 6:47 p.m. EDT April 26, 2004

WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush's approval ratings climbed in April despite growing instability in Iraq, according to a poll released Monday.

The survey by the Pew Research Center for The People & The Press found that the president's overall job approval rose to 48 percent -- 5 percentage points higher than in early April.

Forty-three percent disapprove of Bush's job performance.

The news comes despite growing instability in Iraq and the deadliest month for American troops there since the invasion a year ago.

The poll found that 48 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Bush is dealing with Iraq. About 36 percent believe he has a clear plan for bringing the situation there to a successful conclusion.

more... http://www.news4jax.com/politics/3238155/detail.html

[Mari333]

1. I guess people want their kids to be drafted

www.bushdraft.com

[xray s]

2. Randi Rhodes said today that only 11% of Americans read a newspaper

Basically, most Americans are ignorant, and they like to be that way.

We get the government we deserve.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

5. That's sad. George H.W. Bush once said during the 1980 campaign...

that he didn't give a damn what was written in the newspapers, because no one reads them.

This was in reference to questions about Mr. Bush's abilities to be a "public servant" and his "work" in the CIA.

I read newspapers, both foreign and domestic. Gee, I guess that makes me an "out of touch elitist" because I CHOOSE to educate myself and the masses OPT to stay dumb.

:eyes:

[benfranklin1776]

10. Correction. Those who read and educate themselves are.....

...more properly referred to as "fancy pants" elitists, in the words of Junior. :-) Reading and educating oneself about current affairs or the cultures of the world or scientific progress is a product of that evil Enlightment you see. In Junior's worldview it would be best to return to the dark ages and follow his approach of immersing oneself in a life of willful ignorance and never, ever thinking things through or looking at information that forces you to reconsider your flawed assumptions. You are instead free to ignore facts and instead listen to "your gut," or some mystical, supernatural voice, allegedly coming from God to reveal to you all that you need to know. Never mind of course that your gut feelin may be indigestion or that the Almighty has seen fit to equip each of us with a brain and the capacity to learn and reason and process information so that we could think for ourselves and that HE expects people to use it not squander it on a lifetime of willful idiocy. That matters not a wit to the Juniors of the world and their sycophants. They are more comfortable with the illusions and delusions of their carefully maintained echo chamber than the hard cold truths. The tragedy is the harm they inflict with their regressive thinking.

The hope, though, for the survival of rationality and democracy, is that I believe many people simply don't pay attention because of time constraints or the nature of their lives, but, if and when presented with the unvarnished facts, understand clearly what the hell has gone wrong because of what this maladminsitration is doing. Those are the ones that need to be reached, by any means necessary.

The basic problem is therefore how to reengage these people with the political process. I recently attended a conference at which a speaker, a lifelong political professional, reminded us that seventy five percent of the people do not discuss politics at all. Only one half of one percent do so on a daily basis. Those who pay attention are outraged, rightfully, but not enough people are. Its getting the rest to pay attention that is the fundamental challenge.

[Voltaire99]

24. Damn fine post. (n/t)

[Born Free]

22. Democrats are failing to get their message out

Like it or not it's a sign that democrats are failing to get the message out. You can't just sit back and let the news do it all, democrats need some people to speak out. Like it or not Dean got the message out, he made people think; get angry, react. We need that type of leadrship, the current "ho hum" attitude will not work, democrats - no make that Americans need a fighter for a leader. Kerry needs to stop being a whimp and stand up to the bush team, go on the offensive. he may ruffle a few feathers and people may say they don't like it but in the end the American people will want it.

[Dover]

3. Pew...........something about this poll stinks.

....

[Eye and Monkey]

14. Pew in NYT today - "New Pew Trusts Merging Works Into One Body"

<snip>
"Pew was established by its founders as a grant-making foundation," said Neal B. Freeman, chairman of the Foundation Management Institute, an advisory firm and a critic of Pew's transformation. "If successor management can now throw a tax-regulation switch and become the world's most heavily endowed think tank keeping all the donors' money for their own projects, it could prove to be an interesting temptation to others."
<snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/27/national/27CHAR.html

Published: April 27, 2004

As part of the metamorphosis from private foundation to public charity, the Pew Charitable Trusts are pulling their major polling, research and information projects into a single organization to save on administrative costs.

Last November, the directors of the trusts, together one of the nation's 10 largest foundations, decided to become a public charity, giving it more flexibility to raise money, lobby and contribute to other organizations, as well as tax advantages.

Another benefit is that Pew, based in Philadelphia, can combine programs under one roof, rather than pay other groups to run them. Pew is to announce today that it will centralize the operations of seven programs: the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, the Project for Excellence in Journalism, Stateline.org, the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, the Pew Hispanic Center and the Pew Global Attitudes Project.

MORE -

[Old and In the Way]

4. Dead cat bounce.

nt

[Melodybe]

6. Aha, they are bragging about 48% approval, by historical standards

that is a horrible number for Bush to be at, I think that even daddy's approval rating was higher than that in April of 1992.

