Two-to-One Majority Believes Bush Administration 'Generally Misleads Public on Current Issues to Achieve Their Own Ends'
prnewswire.com
Majority also believes the 'Scooter' Libby affair is an 'indication of a larger problem in the Bush administration'
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Ever since President Bush's 2004 election victory, the polls have been reporting the more or less steady decline in his popularity, and last week The Harris Poll(R) reported his ratings had fallen to a new low, only 34 percent positive.
There are obviously many reasons for this decline, which probably include the events in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, the legal problems of Congressman Tom Delay and Senator Bill Frist, the indictment of "Scooter" Libby, and continuing concerns about the economy (notwithstanding its continued growth).
One measure of the president's political problems is that by 64 to 32 percent, virtually a two-to-one majority, many people believe that the Bush administration "generally misleads the public on current issues to achieve their own ends." Replies to this question, like public attitudes on many political issues, are highly polarized. A large 68 to 28 percent majority of
Republicans believe that "the Bush administration generally provides accurate information regarding current issues." On the other hand, even larger majorities of Democrats (91% to 7%) and Independents (73% to 25%) believe that the information provided is generally misleading.
These are the results of a Harris Poll of 1,011 U.S. adults surveyed by telephone by Harris Interactive(R) between November 8 and 13, 2005.
Other results of this poll are:
* A 56 to 18 percent majority of adults believe that Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who has been charged with perjury and obstruction of justice, is guilty.
* A 35 percent minority believes that the "Scooter" Libby affair is "an isolated incident," whereas a majority (55%) thinks it was "an indication of a larger problem in the Bush administration." Here again, opinions are highly polarized. Fully 70 percent of Republicans believe this was an isolated incident, but only 12 percent of Democrats and 29 percent of Independents agree with this.
The Supreme Court
Better news for President Bush comes with replies to a question about the Supreme Court. Only a 42 percent minority of all adults think that President Bush is trying to make the Supreme Court too conservative. This includes 63 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of liberals, but only 16 percent of Republicans and 20 percent of conservatives.... |
