America Comes Around...

Poll: Bush Ratings Hit New Low

This CBS News Poll finds an American public increasingly pessimistic about the economy, the war in Iraq, the overall direction of the country, and the president.

Americans' outlook for the economy is the worst it has been in four years.

A growing number of Americans want U.S. troops to leave Iraq as soon as possible, rather than stay the course, and the highest percentage ever thinks the United States should have stayed out of Iraq.

When given a set of options for paying for rebuilding the hurricane-racked Gulf Coast, only one — taking money from the Iraq War — gets majority support.

President Bush's overall job approval rating has reached the lowest ever measured in this poll, and evaluations of his handling of Iraq, the economy and even his signature issue, terrorism, are also at all-time lows.

More Americans than at any time since he took office think he does not share their priorities.

Sixty-nine percent of Americans say things in the United States are pretty seriously off on the wrong track — the highest number since CBS News started asking the question in 1983. Today, just 26 percent say things are going in the right direction.

DIRECTION OF THE COUNTRY
Right direction 26%
Wrong track 69%

PRESIDENT BUSH'S JOB APPROVAL
Approve 37%
Disapprove 58%

DOES PRES. BUSH SHARE YOUR PRIORITIES FOR THE COUNTRY?
Yes 32%
No 65%

DOES PRESIDENT BUSH HAVE STRONG QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP?
Yes 45%
No 52%

CONFIDENCE IN BUSH'S ADMINISTRATION APPOINTEES?
A lot 22%
Some 30%
A little/none 47%

VIEWS OF THE ECONOMY
Good 43%
Bad 55%

ECONOMY IS GETTING:
Better 10%
Worse 54%
Same 34%

U.S. MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM
War in Iraq 18%
Economy and jobs 16%
Gas/oil crisis 5%
President Bush 5%
Terrorism 4%

(Note - more people in America think Bush is our biggest problem than think terrorism is our biggest problem!)

ACCEPTABLE WAYS OF PAYING FOR HURRICANE REBUILDING
Cut spending in Iraq 62%
Reduce highway spending 46%
Increase budget deficit 35%
Raise taxes 31%
Postpone Medicare drug benefits 28%

Three in four Democrats and 68 percent of Independents want to cut spending in Iraq, but only a third of Republicans do.

U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ SHOULD…
Stay as long as it takes 36%
Leave as soon as possible 59%

The entire poll is here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/06/opinion/polls/main924485.shtml