Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita. Rising energy prices. Setbacks in Iraq. And a questionable Supreme Court nomination. It all appears to be adding up for the Bush Administration, new polls numbers are out and the results aren’t good:
For the first time in the poll, Bush?s approval rating has sunk below 40 percent, while the percentage believing the country is heading in the right direction has dipped below 30 percent. In addition, a sizable plurality prefers a Democratic-controlled Congress, and just 29 percent think Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers is qualified to serve on the nation?s highest court.
The poll shows that Bush?s approval rating stands at 39 percent, a new low for the president. In the last NBC/Wall Street Journal survey, which was released in mid-September, 40 percent approved of Bush?s job performance while 55 percent disapproved. In addition, just 28 percent believe the country is headed in the right direction, another all-time low in Bush?s
And the Administration’s problems are reflecting on the GOP as a whole:
In addition, with 13 months until the 2006 congressional elections, 48 percent say they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, compared with 39 percent who want the Republicans to control Capitol Hill. In fact, that nine-point difference is the largest margin between the parties in the 11 years the NBC/Journal poll has been tracking this question.
But Hart argues that Democrats aren?t necessarily responsible for this margin. “It is not that Democrats have done so well,” he said. “It is that people are disgusted.” McInturff puts it this way: “People are very turned off and unhappy with the state of play in American politics.
No kidding.
