Bush’s Approval Rating StablizesGreat reaction by an administration that doesn't govern by what polls say. Even more interesting is despite this hoopla of wonderful vibes for the White House, we see this paragraph much further down in the story:
Heartened by opinion polls indicating President Bush's six-month slide may have ended, the White House has launched steps to reassure supporters before the 2004 campaign becomes fully engaged.
Bush aides expressed relief at several polls this week, including a Washington Post-ABC News poll released today, that found the president's approval rating stabilizing after a steady drop since Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was ousted in mid-April. Bush's approval rating in the Post-ABC poll was 53 percent. That's statistically unchanged from the end of last month, and 5 percentage points down from mid-September.
Among other troubling signs for Bush: 46 percent said they would reelect him if the election were held today, while 47 percent would vote for the yet-to-chosen Democratic nominee. The percentage that thinks the war in Iraq was worth fighting dropped to 54 percent, from 61 percent a month ago. Majorities said they do not believe the Bush administration has a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq and said they consider the number of U.S. military casualties in Iraq to be unacceptable.Filters on, WaPo.
