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America's Voice: Public Split on Bush
Aired September 23, 2003 - 06:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush's trip to the United Nations comes at a time when his approval rating has sunk to its lowest rating ever.
Gallup Poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport has been crunching the numbers for us. Let's go live to Princeton, New Jersey.
Frank, how big of a problem is this?
FRANK NEWPORT, GALLUP POLL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Well, the White House is quick to point out that President Clinton and President Reagan in the year before they sought re-election had job approval ratings in the 40-percent range. So, clearly a president can recover from lower job approval ratings.
But this hesitance can't be good news for the White House. Bush's approval rating is now at 50 percent. It's been on a downward course from 59, 52 a week and a half ago, and now at 50. His disapproval up to 47.
As you mentioned, Carol, that 50 is the lowest of his administration so far by one point. Also, symbolically, anytime a president goes below 50, as I mentioned although they can recover, that's not good news when he is seeking re-election.
COSTELLO: We know, Frank, how Americans felt about the United Nations in the buildup to the war. But how do they feel about the U.N. now?
NEWPORT: Well, it's a paradox. I should point out, all data show Americans want U.N. involvement in Iraq, along with the U.S. and other coalition partners. However, after last spring, Americans are pretty much negative in general about the U.N. This red line is the disapproval -- we track this at Gallup, we have over the years looked at it -- 58 and now 60 percent in the upper right-hand corner of Americans say they disapprove of the U.N. in general.
Part of the problem Bush is facing today is he's losing support here at home for Iraq. I should point that out.
The question we've been tracking: Was the situation in Iraq worth going to war over? Look at the trend, Carol. Seventy-six when the war was under way -- been going down -- now like his approval rating. Just half of Americans say yes in answer to that question.
COSTELLO: All right, that brings us to the race for president. Wesley Clark seems to be off to a very fast start. Where do his poll numbers stand right now?
NEWPORT: Well, a phenomenal surge out of the gate, to use our horse racing analogy. A lot of Americans don't know who Wesley Clark is, but they do know he's a general, and Democrats apparently like that.
Look at the numbers here. These are Democrats, Carol, nationally. Clark is the immediate front runner. Twenty-two percent of Democrats say they would like him to be their front runner. All of the others are down behind Clark. That can change, of course. But nevertheless, he starts strong.
In fact, when we pit Clark against Bush, he's essentially tied statistically, actually ahead by a couple of points: 49 to 46. Notice John Kerry is actually ahead by one point. So, Clark doesnt have a real lead over Kerry.
But the point is, for Bush, Democrats are now tying him. And for Democrats, Clark looks good -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, I'm most surprised about the John Kerry/President Bush poll numbers. That surprises me.
NEWPORT: Well, I think -- we didn't have room to put it up there, but when we pitted Gephardt and Dean and Lieberman against Bush, they were all within a few points as well.
So, basically all of the Democrats are looking roughly the same when we pit them against Bush. But Clark has a slight edge over the others.
COSTELLO: Interesting. Of course, it may mean nothing in the end once he starts talking about issues. We'll see.
NEWPORT: That's right, a lot can change.
COSTELLO: Thank you very much, Frank Newport from the Gallup Poll headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired September 23, 2003 - 06:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush's trip to the United Nations comes at a time when his approval rating has sunk to its lowest rating ever.
Gallup Poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport has been crunching the numbers for us. Let's go live to Princeton, New Jersey.
Frank, how big of a problem is this?
FRANK NEWPORT, GALLUP POLL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Well, the White House is quick to point out that President Clinton and President Reagan in the year before they sought re-election had job approval ratings in the 40-percent range. So, clearly a president can recover from lower job approval ratings.
But this hesitance can't be good news for the White House. Bush's approval rating is now at 50 percent. It's been on a downward course from 59, 52 a week and a half ago, and now at 50. His disapproval up to 47.
As you mentioned, Carol, that 50 is the lowest of his administration so far by one point. Also, symbolically, anytime a president goes below 50, as I mentioned although they can recover, that's not good news when he is seeking re-election.
COSTELLO: We know, Frank, how Americans felt about the United Nations in the buildup to the war. But how do they feel about the U.N. now?
NEWPORT: Well, it's a paradox. I should point out, all data show Americans want U.N. involvement in Iraq, along with the U.S. and other coalition partners. However, after last spring, Americans are pretty much negative in general about the U.N. This red line is the disapproval -- we track this at Gallup, we have over the years looked at it -- 58 and now 60 percent in the upper right-hand corner of Americans say they disapprove of the U.N. in general.
Part of the problem Bush is facing today is he's losing support here at home for Iraq. I should point that out.
The question we've been tracking: Was the situation in Iraq worth going to war over? Look at the trend, Carol. Seventy-six when the war was under way -- been going down -- now like his approval rating. Just half of Americans say yes in answer to that question.
COSTELLO: All right, that brings us to the race for president. Wesley Clark seems to be off to a very fast start. Where do his poll numbers stand right now?
NEWPORT: Well, a phenomenal surge out of the gate, to use our horse racing analogy. A lot of Americans don't know who Wesley Clark is, but they do know he's a general, and Democrats apparently like that.
Look at the numbers here. These are Democrats, Carol, nationally. Clark is the immediate front runner. Twenty-two percent of Democrats say they would like him to be their front runner. All of the others are down behind Clark. That can change, of course. But nevertheless, he starts strong.
In fact, when we pit Clark against Bush, he's essentially tied statistically, actually ahead by a couple of points: 49 to 46. Notice John Kerry is actually ahead by one point. So, Clark doesnt have a real lead over Kerry.
But the point is, for Bush, Democrats are now tying him. And for Democrats, Clark looks good -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, I'm most surprised about the John Kerry/President Bush poll numbers. That surprises me.
NEWPORT: Well, I think -- we didn't have room to put it up there, but when we pitted Gephardt and Dean and Lieberman against Bush, they were all within a few points as well.
So, basically all of the Democrats are looking roughly the same when we pit them against Bush. But Clark has a slight edge over the others.
COSTELLO: Interesting. Of course, it may mean nothing in the end once he starts talking about issues. We'll see.
NEWPORT: That's right, a lot can change.
COSTELLO: Thank you very much, Frank Newport from the Gallup Poll headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
