Poll: Bush Getting Even More Unpopular Out Of Office

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found that former President Bush's popularity has dropped since he left office.

When he left office in January, 31 percent of American's viewed him positively. That number has now dropped to 26 percent.

President Barack Obama, meanwhile, is more popular than the past two presidents at this point during their first terms.

According to the poll, 61 percent approve of Obama's job -- that's compared with George W. Bush's 56 percent and Bill Clinton's 52 percent at this same juncture in their presidencies.

Also, 64 percent view Obama favorably versus 23 percent who see him in a negative light -- once again, higher than Bush's and Clinton's scores on this question.

Additionally, 64 percent of Americans also "feel more hopeful about the direction of the country with Obama in office," and a full 59 percent feel he has accomplished a "great deal" or a "fair amount."

Read the full poll here.

Comments

[magic3400]

This means if Bush ran against OJ, OJ would win.

That's bad

[SueInCA]

now that is funny

[NotGuilty]

Mansons nutty girls are more popular than the murderous, paranoid, recovering addicts known as the Bush Sociopaths.

[willfarnaby]

Alas. That's good! (I have proof - O.J. left two corpses, Bush left 5 orders of magnitude more. And that's just the murder...

[brandalucia]

That may be true as every goof Obama makes, and he has made them daily since Jan. 20, the liberal press writes it for him...just blame Bush...and they do. Obama is bankrupting this country all on his own. At some point even the dim witted amongst you will see this "blame Bush" is quite ludicrous.

[vgirl1]

Well, another person with their head and logic stuck in the sand.

Bush drove this nation into the ground but the dim witted amongst the right never will admit it. Instead they will continue to rally around Limbaugh, Palin, Cheney, Boehnner, McConnell, Steele, Rove, Joe the Plumber and the like trying to rewrite history while they play circular suicide.

[MiddleAmerican510]

The Democrats blocked any oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Barney Frank's insistence that they were "fundamentally sound". Don't totally blame Bush for our economic woes.

[beachrose]

vgirl1: Driving our nation into the ground? Looks like Obama is doing a
fine job of that right now - in every way he can! Where have you been?

[thepoliticalcat]

Actually, I think they're stuck elsewhere, but hey.

There is none so blind as s/he who will not see. The recession that Bush left us, as jobs were being siphoned off, pay and benefits cut, the stock market wriggling like an eel, companies closing down, laying off workers - those of us who lost our jobs and our livelihood and our 401(k)s know who is to blame and it is not President Obama. We knew in 2003 that the Iraq war was going to be long and costly, and we knew Bush was borrowing the money from China to fight the war, even as Cheney's wife was calling on him to declare war against China (I'm sure they wouldn't have lent us the money for that). We saw him strip away all remaining banking regulations, dismantle the EPA and the FDA, and we saw what happened when contaminated food, toys, and, ultimately, medication, began flooding the market. You go ahead and play in your alternative reality sandbox honey. We grownups are getting to work here.

[exflatlander]

Now if we just substitute Bush for Obama , liberal press with Fox News, and Clinton for Bush, we'd have reality. What planet does that 26% live on anyway?,

[winnie47]

The Planet Amnesia, apparently.

[fayemac]

More neocon spin to cover the facts of the 8 worst years in history? Talk about dim witted, you take the cake. You bought all that Hanity/Limbaugh spin and spew it like its gospel. Well I hope all three of you are happy together because thats all thats left of the gop. Good luck in 2098.

[WATCHDOG1]

Many Americans had continuously lowered their standards for the President and Vice President during the Bush years. Now that we have an intelligent and honest man in the White House Americans have raised their standards back where they should be... Bush was always right at the bottom for me though.

[MiddleAmerican510]

Honest? Not so sure about that considering Obama's Chicago past. He is well spoken, and I hope we haven't elected another slick lawyer.

[SueInCA]

you righties just "misunderstimate" him

[fayemac]

ANBODYS better than the idiot we had.

