| Bush support slips amid terror attacks
By Richard Benedetto, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Independent voters, who some say are key to President Bush's re-election hopes next year, are losing confidence in his leadership in Iraq as attacks there continue, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll has found. (Related link: Poll results)
In the poll, 39% of independents approve of the way the Bush administration has handled things in Iraq since Bush declared an end to major combat six months ago; 57% of independents disapprove. In the public overall, the poll found, 47% approve.
That is a substantial deterioration from late April, when it was assumed that U.S. troops had secured the country. At that time, when 80% of the public approved of the conduct of the war, 73% of independents approved.
In late April, 69% of independents favored the war — about the same level as the general public. Now, 48% of independents support the war, which is 6 percentage points below overall support.
Independents are less inclined to vote for Bush next year than to vote for a Democrat; 35% of registered independent voters choose Bush and 42% choose an unnamed Democrat. Among all registered voters, Bush leads the unnamed Democrat 46%-43%, which is within the 4-point error margin.
Merle Black, a political scientist at Emory University in Atlanta, says Bush must at least split the independent vote with the Democrat to win re-election.
"It's a huge problem," Black says. "Bush prematurely claimed the fighting was over, and the public continues to see Americans at risk. Every time something bad happens, it further erodes administration support, especially among independents."
The poll was taken over the weekend, before Monday's deadly bombings in Baghdad.
As headlines announce daily attacks against occupying forces, the American public's resolve for staying the course is fading.
Fifty-seven percent say the United States should withdraw some or all of its troops from Iraq. That is up considerably from two months ago, when 46% wanted to withdraw some or all of the troops. Seventy percent of Democrats, 58% of independents and 43% of Republicans want a partial or full withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Democratic support for the war has fallen more sharply than independent support — from 54% in April to 24% now.
Republican support remains high at 88%.
Democrats in Congress and those running for president have grown increasingly harsh in their criticism of the president's management of the war.
On Sunday, when candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination debated in Detroit, Iraq dominated the discussion. "We cannot afford to play Bush roulette with the lives of American troops," candidate Al Sharpton said.
Overall, 53% of those polled approve of the job Bush is doing as president. That is down from 56% earlier this month but still above his lowest rating, 50%, in mid-September.
Independents are split: 46% approve of his overall job performance, and 48% disapprove.
In a good sign for Bush, the poll found optimism on the economy. For the first time in 16 months, Americans who say the economy is getting better outnumber those who say it is getting worse, 47% to 43%. Last month, 40% said it was getting better and 50% said it was getting worse. | |
