Response by Stephen Salmore

"At this point in his first term the public is evaluating George Bush primarily on the conduct of the war in Iraq. With most people approving of the war and believing it went better than expected, Bush is benefiting and this is made clear by his high job approval scores. However, with the war winding down he still faces the test of transferring his strong numbers from the war to his handling of the economy. His ability to handle the economy will be the issue that decides his re-election."

see also:
Summary Analysis
Thigpen's Analysis
Tabular Results
Survey Details

Comment by Fairleigh Dickinson University Research Professor of Political Science, Stephen Salmore (Ph.D., Princeton University). Steve specializes in both national and New Jersey politics and presently operates Raritan Associates, Inc. He is co-author of Parties, Elections and Campaigns and New Jersey Government and Politics. Dr. Stephen Salmore can be reached at 973-292-3633.