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Latest Gallup Poll Shows President's Support Keeps Slipping
Aired November 13, 2003 - 14:38 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's still 50 percent but not by much. The latest Gallup Poll shows the president's support keeps slipping. The man with the numbers, Frank Newport, Gallup's editor- in-chief joining us live from Princeton. Hello, Frank.
FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Hello, Miles. I think it's fair to say that George W. Bush's job approval ratings is in about 50 percent to 55, 56 percent. It's been that way for a while. So far hasn't slipped below 50 percent in his entire administration and that's a key for an incumbent. All incumbents need that job approval to be above 50 percent as they're seeking reelection.
Here's the latest five times we've asked. You can see 55, 56, 53 and now in the poll just finished last night, down to 51 percent. Again it was 50 percent back in September, so this isn't a new low but it's fluctuating. Right now, he's in a down phase.
A couple of other points of great interests, the Democrats. What's happening over there? Democrats just aren't paying a lot of attention. That's my conclusion at the point of the data this morning, Miles.
We've asked Democrats who is it that you want to be your party's nominee? This is nationally. Not talking about Iowa or New Hampshire, some of the early states, but nationally, these are registered Democrats. And you can see that Dean's ahead by two points. Lieberman, Clark, Gephardt and Kerry.
These numbers, every time we ask it gets shuffled around a little bit. Basically no front-runner develops out of the pack so far. And our internal data shows that a lot of people just aren't just paying attention.
Dean isn't any better known now than he was in August among Democrats nationally.
Now, how do these candidates fair against Bush? Bush beats them all. These are hypothetical trial heats or who would you vote for. Clark does best. Retired general Wesley Clark. That's how he's introduced in the poll. That might help him against Bush. Bush only beats him by three points.
Howard Dean whom a lot of people have anointed, as you know, Miles, as the front-runner at this point based on how he's doing in New Hampshire gets beat by Bush by nine points. Again, these numbers show how much Bush beats them.
So far Bush is ahead of all of them. That's our latest political update for you from the voice of the people.
O'BRIEN: It's interesting how those numbers swing when you start thinking about the general election. All right. Frank Newport, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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Aired November 13, 2003 - 14:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's still 50 percent but not by much. The latest Gallup Poll shows the president's support keeps slipping. The man with the numbers, Frank Newport, Gallup's editor- in-chief joining us live from Princeton. Hello, Frank.
FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Hello, Miles. I think it's fair to say that George W. Bush's job approval ratings is in about 50 percent to 55, 56 percent. It's been that way for a while. So far hasn't slipped below 50 percent in his entire administration and that's a key for an incumbent. All incumbents need that job approval to be above 50 percent as they're seeking reelection.
Here's the latest five times we've asked. You can see 55, 56, 53 and now in the poll just finished last night, down to 51 percent. Again it was 50 percent back in September, so this isn't a new low but it's fluctuating. Right now, he's in a down phase.
A couple of other points of great interests, the Democrats. What's happening over there? Democrats just aren't paying a lot of attention. That's my conclusion at the point of the data this morning, Miles.
We've asked Democrats who is it that you want to be your party's nominee? This is nationally. Not talking about Iowa or New Hampshire, some of the early states, but nationally, these are registered Democrats. And you can see that Dean's ahead by two points. Lieberman, Clark, Gephardt and Kerry.
These numbers, every time we ask it gets shuffled around a little bit. Basically no front-runner develops out of the pack so far. And our internal data shows that a lot of people just aren't just paying attention.
Dean isn't any better known now than he was in August among Democrats nationally.
Now, how do these candidates fair against Bush? Bush beats them all. These are hypothetical trial heats or who would you vote for. Clark does best. Retired general Wesley Clark. That's how he's introduced in the poll. That might help him against Bush. Bush only beats him by three points.
Howard Dean whom a lot of people have anointed, as you know, Miles, as the front-runner at this point based on how he's doing in New Hampshire gets beat by Bush by nine points. Again, these numbers show how much Bush beats them.
So far Bush is ahead of all of them. That's our latest political update for you from the voice of the people.
O'BRIEN: It's interesting how those numbers swing when you start thinking about the general election. All right. Frank Newport, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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