WASHINGTON - President Bush's standing with the public has eroded as Americans have become increasingly concerned about postwar Iraq and the economy at home, polls suggest.

 Bush is at a crossroads about 13 months before voters decide whether to give him a second term, say pollsters and experts on public opinion.

Half of Americans, 49 percent, name the economy and jobs as the issues they most want to hear the presidential candidates talk about, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

That's higher than levels in the past two presidential campaigns and nearly as high as in October 1991, when 58 percent felt that way. Bush's father lost his re-election bid in 1992.

The increased focus on the economy comes at a time the current president is seeing some of the lowest approval ratings of his presidency.

"We are at a juncture where the Democrats look like they have much more of a chance in the next election than they did a couple of years ago," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center.

Other surveys released this week show the president's standing in the mid-50s — 55 percent in the Pew poll and 54 percent in a Battleground 2004 poll.

In September 1991, Bush's father was at 66 percent in the Gallup poll, but by the beginning of the next year his job approval had dipped below 50 percent and he lost his re-election bid.

Although the current President Bush's stewardship of the fight against terrorism has boosted his ratings, any perception that U.S. involvement in Iraq is undermining the effort to combat terrorism could undercut Bush's support.

"Without the issue of terrorism, the president would be in much worse shape," said Robert Shapiro, a political scientist at Columbia University who specializes in public opinion. "The objective measure people have is that there haven't been any terrorist events at home."

Almost two-thirds still say they support the decision to use military force in Iraq. But with U.S. casualties mounting and no end in sight to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, a majority of people question whether Bush has a plan for successfully resolving the situation.

"If people begin to see Iraq as not furthering the war on terrorism, but hurting the war on terrorism, the issue that has kept his ratings up could be severely weakened," said pollster Andrew Kohut.

A survey last spring found that most respondents said the war in Iraq had reduced the risk of terrorism in the United States. That is no longer the case. An ABC News poll earlier this month found that, by a 48 percent to 40 percent margin, more Americans say the Iraq war has increased the risk of terrorism in this country.

GOP pollster Ed Goeas noted the latest Battleground 2004 poll suggests that Bush is very popular and trusted in fighting the war on terror. But he noted that six in 10 in the Battleground poll said it would take a drop in unemployment to convince them the economy is improving.

"He's not making his father's mistakes," Democrat pollster Celinda Lake said, referring to Bush's constant talk about his economic plans. In 1991, many thought his father was out of touch with the nation's economic problems.

Looks like Bush Jr is headed the same way as the dinosaur......

Looks like his whole administration was a sham, just like his fathers.

And the people arent buying it anymore

Someday, one of you guys is going to say "fascist" and be correct in its usage, and I'll spit coffee on my monitor.

I don't think I need to keep paper towels handy, though.

Back to the poll:

Kinda early to be printing those "Dewey Defeats Truman" headlines, isn't it?

America under the evil idiot bush is certainly becoming a more fascist place, more police, more spies, more prisons, more govt. intrusions into public life, no accountability, more class division, larger armies undertaking agreesive destabilizing maneuveurs, more arms deal to openly fascist dictators, more 'enemies' taregeted without evidence, more race baiting, more monkey trials, more weapons and more surveliance on ordinary civilians.

But one idiot will always follow another idiot, look in the mirror fascist scum, and keep your eyes on your back because you will fall and you will fail.

I suggest you get your information from places other than IMC.

If all I read were IndyMedia, my brain would be toasted, too.

Oh, look! Still no coffee on my monitor!

"More Idiocy From the Neo-Cocks, I Mean Cons"

by nonanarchist Saturday September 27, 2003 03:45 AM



Wow.

Could you be ANY more childish?

Are you still in junior high?

Do you actually have a point, or do I need to smoke some weed like you?

up late tonight eh, daveman?

To think a minor inconvenience such as an election defeat will prevent Bush's regime from retaining the presidency is naive at best given his actions in 2000 and all his subisquent actions.

No if things go against the Bush regime in 2004 they will undertake a putsch, probably using legal niceities at first, if these fail they will declare a "terrorist" red alert and tell the people that for there own good and to protect the homeland they will suspend elections and stay in power untill the "war on terror" is won (indefinately ).

Who's going to defeat Bush in 2004? Kerry? Clark? Leiberman? Dean? Gephardt? any of the other 5 dwarfs? Nader?

Not in this lifetime.

Not really. You?

Whole lotta "ifs" and nothing to back it up.

Except wishful thinking.

You simply cannot conceive the American electorate not falling for your empty rhetoric, can you?

No, if Bush "wins", it'll be because he "stole" the election, and will then stage a "putsch", and declare himself King.

Sounds like you almost wish it would happen, for two reasons:

1. So you can say, "I TOLD you so!"

2. So you can continue to have a focus for your unreasoning hate.

I can always recognize the tone of utterfailure's puerile rants.

Utterfailure doesn't have to stay up late. Late is early where he lives.

Hey Enrique, how are things in Alicante?

that was me, try agin.

Well, me, you and Enrique need to get together and start a club. You can call it the "He-man Capitalist Haters Club of Spain".

Eric

you really need to get used to the idea that it's you that is on the hate America or the freedoms that you say you defend club.

But you have several co workers.

fresca, daveman, Bush Admirer and the rest of you are here full time

on this comment board. It must annoy you no end to not be able to

convince people like me.

That's because your posts are nothing but clean up for the mess left

you from the trail of blood and misery caused by a country hi-jacked by criminals.

I've made great personal sacrifices for this county and for freedom. I've fought in combat for those ideals. What have you done?

"But you have several co workers.

fresca, daveman, Bush Admirer and the rest of you"

Those folks are great patriots. I'd fight and die alongside any of them any day of the week. But you, I'm not sure what you stand for. Communism? Socialism? Anarchism? Why don't you identify yourself and what you stand for, and maybe we can dialogue?

I can only assume that you hate freedom.

"It must annoy you no end to not be able to

convince people like me."

Actually, it amuses me to no end.

I'm not here to convince anyone. I'm here to chime in my two cents is all.

I prefer to engage the enemy head on, not to hide in the bushes and wage guerrilla war, like you and your ilk.

Honor. Courage. Commitment.

Things you terrorists know nothing about.

oh americans...

i love you simple folk...

entertain me with your stories of how your country has never ever done any wrong.

We don't need no stinking First Amendment!

The above comment brought to you courtesy of the First Amendment.