Bush Resumes Slide In Gallup Approval Ratings - Voters Overwhelmingly Dissatisfied With Direction of Country

by Steve

(Thanks to PollingReport.com for the graphic)

Yes, John Kerry hasn’t sprinted out to a ten-point lead over a troubled George W. Bush. Yes, John Kerry has been hurt by damaging ads that have gone virtually unanswered until recently. Yet having said that, the truth is that Bush’s approval ratings are heading south once again, even with an improving economy. And to my pleasant surprise, Kerry did in fact blast Bush for not knowing what is going on underneath him and for an overall lack of accountability in his administration. This came a day after Kerry blasted Bush for his inadequate response to the crisis on Arab TV yesterday.

The Gallup poll taken through yesterday of 1000 adults showed that Bush’s disapproval ratings on the economy (56%), his job overall (48%), Iraq (55%), and terrorism (45%) are the highest since Gallup began asking these questions. Bush and Kerry are virtually tied in a head to head match up according to both Gallup and Fox News, even with Nader in the mix. But most troubling for Bush is the skyrocketing number of those who are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country, which now stands at an astounding 62%. This comes even as there are signs the economy is improving, yet according to the poll, voters don’t believe it.

With things not likely to get better in Iraq any time soon, Bush will need for the economy to get noticeably better in the coming months for voters to overcome their disbelief. But with a summer of rising gas prices and mortgage rates ahead, it is ironic that Bush may find himself facing the same problem his dad did: an electorate that didn't see early enough that the economy was in fact getting better.