I would never have guessed that Junior would still be this popular after being president this long but he is headed in the direction I expected. He is losing popularity at an ever quickening pace.
_________________________
Poll Finds Support For Bush Declining
Energy, Environment Doubts Feed Drop
By Richard Morin and Claudia Deane
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, June 5, 2001; Page A01
Public support for President Bush has fallen in recent weeks, led by eroding confidence in his energy and environmental policies as well as growing concern over the direction that Bush and the Republican Party are leading the country, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The president's overall job approval rating stands at 55 percent, down 8 percentage points since late April. Of the past nine presidents, only two -- Gerald R. Ford and Bill Clinton -- had a lower job approval rating at a similar point in their presidencies.
With control of the Senate about to shift to the Democrats, the survey found that most Americans say Bush should stop aggressively promoting his legislative agenda and instead should compromise with Democratic lawmakers on energy policy, patients' rights, Social Security and other top issues.
Public confidence in congressional Democrats is on the rise. Five weeks ago, nearly half -- 46 percent -- of those interviewed in the Post-ABC poll said the country should "go in the direction Bush wants to lead it," while 36 percent expressed more confidence in congressional Democrats.
In the latest survey, Bush's 10-percentage point advantage over the Democrats had vanished. Democrats now hold a 42 percent to 40 percent lead over the president on the question of who should set the nation's policy agenda.
Even congressional approval of the president's $1.35 trillion tax cut has generated more ambivalence than political payoff for Bush and the GOP, the poll suggests. A 58 percent majority approved of the way Bush handled the tax cut issue. But an even larger majority said they would have preferred it if the president had spent the money on popular federal programs such as education and Social Security.
Presidential ratings can rise and fall precipitously in response to events and changing circumstances. Nothing in the poll numbers suggests that Bush cannot recover, or that congressional Democrats will continue to enjoy growing public support.
Still, the survey results suggest that the honeymoon may be over for the Bush administration, which is now on notice that most Americans stand ready to reward moderate, bipartisan politics -- and quickly punish either party if it strays too far from the middle of the road.
"Democrats have a little more of a message from the public to be critical and to play a stronger opposition role," said Andrew Kohut, an independent pollster who heads the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. "A little rain has fallen. But he certainly isn't an embattled president by any means yet."
Bush continues to get high marks from the public for his handling of foreign policy and education, an issue that Bush has made a centerpiece of his administration and one in which Democrats have traditionally held the advantage. Two in three agree with Bush and the Republicans that the states, and not the federal government, would do a better job regulating health plans.
The survey also found the Republican Party faces even more public skepticism than the president does. When asked which political party is "more open" to the views of political moderates, 57 percent said the Democratic Party, while 32 percent named the GOP. Even a third of those who identify themselves as Republican moderates said the Democratic Party was more open to moderate views.
A total of 1,004 randomly selected adults were interviewed May 31 to June 3 for the Post-ABC poll. Margin of sampling error for the overall results is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The survey found that most Americans continue to like Bush personally, even though doubts about his overall performance as president are growing. Sixty-one percent of Americans said they have a favorable impression of Bush "as a person," 6 points higher than his overall job approval rating.
Widespread worries about Bush's energy and environmental policies appear to be feeding the drop in his approval score. Six in 10 say the country is heading into an energy crisis -- and four in 10 believe it is "in an energy crisis now."
In the face of those fears, the proportion of Americans who said they disapproved of the administration's energy policies stood at 58 percent -- up 15 points from an ABC News survey conducted three weeks ago.
Half of those interviewed also were critical of the way Bush has handled environmental issues, up 9 points since April. Republicans have detected a similar vulnerability in their polling, and Bush has worked hard to improve his image on environmental issues. He visited Everglades National Park yesterday, and last week in Sequoia National Park, he announced a plan to improve national parks in California.
On specific issues, Bush still maintains a 7-point advantage over the Democrats on international affairs and taxes, while Democrats have double-digit advantages on patients' rights and Social Security, as well as energy and the environment.
The president also has pulled even with the Democrats on education: 43 percent of those interviewed said they trusted Bush more to handle school policy, while an equal proportion favored Democrats.
Most Americans expect little harm to the country from the switch in control of the Senate to the Democrats after Vermont Sen. James M. Jeffords's defection from the GOP. Nearly four in 10 -- 38 percent -- said Democratic control of the Senate will make no difference, and 41 percent -- mostly Democrats -- viewed it as a "good thing." Only 20 percent perceive the Republicans' loss of the Senate as a "bad thing."
Many GOP faithful seemed to take the loss of the Senate in stride. Fewer than half of all self-described Republicans -- 46 percent -- saw it as a bad thing, while virtually all of the remainder said it would make little difference.
The public does want Bush to reverse course in his dealings with Congress. Two in three -- 68 percent -- now say Bush should mostly compromise with congressional Democrats, something that a majority of those surveyed said the president was not doing during the first months of his administration.
