What the Polls Say About Bush -- and about Us.

I am normally not poll maven, but I found the results of the latest Washington Post/ABC poll fascinating. Bush gets hammered, of course, but the interesting thing is the breadth and depth of the antipathy. The public is evenly split (49% to 49%) on whether Bush "can be trusted in a crisis. " But on every other issue, the negatives significantly outweigh the positives, by nearly 2-to-1 in many cases. To me, the most startling of these is the responses to the question of whether the interviewee is personally satisfied with Bush's policies. 60% said no, and over 40% of this total (25% of the overall sample) said they were actually angry about these policies.

Two other things about the poll suprised and pleased me. First, despite massive dissatisfaction with Bush and despite solid majorities who believe that Iraq was not worth it (60% to 39%) and did not contribute to US security (52% to 46%) a majority (52% to 44%) still favor keeping troops in Iraq until civil order is restored. Second, 64% want Roe v. Wade to be upheld with only 31% wanting to see it overturned.

These results are, I believe, a testament to the basic good sense -- and sense of reponsibility -- of the American people.

Complete results are here. But some of the more interesting results are set out below:

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

• Approve: 39%
• Strongly: 20%
• Somewhat: 18 %
• Disapprovel: 60%
• Somewhat Disapprove: 13%
• Strongly Disapprove: 47%

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling :

a. The situation in Iraq:

• Approve: 36%
  
• Disapprove: 64%

b. The situation with gasoline prices:

• Approve: 26%
  
• Disapprove: 68%

c. The US campaign against terrorism

• Approve: 48%
  
• Disapprove: 51%

d. The economy:

• Approve: 36%
  
• Disapprove: 61%
  

e. Health care

• Approve: 34%
• Disapprove: 61%

Do you think things in this country are generally going in the right direction or do you feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track?

• Right Direction: 30%
• Wrong Track: 68%

Please tell me whether the following statement applies to Bush or not.

a. He understands the problems of people like you:

• Yes: 34%
  
• No: 66%

b. He is a strong leader:

• Yes: 47%
  
• No: 53%

c. He can be trusted in a crisis

• Yes: 49%
  
• No: 49%

d. He is honest and trustworthy:

• Yes: 40%
  
• No: 58%

e. He shares your values:

• Yes: 40%
  
• No: 58%

Please tell me how much confidence you, yourself, have in the Bush Administration: a great deal, quite a lot, some, or very little?

• Great deal: 15%
  
• A lot: 14%
  
• Some: 22%
  
• Little: 41%
  
• None: 8%

Would you say your confidence in the Bush administration lately has been increasing, decreasing, or has it remained the same?

• Increasing: 2%
  
• Decreasing: 49%
  
• Remained the same: 48%

How do you personally feel about the Bush administration's policies?

• Positive: 38%
• Enthusiastic: 8%
• Satisfied: 30%
• Negative:62%
• Dissatisfied: 37%
• Angry: 25%

How would you rate Bush's handling of ethics in government?

• Excellent: 7%
• Good: 25%
• Fair: 29%
• Poor: 38%

Do you think the overall level of ethics and honesty in the federal government has risen, fallen or stayed the same with Bush as president?

• Risen: 17%
• Fallen: 43%
• Same : 39%

All in all, do you think the war with Iraq was worth fighting, or not?

• Worth fighting: 39%
• Strongly: 25%
• Somewhat: 13%
  
• Not worth fighting: 60%
• Somewhat: 12%
• Strongly: 48%
  

Do you think the war with Iraq has or has not contributed to the long-term security of the United States?

• Contributed greatly: 25%
• Contributed somewhat: 21%
• Did not contribute: 52%

Do you think the United States should keep its military forces in Iraq until civil order is restored there, even if that means continued U.S. military casualties; OR, do you think the United States should withdraw its military forces from Iraq in order to avoid further U.S. military casualties, even if that means civil order is not restored there?

• Keep forces: 52%
• Withdraw forces: 44%

The Supreme Court legalized abortion 32 years ago in the ruling known as Roe versus Wade. If that case came before the court again, would you want Alito to vote to uphold Roe versus Wade, or vote to overturn it?

• Uphold: 64%
  
• Overturn: 31%