Is it possible that this is true? It's in the Washington Post.
Bush and GOP Enjoy Record Popularity
... the survey found that 83 percent of the public approve of the job Bush is doing. His job approval rating of 83 percent is down nine points from its peak of 92 percent in October, the highest ever recorded by a president, but the durability of his popularity has surprised even Bush's advisers. By a 2-1 ratio, Americans say they trust Bush more than Democrats in Congress to deal with the country's biggest problems.
The president's continuing popularity has lifted his party's prospects for the midterm elections, which are less than 10 months away.
Fifty percent of all registered voters say they plan to vote for the Republican candidate for Congress in November, while 43 percent support the Democrat. That's the biggest GOP advantage ever recorded since the Post and ABC News first asked the question in 1981
....Bush begins his second year in office with two significant advantages: Both he and congressional Republicans are more popular than the Democrats.
When asked if they trusted Bush or congressional Democrats to do a better job dealing with the country's biggest problems, a lopsided 62 percent said Bush, while 31 percent preferred the Democrats -- an advantage that extended across virtually every key demographic group. At the same time, 44 percent of those interviewed said they trusted Republicans in Congress more than congressional Democrats to handle the big problems, while 40 percent preferred the Democrats.
Despite the recession, 62 percent of Americans support Bush's handling of the economy, and six in 10 approve of the way he is dealing with federal spending. More than half say Bush has little responsibility for the return of budget deficits. But a majority favor scaling back Bush's tax cut if needed to balance the budget.
Part of the vast support for Bush comes from an underlying sense of optimism. Sixty-nine percent of Americans believe the current economic recession will last a year or less, far more than held a similar view in 1992, when the economy was beginning to improve.
The optimism boosts Bush on many issues. Six in 10 Americans say they believe Bush understands the problems of average Americans. More than half approve of the way he is handling Social Security and the environment. Seven in 10 say he's doing a good job with education.
Such support puts the president in uncharted territory. "He's already obliterated all the historical records" for popularity, said GOP pollster Whit Ayres. "I never thought he could go on this long at this level, so I can't venture a guess as to how long it could be sustained."
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