Polling Interlude

by DemFromCT

Let's catch up with the Gallup poll from yesterday. First, the Bush approval ratings at 36-60%:

(written permission from Gallup to use copyrighted material with attribution)

Democrats have disliked him for years, so no surprise there. And then ther's the war.

Only days before the third anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, President George W. Bush yesterday gave the first in a series of speeches designed to convince the American public he has a strategy for victory. A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll conducted over this past weekend suggests it will be tough going for the president. Only 32% of Americans believe he has a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq, while 67% say he does not.

...

Generally, people have been more skeptical than positive about Bush's Iraq planning, but the current poll shows the highest number of Americans expressing skepticism since Gallup first asked the question in August 2003.

This negative sentiment comes amid recent news reports of intense fighting in Iraq and the possibility that a civil war is imminent. The poll shows only 38% of Americans say the war is going well in Iraq, while 60% say it is going badly -- including 28% who say "very" badly.... These are the most negative numbers Gallup has measured on this question in almost two years.

Americans don't think Democrats have a plan either, But lest that be picked apart by the dummies on TV

These results might suggest that the low ratings for Bush do not signify a problem for the president or the Republicans, because Americans are no more confident in the Democrats than they are in Bush. But a separate question that asks people to specify which party in Congress could do a better job in dealing with Iraq finds an eight-point advantage for the Democrats over Republicans, 48% to 40%.

The fact is that Democrats don't need a plan. They don't need to be seen as cohesive and united. They don't need to be seen as brilliant. They need to be seen as representing change.

[UPDATE]: CBS weighs in with their own pessimism on Iraq.

Most Americans don't expect the war to end any time soon. Most think the U.S. will remain in Iraq for at least two more years, and 27 percent say the war will last another five or more years.

More than seven in 10 Americans — majorities of both Democrats and Republicans — say a civil war is currently going on in Iraq, while another 13 percent think civil war is likely to break out in the near future.

Americans cite Iraq as the most important problem facing the U.S. and are more pessimistic than ever about the chances of eventual success there. Just 15 percent say the U.S. is very likely to succeed in Iraq, down from 21 percent in January. Another 36 percent say success is somewhat likely, down from 42 percent in January, and 47 percent say it is either not very or not at all likely that the U.S. will achieve success — up from 35 percent just two months ago.

A separate poll finds the negative feelings about the war even extend to Americans with close military ties to Iraq (either serving there themselves or having a family member there).

Fifty-eight percent of Americans in the military (or with family members who serve) and 52 percent of those who have served or have family members in Iraq think things there are going badly for the U.S., about the same percentage as other Americans. Just over four in 10 of each group thinks the war is going well

[UPDATE]: Harris interactive weighs in:

President Bush's job-approval ratings continue to slip, according to a recent Harris Interactive poll, while job-approval ratings for most of his key cabinet members also remain low.

Mr. Bush's current job-approval ratings stand at 36% in March, down from 40% in February and 43% in January, but still slightly above the low point of 34% registered in November 2005.

Comments

[Newsie8200]

At this rate, Atrios is going to run out of ponies.

[merciless]

Of course the democrats have a plan. It just got stolen and retooled as the republican plan as recently as yesterday.

When Murtha suggested it, it was treason. Now it's a reasoned, honorable idea. Wankers.

[jonnybutter]

wow.