[Sosfbay-discuss] GALLUP: Bush Finally Tops Nixon -- In Unpopularity

[Drew Johnson]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003668731

GALLUP: Bush Finally Tops Nixon -- In Unpopularity -- As Call for Iraq
Pullout Hits New Peak

By E&P Staff

Published: November 06, 2007 2:50 PM ET

NEW YORK For almost two years, President Bush has been threatening to
unseat Richard M. Nixon as the most unpopular president in the history of
the Gallup poll, and it finally happened this week.

The latest USA TODAY/Gallup survey finds Bush with a 31% approval rating
-- and for the first time ever in the polling history, 50% say they
"strongly disapprove" of a president.

The previous high (or low?) was a 48% strong disapproval rating for Nixon
at the worst moments of Watergate in 1974.

The telephone survey of 1,024 adults was conducted last Friday through
Sunday.

Meanwhile, ABC News relates today, "Recent reports of fewer casualties in
Iraq haven't altered most Americans' perceptions of the war: Fifty-nine
percent still don't think the United States is making significant progress
restoring civil order there, and a record six in 10 want the level of U.S.
forces reduced.

"Those results in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll seem to reflect
a continued hardening of attitudes on Iraq. Views on progress are
unchanged from early September, and they haven't been positive since
December 2005, shortly after the Iraqi elections."