Don't let the press fool you, these numbers are dismal.

Things are not looking good for the shurb, enjoy it.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

8. Johnson 64', Nixon 72', Reagan 84', and Clinton 96' all had.....

approval ratings in the middle fifties at this point.

Bush's drifting in the mid-forties reminds me of his father. As the summer went on, Poppy's numbers fell well below forty percent.

[Wickerman]

7. Every so often a poll comes out that is supposed to remind us that we don'

dislike Bush as much as we, of course, do. Next thing ya know, after the dust settles and the talking heads have had their fun, more polls come out that show us that we do, indeed, despise Bush*, and with greater numbers than before. Rinse, repeat. Pretty soon he ain't going to have any support left shore him up.

:boring:

[Beetwasher]

9. 48% is Nothing to be Proud of

Really, so what? That's pretty bad going into election season..

[osaMABUSh]

11. Hate to say this but that stupid press conference worked

I know how horrible and embarassing the 'news conference' was but Bush did come on as focused on winning in Iraq and defeating terrorism. The sheeple really ate that up.

The problem is that he is determined to the wrong the thing.

I suspect the slight bump (or undip) was from that press con performance.

[Octafish]

13. IMO, presser provides lots of AMMO.

The Little Turd from Crawford comes across as a nutjob wussie who has to hide behind his mother's skirt when he talks about 9-11. From the decibel level of their sycophants' howling, it seems the BFEE is going to jail. Let's help them along by spreading the word: Bush is a Crook.

[Piperay]

21. That is what I heard some

analyst claim, the sheeple just sucked it up. I thought he was horrible but I use my brain instead of my emotions and unlike some, I won't swallow shit. :mad:

[gulliver]

12. People want payback from the insurgents.

We are dealing with idiots here, remember. A lot of people don't know what a stupid thing Bush has done. They don't see that he has put a gaping hole in United States security and international standing. All they see is some "damned A-rabs" dancing around on burning Humvees. They are pissed.

If only we could get them to turn that anger on George Wuss Bush -- where it belongs. He's the Sorceror's Apprentice.

[Eye and Monkey]

15. Perhaps. And perhaps this poll was pre-freeped.

Pew, Pew, Peeee-ew.

[Pallas180]

16. Polls can be manipulated/biased depending on the questions asked.

I seriously doubt that dimson's numbers are up - not with all the
dirt coming out about him.

[Eye and Monkey]

17. and how the questions are asked, and by the multiple-choice answers -

- and by the sequence of questions, by repetitions of similar questions & answer-choices -

- not to mention by the training that interviewers receive -

The question becomes "what is the potential bias of the polling organization" rather than the potential bias of the individual poll.

[Mattforclark]

18. It's pretty sad that they can say 48% is "up"

for Bush, of course.

[The_Casual_Observer]

19. Simply a burp

The public is increasingly confused.

The truth about Iraq has just begun to sink in. Give it till August, after bush is forced to ask for another 100 billion "shup-le-ment-ole" while another 500+ troops are dead, and gas is at $3 then take a look at the polls.

[burrowowl]

20. They disapprove of

his handling of Iraq, 48% and 36% believe he has a plan and his approval ratings are up?
O America, I despair :(

[AnnitaR]

23. Ever feel like you are living in the

Land of the Dumbfucks?

The degree to which most Americans have their heads up their asses never ceases to amaze and disgust me!

I believe that most people in this country no longer think for themselves. They turn on their plasma tvs and turn off their brain. It's so damn depressing.

[Citizen Daryl]

25. More proof

[maddezmom]

26. haha

[Demeter]

28. That Was Priceless, Daryl!

Thanks for sharing it.

[Zero Gravitas]

27. In related news

LSD was introduced into the water supplies of many US cities during April.

[CBHagman]

29. ROSE to 48 percent? Huh.

I opened this thread with some trepidation, only to find that the approval rating in question was 48 percent. Hardly indicative of acclaim throughout the land.

[underpants]

30. Exactly if I were them I wouldn't trump this up too much

butthen with that headline :eyes: apparently the press was ready and willing to do that for them.

[phrenzy]

31. One Interesting Thing

One thing struck me when reading this though. They are boasting about how 'up' it is - I remember how LOOOONG we waited for it to drop below 50%.

Remember just before 9/11 he was still at something like 52% and that was considered miserable.

Now he's "up" to 48%?? That's still a totally shit number and still leaves Kerry plenty of room to get elected.

Now, consider that there is not much room for improvement at this point - short of Osama popping up, which we all know will happen.

Really though, I think there is a few points of play in his ratings whenever A.) He makes a 'feel good' speech or B.) Whenever shit hits the fan in iraq / bad economic news comes out.

He's just going to bounce between LOW and REALLY LOW until something really great happens for him like producing Osama or something along those lines.