Richard Tafoya
Apr 9th, 2007, 09:01 PM
USA Today:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070409/NATIONWORLD/704090373/-1/LOCAL17
President Bush is setting records for consistency that no White House would want.
Bush's job-approval rating in a USA Today/Gallup Poll taken April 2 through Thursday is 38 percent. His standing has stayed below 40 percent for seven consecutive months.
Since the advent of modern polling, only two presidents have suffered longer strings of such low ratings. One was Harry Truman, whose popularity sank during the final 26 months of his tenure as the Korean War stalemated. The other was Richard Nixon during the 13 months leading up to his resignation amid the Watergate scandal.
"It's pretty hard for a president to get ratings this low in general, and then to be in the position where you basically don't budge -- that's been reserved for some of the least popular presidents during the worst times of the last 60 years," says Jeffrey Jones of the Gallup Poll, who analyzed the data.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Bush pays little attention to polls and is "laser-focused" on such issues as fighting terrorism and reforming immigration. "Look, we're aware of the polls," Perino said. "We realize the war is unpopular and that people wanted to see a change. That's why the president announced a new strategy in Iraq."
Actually, Bush's 38 percent approval rating, while dismal, represents an improvement -- his strongest standing this year. He was at 34 percent approval in the previous USA Today poll, taken in late March.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070409/NATIONWORLD/704090373/-1/LOCAL17
President Bush is setting records for consistency that no White House would want.
Bush's job-approval rating in a USA Today/Gallup Poll taken April 2 through Thursday is 38 percent. His standing has stayed below 40 percent for seven consecutive months.
Since the advent of modern polling, only two presidents have suffered longer strings of such low ratings. One was Harry Truman, whose popularity sank during the final 26 months of his tenure as the Korean War stalemated. The other was Richard Nixon during the 13 months leading up to his resignation amid the Watergate scandal.
"It's pretty hard for a president to get ratings this low in general, and then to be in the position where you basically don't budge -- that's been reserved for some of the least popular presidents during the worst times of the last 60 years," says Jeffrey Jones of the Gallup Poll, who analyzed the data.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Bush pays little attention to polls and is "laser-focused" on such issues as fighting terrorism and reforming immigration. "Look, we're aware of the polls," Perino said. "We realize the war is unpopular and that people wanted to see a change. That's why the president announced a new strategy in Iraq."
Actually, Bush's 38 percent approval rating, while dismal, represents an improvement -- his strongest standing this year. He was at 34 percent approval in the previous USA Today poll, taken in late March.