NBC Poll: Bush stops the bleeding

Insensitive headline of the day!

http://www.msnbc.com/news/992733.asp?0cv=CB10

President Bush’s approval ratings are taking a turn for the better, boosted by a recovering economy that has driven unemployment claims to the lowest point of his presidency, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

THE POLL of 1,003 adults by Hart/Teeter Associates of Washington found Bush’s overall job approval rating at 51 percent. That was essentially unchanged from the same poll in September, indicating that the White House is succeeding in stopping a precipitous fall in the president’s support from a near-record high of 88 percent one year ago.

The survey results suggested that Bush’s support has been shored up almost exclusively on the foundation of the economic recovery. Favorable assessments of the president’s management of the economy spiked from 44 percent two months ago to 51 percent this month, an increase more than double the poll’s margin of sampling error of 3.1 percentage points.

<snip>

Overall, public backing for the war remained statistically unchanged in November at 63 percent. It was the first time that number had not fallen since April.

Meanwhile, Americans were split in November, the first time the question has been asked, on whether Saddam’s ouster was specifically worth the cost in U.S. casualties and money. Forty-five percent said it was, compared with 46 percent who said it was not.

He's holding at 51% approval rating and more people than not think that Saddam's ouster was not worth the cost in US casualties and money.

who don't think the war was worth the cost but support the war anyway? It takes incredible mental inertia to tolerate that much dissonance. I guess logic isn't one of America's strong characteristics! I wonder in what order the questions were asked? Can make a big difference.

As part of a graduate dissertation once I did a standard kind of interview that took about 30 minutes, but I found that if I talked to my subjects longer their real feelings and beliefs would emerge and were often inconsistent with their first interview responses. I wonder if these pollsters take into account the 'halo' effect wherein a subject tries to make himself look good and give the interviewer the answers they think they want.

I've said this all along. What these people say in a 5 minute poll doesn't neccessarily reflect their true mood. Most people, in order to maintain an air of "patriotism", will tell a poller things they want them to hear so as not to seem "unpatriotic". In my opinion, the numbers are much worse for Bush when the decision is made in the solitude of a voting booth.

5% don't believe in God... you can bet the REAL number is much higher.

If his approval numbers on the economy have jumped that much with just the earliest signs of good news he's going to look might good on the issue a year from now (assuming the economy is, in fact, improving).

That would leave Iraq as the sole major issue we can take him on. And Iraq is far more easily manipulated for his benefit than the economy is (and a far bigger potential minefield for us). Imagine capturing OBL or Saddam a month before the election?

Definitely, the bleeding has not stopped. It's hardly begun.

Gee! I'm surprised!

The numbers are unchanged from last month's poll and they describe that as "a turn for the better" and his support, which is actually unchanged as being "shored up".

sitting in Walter Reed hospital right now, many with missing limbs and severe scarring, his poll numbers will drop. I think the begging of the end for the republican party was in the last month or so when Cheney and Rummy completely back tracked on the WMD. It looks like Disney/ABC is the only network more on our side than against it. They had a great episode covering the FCC decision and what it will do to the news in our country. Nightline is by far the best of whored out "News."

Oh really ya think?

Russert made sure to offer some context:
Reagan and Clinton were both at or around these numbers and they win in LANDSLIDES! (his emphasis)

I didn't know Clinton won in a landslide, that would signalled a mandate huh?

He then mentioned that Poppa Bush was at 56% and he lost.

Russert then said that the Presidential race would be about two things:
The economy
and Iraq

He then said (actual quote) "If things continue as they are it could actually be a close race"

He evidently has orchestrated this visit as a giant photo-op for Bush, as was done for Reagan's re-election campaign. Bush is seen as the only party involved to gain from this.....will take orr minds off Iraq I guess!

As long as they can claim Bush is polling at about 50%, plus or minus, no one will notice or complain when all the Diebold machines start spitting out red votes. They'll just say, "Well, the polls were very close!"

Even if the real numbers are dreadfully low, all they need is for Fox and NBC to parrot a near dead-heat, and then the election steal is a done-deal, and the Wal Mart Nation will buy it right along with their 3-liter root beers and $3 shoes.

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and that they were referring to a nosebleed. Pity.

I kinda like the headline. It highlights that the "blood" that really matters to Shrub is the measured by polls and not in platelet units.

last weeks' garbage

Simple ignorance from people who hear corporate news everyday and are ignorant to the truth. We HAVE to get our messge out there somehow, any ideas?

They're only giving a small part of the poll, and no data available. They're not giving his reelect number, or his unfavorables.

What does the rest of the poll say, eh? Too much for Russert to disclose?

http://www.pollingreport.com/

Baghdad Bush v Dem http://www.pollingreport.com/wh04gen.htm
Dems are gaining, Baghdad Bush holds
...........Bush v Dean
11/06-07/03 49 45
10/23-24/03 49 43
10/09-10/03 49 40

...........Bush v Clark
11/06-07/03 48 45
10/23-24/03 49 43
10/09-10/03 47 43

How about stopping the bleeding of our military - too hell with bush

"handling" of the economy are unbelievable. I really doubt that many people suddenly forgot the fact that their financial lives are a mess because the media whores trumpet "7%+ growth". More BS from the corporate press.