© 2001 The Washington Post Company
Poll Finds Support For Bush Declining
Energy, Environment Doubts Feed Drop
By Richard Morin and Claudia Deane
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, June 5, 2001; Page A01
Public support for President Bush has fallen in recent weeks, led by eroding confidence in his energy and environmental policies as well as growing concern over the direction that Bush and the Republican Party are leading the country, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The president's overall job approval rating stands at 55 percent, down 8 percentage points since late April. Of the past nine presidents, only two -- Gerald R. Ford and Bill Clinton -- had a lower job approval rating at a similar point in their presidencies.
With control of the Senate about to shift to the Democrats, the survey found that most Americans say Bush should stop aggressively promoting his legislative agenda and instead should compromise with Democratic lawmakers on energy policy, patients' rights, Social Security and other top issues.
Public confidence in congressional Democrats is on the rise. Five weeks ago, nearly half -- 46 percent -- of those interviewed in the Post-ABC poll said the country should "go in the direction Bush wants to lead it," while 36 percent expressed more confidence in congressional Democrats.
In the latest survey, Bush's 10-percentage point advantage over the Democrats had vanished. Democrats now hold a 42 percent to 40 percent lead over the president on the question of who should set the nation's policy agenda.
Even congressional approval of the president's $1.35 trillion tax cut has generated more ambivalence than political payoff for Bush and the GOP, the poll suggests. A 58 percent majority approved of the way Bush handled the tax cut issue. But an even larger majority said they would have preferred it if the president had spent the money on popular federal programs such as education and Social Security.
Presidential ratings can rise and fall precipitously in response to events and changing circumstances. Nothing in the poll numbers suggests that Bush cannot recover, or that congressional Democrats will continue to enjoy growing public support.
Still, the survey results suggest that the honeymoon may be over for the Bush administration, which is now on notice that most Americans stand ready to reward moderate, bipartisan politics -- and quickly punish either party if it strays too far from the middle of the road.
"Democrats have a little more of a message from the public to be critical and to play a stronger opposition role," said Andrew Kohut, an independent pollster who heads the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. "A little rain has fallen. But he certainly isn't an embattled president by any means yet."
Bush continues to get high marks from the public for his handling of foreign policy and education, an issue that Bush has made a centerpiece of his administration and one in which Democrats have traditionally held the advantage. Two in three agree with Bush and the Republicans that the states, and not the federal government, would do a better job regulating health plans.
The survey also found the Republican Party faces even more public skepticism than the president does. When asked which political party is "more open" to the views of political moderates, 57 percent said the Democratic Party, while 32 percent named the GOP. Even a third of those who identify themselves as Republican moderates said the Democratic Party was more open to moderate views.
A total of 1,004 randomly selected adults were interviewed May 31 to June 3 for the Post-ABC poll. Margin of sampling error for the overall results is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The survey found that most Americans continue to like Bush personally, even though doubts about his overall performance as president are growing. Sixty-one percent of Americans said they have a favorable impression of Bush "as a person," 6 points higher than his overall job approval rating.
Widespread worries about Bush's energy and environmental policies appear to be feeding the drop in his approval score. Six in 10 say the country is heading into an energy crisis -- and four in 10 believe it is "in an energy crisis now."
In the face of those fears, the proportion of Americans who said they disapproved of the administration's energy policies stood at 58 percent -- up 15 points from an ABC News survey conducted three weeks ago.
Half of those interviewed also were critical of the way Bush has handled environmental issues, up 9 points since April. Republicans have detected a similar vulnerability in their polling, and Bush has worked hard to improve his image on environmental issues. He visited Everglades National Park yesterday, and last week in Sequoia National Park, he announced a plan to improve national parks in California.
On specific issues, Bush still maintains a 7-point advantage over the Democrats on international affairs and taxes, while Democrats have double-digit advantages on patients' rights and Social Security, as well as energy and the environment.
The president also has pulled even with the Democrats on education: 43 percent of those interviewed said they trusted Bush more to handle school policy, while an equal proportion favored Democrats.
Most Americans expect little harm to the country from the switch in control of the Senate to the Democrats after Vermont Sen. James M. Jeffords's defection from the GOP. Nearly four in 10 -- 38 percent -- said Democratic control of the Senate will make no difference, and 41 percent -- mostly Democrats -- viewed it as a "good thing." Only 20 percent perceive the Republicans' loss of the Senate as a "bad thing."
Many GOP faithful seemed to take the loss of the Senate in stride. Fewer than half of all self-described Republicans -- 46 percent -- saw it as a bad thing, while virtually all of the remainder said it would make little difference.
The public does want Bush to reverse course in his dealings with Congress. Two in three -- 68 percent -- now say Bush should mostly compromise with congressional Democrats, something that a majority of those surveyed said the president was not doing during the first months of his administration.
