President's approval rating drops in poll
By Jim Drinkard, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — The sluggish economy and the continuing daily threat to U.S. forces in Iraq have taken a toll on President Bush's public standing, according to a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll.
The president's approval rating fell to 59%, its lowest level since March, in a sounding of 1,003 adults taken over the weekend.
Bush held a 6-percentage point advantage when those polled were asked whether they would support his re-election bid, down from 12 points a month ago.
Bush's lowest marks came for his handling of the economy; 45% approved, and 51% disapproved. The weakness on economic matters also extended to the president's Republican Party, which controls Congress.
Americans said they trust Democrats to do a better job than Republicans in handling economic issues. On the economy generally, Democrats had a 17-point advantage, 53% to 36%. That was a stark change from a 43-42 GOP edge in January.
Asked who they thought could better deal with the federal budget deficit, poll respondents also chose Democrats by 50% to 37%. The party held an even greater advantage, 54% to 35%, on the issue of unemployment. The jobless rate rose to 6.4% in June, the highest in nine years.
Democrats held the edge, as well, on handling prescription drug coverage for older Americans (53% to 31%), and on education (49% to 37%).
Bush's party remained the most trustworthy on handling the threat of terrorism, where Americans preferred Republican policies by 55% to 29%. The divide was narrower, however, on the overall handling of foreign policy, where Republicans were preferred 46% to 41%.
On the handling of the postwar situation in Iraq, the GOP advantage dropped from 24 points to 15 points since January. Republicans were favored on that question by 51% to 36%.
Democratic presidential candidates have hammered at Bush on his handling of Iraq in recent weeks.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., told reporters Monday that U.S. troops are paying the price for Bush's failure to build an international coalition for postwar Iraq.
"It is clear now that he didn't do that sufficiently. In that regard, the American people were let down," Kerry said.
Another Democratic contender, Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri, planned a speech critical of Bush's Iraq policies for Tuesday in San Francisco. |
