Why is Bush II more popular than Bush I?

I was only in sixth grade during the Bush/Clinton campaign, but I remember around this time things were looking bleak for Bush I, worse than they're looking for his son. There are a couple distinct parallels between the two - Iraq wars, mini recessions, lies (Bush I coined the phrase "No more taxes," afterall.) Bush I was never very popular in Ohio, for example. He only beat DUKAKIS by 10 points! The Bush/Clinton election was very close here, so somehow Bush must've grown in popularity during his term - hard to imagine. Bush II seems to have a lot of support, considering all his screw-ups. I consider him to be a worse president than his dad. So why are the polls showing Bush and Kerry in a tight race? Is it because Kerry is not a better competitor than Clinton? Is it the media? Any ideas?

Barf barf barf. I think it is very complex. The rightwingers spent years making liberals and Clinton/Gore look bad so their guy will look good in comparison. The media has been very uncritical of Bush. The populace is poorly informed and easily buys into Bush's "regular guy" bullshit.

repeat as necessary...

if you don't vote for Bush.

abomination..... thants why....he is so offensive and evil.

More effective propaganda ubiquity due to deregulation of media ownership.

Stupider populace from destruction of public schools by Power Elite conspiracy.

Higher levels of demagoguery by amoral publican party.

Total prevarication by publican party.

Et al.

while Poppy was considered a Rockefeller Republican from New England

They've spent countless amounts of time and money on building a Republican media and academia.

Because, of course, Republican "ideas" are bankrupt and evil, and any objective analysis of them points that out, so they need to propagandize them.

Newspapers were more honest with the public for Poppy.

We are living under a regime at this point.
Believe nothing from all the polls that are offered, we can't trust ANYONE. So sad.

Poppy had a comfortable lead over Clinton. Kerry is in considerably better shape than Clinton was 6-plus months before the election. Clinton didn't pull ahead until after the convention.

here I remember people saying early on that Clinton would be a tough one to beat because he's younger, more appealing, etc. and that people thought of war when they thought of Bush. Bush seemed to earn a lot less respect in general.

I think the terrorism/fear theory is right to a certain extent. I have a hard time believing that Kerry is less likeable of a person that Clinton. That may or may not be true - it's just the impression I'm getting. Do you think if Kerry was from Kansas or Nebraska, he'd be better of? Is "He talks like me, so I dig him." really true IYO? Yes, Kerry is a Massachusetts liberal, but he's sure not acting like it. People don't seem to buy his moderate movement, and I think it does make him appear to be more of a flip-flopper. Honesty is more important than whether you are liberal or not, IMO. That's something that esp. the midwest and south really value in a candidate.

My take on it:

W seems to get a lot of mileage out of his image as a cowboy, common man made good thing, where 41 was always percieved as rich eastern old money elite. The media spin seems to help W as well, I can't talk to lots of folks without hearing 1) think how much worse off we'd be now if Gore was in charge, and 2) what a good God-fearing man that George Boosh is (what's up with that pronunciation anyway?, but I digress).

Kerry may not grab folks in the west and south, we'll see -- right now, I think it's the "anybody but Bush" aspect of the race working hard in his favor.

And Bush I at this time in the campaign was in way better shape than his retarded son is. Especially when you consider today's corrupt polls.

but it is deceptive. GB-I didn't provoke strong feelings; GB-II is liked by more but very much disliked by many more than GB-I.

The economy tanked on GB-I also. That could happen for his son.

Takes a toll, the country was just sick of stuck up snobs pretending to be "just folks". Junior learned from his father's mistakes and is not making those. Plus the economic repercussions of his policies will not be felt right away. Plus Perot was drawing off support from Bush 1.0

The polls always tighten up before an election, it is pointless to speculate now what the polls mean. There are too many variables between now and the election and almost all of them spell bad news for Bush.

Plamegate, Memogate, Medicaregate are looming large. D-Day ceremonies will be a disaster for Bush as will holding the Republican convention in NYC. Interest rates have no where to go but up. In Iraq we will hand over the reins of government to an appointed flunky and civil war will breakout. That will whack the stock market and focus attention to an area where Bush is weakest; the economy.

his ignorance and being a god fearin' man. the "he's one of us" bull dung.

he revels in his stupidity.

Modern Republicanism is not geared to appeal to grownups, unless those grownups are also multimillionaires. Bush I turned off his natural allies by doing the responsible thing from time to time (working toward a balanced budget, honoring his commitment not to depose Saddam Hussein). Bush II doesn't make "mistakes" like that.

Maybe they feel sorry for II??

OK, I don't really think that Barbara Bush's the reason why people like II better than I, since a surprising number of people are fooled by BB.

State controlled propaganda outlets like FAUX and the literal Bush Criminal Empire offshoot Clear Channel didn't exist when Bush Sr was in the White House. The press was still somewhat objective at this point, though the networks had been swallowed up by defense contractors (NBC, CBS) and the CIA (the late Bill Casey owned Capitol Cities Communications - former parent company of ABC), which allowed Poppy a positive spin for his invasion of Iraq.

The difference in coverage between then and now is easy to see with just one word.

Quayle.

Danny was a complete idiot, and the media had no problem portraying him as such. Junior makes old Potato-e-head look like a scholar by comparison, yet the media portrays him as a wise and thoughtful leader :puke:

How far we have fallen in just one decade.

they tell the people who listen to it how to think without question.

End of story...