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CNN Live Sunday
New Poll Shows Americans Split On Bush's Job
Aired November 23, 2003 - 16:33 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, a new CNN/Time poll shows that Americans are split over how President Bush is handling his job, 52 percent of those surveyed approve, and 43 percent disapprove. Now, the same poll shows Americans are divided over whether they will vote for the president next year. The split feelings about Mr. Bush are the subject of the cover story on this week's "TIME" magazine. One of the authors, Karen Tumulty, is joining me from Washington today. Thanks for being with us.
KAREN TUMULTY, TIME MAGAZINE: Hi Catherine.
CALLAWAY: It's good to have you here. But you want to bring up that cover for a minute. That's unusual for "TIME" magazine. Tell me, Karen, you had to give a lot of thought on this. What was the thought process on this cover? Did you have to take some time to decide whether this was appropriate?
TUMULTY: Well, we had a lot of data, a lot of reporting suggesting that the central theme of this election, the central idea is going to be people's very strong feelings about this president. Certainly, we've been polarized about our presidents in the past. Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, but even the strong feelings about those presidents really are not as divisive as we're seeing in the data and in our reporting about President Bush, his supporters really love him, and people who disagree with him really despise him.
CALLAWAY: So why do you think there is such ambivalence when it comes to President Bush?
TUMULTY: A couple of reasons, you know one; again, we're living in a sort of polarizing time, but the fact is that President Bush, who came to office on a very narrow margin, in fact, came to office with 500,000 fewer votes than his opponent, a lot of people thought that meant that he was going to pursue a modest agenda. That's not been the case at all.
He has really swung for the fences, both domestically and in international relations. And on top of that he has wrapped his presidency around his own personal values, and that is the sort of thing that really inspires a lot of loyalty if you agree with him and a lot of opposition if you don't.
CALLAWAY: Yet, it's ironic that he certainly is clear that there's no gray area when it comes to some issues, and there is no gray areas when it comes to the voters apparently. Let's take a look at some of the poll numbers that we have. Here we go, registered voters, 53 percent versus Lieberman, 40 percent, and Dean 40 percent and this is their candidate of choice. What are your thoughts on this one?
TUMULTY: Well, those measures are sort of meaningless at this point because the fact is that most voters haven't even heard of the Democratic opponents. That will not...
CALLAWAY: They've heard of Lieberman.
TUMULTY: But that will not be the case a year from now. And in fact, there's some other data in the poll that suggests that 47 percent of the public is now saying they are certain they're going to -- certain or pretty convinced that they're going to be voting against the president next year, 46 percent says that they will be probably voting for him. That suggests that on the question of this president there are very few Americans left on the fence.
CALLAWAY: You know, it seems that in your report there was a lot of we like the man but we don't like his policies.
TUMULTY: That's right, and again, the fact is that a significant majority of Americans say they consider President Bush the compassionate conservative that he has claimed to be. But any number of people, again, both in our polling but more importantly, in the interviewing that "TIME" magazine did as we went across the country would say you know, he is somebody that I know if I ever met him I would like him, I just don't like his policies.
CALLAWAY: Yes, but that's going to help him on the campaign trail. You know that. You know how that works out.
TUMULTY: He's the best thing the Republicans have going for them right now in really rallying their base.
CALLAWAY: But perhaps more significant was the job approval numbers. I think he was like 89 percent back in October of 2001, and this latest poll shows him at 52 percent.
TUMULTY: Indeed and the disapproval number, which is now up to 43 percent, is actually the highest of his presidency. It does suggest, again, that there are more and more people sort of locking in as to whether they like him or they don't.
CALLAWAY: All right, Karen. Karen Tumulty of "TIME" magazine. Thanks for coming in being with us today.
TUMULTY: Thank you Catherine.
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 November 23, 2003 - 16:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, a new CNN/Time poll shows that Americans are split over how President Bush is handling his job, 52 percent of those surveyed approve, and 43 percent disapprove. Now, the same poll shows Americans are divided over whether they will vote for the president next year. The split feelings about Mr. Bush are the subject of the cover story on this week's "TIME" magazine. One of the authors, Karen Tumulty, is joining me from Washington today. Thanks for being with us.
KAREN TUMULTY, TIME MAGAZINE: Hi Catherine.
CALLAWAY: It's good to have you here. But you want to bring up that cover for a minute. That's unusual for "TIME" magazine. Tell me, Karen, you had to give a lot of thought on this. What was the thought process on this cover? Did you have to take some time to decide whether this was appropriate?
TUMULTY: Well, we had a lot of data, a lot of reporting suggesting that the central theme of this election, the central idea is going to be people's very strong feelings about this president. Certainly, we've been polarized about our presidents in the past. Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, but even the strong feelings about those presidents really are not as divisive as we're seeing in the data and in our reporting about President Bush, his supporters really love him, and people who disagree with him really despise him.
CALLAWAY: So why do you think there is such ambivalence when it comes to President Bush?
TUMULTY: A couple of reasons, you know one; again, we're living in a sort of polarizing time, but the fact is that President Bush, who came to office on a very narrow margin, in fact, came to office with 500,000 fewer votes than his opponent, a lot of people thought that meant that he was going to pursue a modest agenda. That's not been the case at all.
He has really swung for the fences, both domestically and in international relations. And on top of that he has wrapped his presidency around his own personal values, and that is the sort of thing that really inspires a lot of loyalty if you agree with him and a lot of opposition if you don't.
CALLAWAY: Yet, it's ironic that he certainly is clear that there's no gray area when it comes to some issues, and there is no gray areas when it comes to the voters apparently. Let's take a look at some of the poll numbers that we have. Here we go, registered voters, 53 percent versus Lieberman, 40 percent, and Dean 40 percent and this is their candidate of choice. What are your thoughts on this one?
TUMULTY: Well, those measures are sort of meaningless at this point because the fact is that most voters haven't even heard of the Democratic opponents. That will not...
CALLAWAY: They've heard of Lieberman.
TUMULTY: But that will not be the case a year from now. And in fact, there's some other data in the poll that suggests that 47 percent of the public is now saying they are certain they're going to -- certain or pretty convinced that they're going to be voting against the president next year, 46 percent says that they will be probably voting for him. That suggests that on the question of this president there are very few Americans left on the fence.
CALLAWAY: You know, it seems that in your report there was a lot of we like the man but we don't like his policies.
TUMULTY: That's right, and again, the fact is that a significant majority of Americans say they consider President Bush the compassionate conservative that he has claimed to be. But any number of people, again, both in our polling but more importantly, in the interviewing that "TIME" magazine did as we went across the country would say you know, he is somebody that I know if I ever met him I would like him, I just don't like his policies.
CALLAWAY: Yes, but that's going to help him on the campaign trail. You know that. You know how that works out.
TUMULTY: He's the best thing the Republicans have going for them right now in really rallying their base.
CALLAWAY: But perhaps more significant was the job approval numbers. I think he was like 89 percent back in October of 2001, and this latest poll shows him at 52 percent.
TUMULTY: Indeed and the disapproval number, which is now up to 43 percent, is actually the highest of his presidency. It does suggest, again, that there are more and more people sort of locking in as to whether they like him or they don't.
CALLAWAY: All right, Karen. Karen Tumulty of "TIME" magazine. Thanks for coming in being with us today.
TUMULTY: Thank you Catherine.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