[Clayton139]

Bush and his Administration are Repulsive !

[lunarsnare]

Bush and his Administration WHERE Repulsive.

[ChristianEcon.com]

...because now we have an intelligent, literate, adult president that makes Bush and the Republicans look so bad by comparison.

[MiddleAmerican510]

Obama is well spoken and very bright, but I've seen many very intelligent people who just don't present themselves well. I hope Obama succeeds in many of his policies, but not in others. Mostly, I hope his agenda doesn't ruin the country our Founding Fathers formed.

[SueInCA]

Bush took care of that already. Where have you been?

[Oonagh]

Yes, it is so hard to get used to someone who is bright, intelligent and has the ability and desire to works.

[LemonMeringue]

Obama cannot possibly ruin the country because Bush already did it. Obama is stuck cleaning up the neocons' mess.

[patricksmom]

Were you worried about Bush?

[winnie47]

Too late. Bush already dumped a steaming pile all over it. But President Obama's shoveling as fast as he can.

[patianneb]

I know this is a straight as opposed to "onion" article, but I must say, I laughed uproariously at the headline.

[Marklar]

I actually just watched W. the Oliver Stone movie and I must say, I think I understand who he was and why he did what he did better. Not saying I like him, or approve of his policies...but I'd recommend the movie to any other Bush haters out there (I was one)

[oldleftcoastdude]

I saw it, also. I kind of felt sorry for the guy, almost. He was in way, way over his head, more than we knew. His family issues were known, so that wasn't a surprise. In fact not much of what Stone portrayed was a surprise, actually. As more and more comes to light from the previous 8 years, it's understandable why he sinks further down the toilet.

[kwaut lizard]

Empathy for an incompetent politician? What kind of a person fights for a job that they are incapable of performing? Besides Bankers, Economists, Lawyers, ...... ummm on second hand, nevermind. Maybe he was forced into it by Daddy!

[MiddleAmerican510]

"....besides lawyers". What was Obama's profession?

[fayemac]

The movie didnt show any of the really stupid things he said like "I think we could have won the Viet Nam war if we would have used the national gaurd there" That statement alone would have shown the people that his mind didnt work right even then. His daddy got him into the nation gaurd to get him out of going to Viet Nam. Since he didnt understand the war or fight in it, it figures that he would start a war and use the national gaurd to prove his stupid point. Dumb and Dumber should have been the title of it and I felt more sorry for George Bush Senior for having such a sap for a son.

[willfarnaby]

The Bush Family... a never-empty sewer pipe.

[Taaif Mehadi]

But guys he kept us safe !!!!!!!!!!!! I hope conservatism dies a horrible death.

[ChristianEcon.com]

Amen to that.

[LemonMeringue]

I was more terrified for 8 years than I ever have been in my life, and than I was on 9/11.

[karlenet]

He was such an embarassment he should stay wherever he is and keep his mouth shut. I wonder how he feels about the whole thing, failure in the oil business, failure in the White House. Do you think that harsh reality has him him yet? That he's a failure???!!!!!!

[Taaif Mehadi]

If it hasnt hit him yet, it never will.

[LiberalForever]

I drive past the beautiful campus of SMU in Dallas every day. I just cannot bear the thought that this war criminal will have his "library" there.

It's insulting, maddening, surreal. Which way is the vomitorium?

[IDisgoodfittingjeans]

i believe W calls it a Libarry.

[NotGuilty]

Lie-bury.

[kwaut lizard]

Look for the shelf with W's upcoming literary masterpiece 'Decision Points' on it. That would be a good starting point for you reverse peristalsis reaction.

[carolinealicia]

That poll result kinda surprises me. Flipping through the news (especially a quick flick past Fox), all I hear are people complaining that Obama is too lenient, all he wants do to is talk to people, blah blah blah whine whine whine. And the fact that I'm from a small Southern town (you can't begin to imagine how hateful and bitter people were the day after he won Presidency....). But (my point is) I'm really happy to know that people still support him and the job he's doing/trying to get done. Huzzah :o)

[MiddleAmerican510]

Could it be we have another slick-talking lawyer in the White House? People have difficulty listening to what is being said and not how a speech is delivered.

