Poll says that barely one-third approves of Bush's handling of economy
The Associated Press Wednesday, August 13, 2003
(08-13) 15:30 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --
The public's view on President Bush's handling of the economy is slipping, says a poll that found only 36 percent of those surveyed approve of his economic performance and more than half -- 52 percent -- disapprove.
The CBS News poll also found six in 10 think the economy is in bad shape. That is the highest percentage in 10 years.
The poll was released Wednesday, the same day Bush met with economic advisers at his Texas ranch to discuss ways to create jobs and boost the economy.
The poll found 70 percent of respondents believe the president is not paying enough attention to the economy. Even among Republicans, one-half felt Bush needs to pay more attention to the economy.
In May, people were evenly split on whether the administration's tax cuts would create jobs. Now, 55 percent think it is not likely they will create jobs, while 38 percent said it is likely.
Despite that, a solid majority -- 55 percent -- said they were satisfied with Bush's overall performance. That figure was bolstered by generally good ratings on Bush's handling of foreign policy, fighting terrorism and Iraq.
A Washington Poll published Wednesday found that Bush's job approval was 59 percent and almost that many, 56 percent, approve of his handling of the situation in Iraq.
But asked about the president's handling of the economy, only 45 percent approved and 51 percent disapproved. And asked about his handling of the federal budget deficit, 41 percent approved and 50 percent disapproved.
The CBS poll of 798 adults was taken Monday and Tuesday; it has an error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The Post poll of 1,003 adults was taken Aug. 7-11 and has an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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