© 2001 The Washington Post Company
Poll Finds Support For Bush Declining
Energy, Environment Doubts Feed Drop
By Richard Morin and Claudia Deane
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, June 5, 2001; Page A01
Public support for President Bush has fallen in recent weeks, led by eroding confidence in his energy and environmental policies as well as growing concern over the direction that Bush and the Republican Party are leading the country, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The president's overall job approval rating stands at 55 percent, down 8 percentage points since late April. Of the past nine presidents, only two -- Gerald R. Ford and Bill Clinton -- had a lower job approval rating at a similar point in their presidencies.
With control of the Senate about to shift to the Democrats, the survey found that most Americans say Bush should stop aggressively promoting his legislative agenda and instead should compromise with Democratic lawmakers on energy policy, patients' rights, Social Security and other top issues.
Public confidence in congressional Democrats is on the rise. Five weeks ago, nearly half -- 46 percent -- of those interviewed in the Post-ABC poll said the country should "go in the direction Bush wants to lead it," while 36 percent expressed more confidence in congressional Democrats.
In the latest survey, Bush's 10-percentage point advantage over the Democrats had vanished. Democrats now hold a 42 percent to 40 percent lead over the president on the question of who should set the nation's policy agenda.
Even congressional approval of the president's $1.35 trillion tax cut has generated more ambivalence than political payoff for Bush and the GOP, the poll suggests. A 58 percent majority approved of the way Bush handled the tax cut issue. But an even larger majority said they would have preferred it if the president had spent the money on popular federal programs such as education and Social Security.
Presidential ratings can rise and fall precipitously in response to events and changing circumstances. Nothing in the poll numbers suggests that Bush cannot recover, or that congressional Democrats will continue to enjoy growing public support.
Still, the survey results suggest that the honeymoon may be over for the Bush administration, which is now on notice that most Americans stand ready to reward moderate, bipartisan politics -- and quickly punish either party if it strays too far from the middle of the road.
"Democrats have a little more of a message from the public to be critical and to play a stronger opposition role," said Andrew Kohut, an independent pollster who heads the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. "A little rain has fallen. But he certainly isn't an embattled president by any means yet."
Bush continues to get high marks from the public for his handling of foreign policy and education, an issue that Bush has made a centerpiece of his administration and one in which Democrats have traditionally held the advantage. Two in three agree with Bush and the Republicans that the states, and not the federal government, would do a better job regulating health plans.
The survey also found the Republican Party faces even more public skepticism than the president does. When asked which political party is "more open" to the views of political moderates, 57 percent said the Democratic Party, while 32 percent named the GOP. Even a third of those who identify themselves as Republican moderates said the Democratic Party was more open to moderate views.
A total of 1,004 randomly selected adults were interviewed May 31 to June 3 for the Post-ABC poll. Margin of sampling error for the overall results is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The survey found that most Americans continue to like Bush personally, even though doubts about his overall performance as president are growing. Sixty-one percent of Americans said they have a favorable impression of Bush "as a person," 6 points higher than his overall job approval rating.
Widespread worries about Bush's energy and environmental policies appear to be feeding the drop in his approval score. Six in 10 say the country is heading into an energy crisis -- and four in 10 believe it is "in an energy crisis now."
In the face of those fears, the proportion of Americans who said they disapproved of the administration's energy policies stood at 58 percent -- up 15 points from an ABC News survey conducted three weeks ago.
Half of those interviewed also were critical of the way Bush has handled environmental issues, up 9 points since April. Republicans have detected a similar vulnerability in their polling, and Bush has worked hard to improve his image on environmental issues. He visited Everglades National Park yesterday, and last week in Sequoia National Park, he announced a plan to improve national parks in California.
On specific issues, Bush still maintains a 7-point advantage over the Democrats on international affairs and taxes, while Democrats have double-digit advantages on patients' rights and Social Security, as well as energy and the environment.
The president also has pulled even with the Democrats on education: 43 percent of those interviewed said they trusted Bush more to handle school policy, while an equal proportion favored Democrats.
Most Americans expect little harm to the country from the switch in control of the Senate to the Democrats after Vermont Sen. James M. Jeffords's defection from the GOP. Nearly four in 10 -- 38 percent -- said Democratic control of the Senate will make no difference, and 41 percent -- mostly Democrats -- viewed it as a "good thing." Only 20 percent perceive the Republicans' loss of the Senate as a "bad thing."
Many GOP faithful seemed to take the loss of the Senate in stride. Fewer than half of all self-described Republicans -- 46 percent -- saw it as a bad thing, while virtually all of the remainder said it would make little difference.
The public does want Bush to reverse course in his dealings with Congress. Two in three -- 68 percent -- now say Bush should mostly compromise with congressional Democrats, something that a majority of those surveyed said the president was not doing during the first months of his administration.
© 2001 The Washington Post Company
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