[ronimus12]

Glad to know I'm not the only one that has to reside in a small town full of backwards racist a**holes. Like you I had to put up with the anger and stupidity of small minded people and their racist jokes. It's pathetic how this country is still so racist. I am in a small town in Nebraska and I guarantee you the majority of the small town midwest is stuck in the 1800's. They fear change and are scared of a black man. ( although, when I ask if any of them personally know a black person, 100% of them said they do not)

[MiddleAmerican510]

Very soon George Bush will be blamed for the Swine Flu. He's been blamed for everything else, but what do we expect when we have so many in the media who have despised him since he won the election in 2000? President Obama doesn't act very Presidential when he continually blames the prior administration for any and everything. What happened to "looking forward"? Where in history have we ever had a President who criticizes his predessor in his Inaugural Address? In fact, most Presidents, excluding Jimmy Carter, have shown themselves to be of a higher caliber. It won't take long for most of the American public to tire of hearing excuses.
Re: Poll numbers. Take out extremes.......meaning take out those who will not support Obama under any circumstances and then take out the bottom extreme. This would give a better indication of his approval rating.
I, for one, hope he succeeds because if he doesn't we will all be in trouble, but spending what we don't have will eventually catch up with us.

[Nagarjuna]

I think President Obama has rarely if ever specifically blamed Bush. His supporters (I include myself) certainly do, often and loudly, and rightly so.

[RoadCrossingChicken]

In fact, he has given the Bush admin compliments. Just the other night in his news conference about the Swine Flu, he said that the Bush admin had done some good things to help people be more prepared in advance.

This kind of lie is just like the people who claimed Obama spoke badly about the USA when he was overseas. They just make up something out of thin air. The problem is, gullible people believe that c.rap.

[OneTruePatriot]

Actually your girl bachman is blaming it on Jimmy Carter. So troll again pal.

[WVP]

"...when he continually blames the prior administration for any and everything." I would love to see the links to articles, video and/or audio substantiating your claims.

[RoadCrossingChicken]

Thank you. I would, too.

[ronimus12]

Again, the sheltered mind. Keep in mind Bush pushed the first $700 billion in bailouts that were spent so fast that we don't know where it went. No to mention the $12 billion that was lost in cargo containers on it's way ti Iraq, Or the billions and billions of Sudam Husseins gold and US currency that our soldiers found but is now missing???

[fayemac]

Hes the worst president we have ever had and damaged the country almost to its breaking point and you think we should just forget about the past. NO, we wont forget. Just because you prospered during the bleakest time in history doesnt mean the rest of us did. OK why dont you tell all those people who lost thier kids to the trumped up war that we should just forget the past or tell all those people who lost thier jobs and homes and 401ks to just get over it and move on. Easy for you to say "lets just look forward" when you didnt pay dearly like others did. I hope Obama screams it from every pulpit he can, about how Bush wrecked every good thing we had in this country, gone in 8 long years, to the rich and greedy people who supported him.

[Chi-townfool]

SO?

[monkeysuit]

How you start is not what is important it is how you finish.


Monkeysuit
http://randompoliticalthoughtsandnews.blogspot.com

[phoenics]

So true. W would know, huh?

[SnapShots]

A friend of mine and his wife stood on El Camino Real in Palo Alto, CA, wearing Grim Reaper robe and hood the day Bush was innaugurated for the first time. They held signs that said, "The world as we know it has ended." They were right. That's Bush's legacy.

[monkeysuit]

Wow tell them they should lighten up.



Monkeysuit
http://randompoliticalthoughtsandnews.blogspot.com

[Nagarjuna]

Tell the families of the those killed in Iraq to "lighten up".

[fayemac]

Why? They were right.

[BushIsAWarCriminal]

Your friends were geniuses.

[fayemac]

So true!