This recent batch of polls sure explains why the White House is in public relations overdrive. Nation-wide speech tonight, memorial service tomorrow. They are in full campaign mode. It's what they do....painfully not good at governing, just playing politics.
CBS News/New York Times:
A summer of bad news from Iraq, high gasoline prices, economic unease and now the devastation of Hurricane Katrina has left President Bush with overall approval ratings for his job performance and handling of Iraq, foreign policy and the economy at or near the lowest levels of his presidency, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.They have his overall approval at 41% which is the lowest this poll has ever shown. But, it does beg the question, who are those 41%?
For the first time, just half of Americans approve of Mr. Bush's handling of terrorism, which has been his most consistent strength since he scored 90 percent approval ratings in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. More than 6 in 10 now say that he does not share their priorities for the country, 10 percentage points worse than on the eve of his re-election last fall, while barely half say he has strong qualities of leadership, about the same as said so at the early low-ebb of his presidency in the summer of 2001.
