January 22, 2007
Bush in Nixon territory: 28% job approval
When I saw on Polling Report that Newsweek had GWB's job-approval rating down (again) to 31%, it occurred to me that if kept getting 31's and 32's, eventually sheer sampling variation would push him below 30%, into the Nixonian 20's. Given the cowardice — expressed as a reluctance to kick a man unless he's down and an eagerness to do so if he is — that is so salient a feature of politics and journalism as practiced in Washington, the resulting perception that the Beloved Leader is exceptionally unbeloved would, I thought, have some real impact.
As it turns out, I didn't have to wait long. Today's CBS poll has the Prez down to 28% positive, 64% negative.
My guess is that the CBS number is partly an artifact of survey design; it looks as if CBS asked about the war first, which seems to have pushed some otherwise pro-Bush folks into the "undecided" column. Still, the number may help drive it home that the incumbent is setting an all-time record for sustained unpopularity, which would be nice.
Also nice: it seems to be rubbing off. The 2008 Presidential match-ups are looking pretty good.
And it doesn't look to me as if Rove and the rest of the crew have figured out that the lie-and-bluster approach that worked fine when the country was rallying around the wartime President doesn't cut it with a President who's about as popular as a skunk at a picnic.
Update Better and better. Bush's personal favorability isn't any better than his job performance.
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