No Surge for President Bush

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Tabular Results
Survey Details
Republican Response

Democratic Response

President Bush's new approach to Iraq has not won him any points in the Garden State. For the first time, according to the latest poll results from Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, half (50%) of New Jersey voters rate the president's job performance as “poor.” Only 22% give him a rating of “good” or excellent.” Another 27% rate his work as “only fair.”

Despite the President's announcement of a change in strategy on the ground in Iraq and a troop surge of more than 20,000, two-thirds of voters (67%) continue to say that the military effort is not going well. The issue of Iraq continues to put Republicans in a minority position: 61% of Republicans say the US intervention in Iraq was the right thing to do but 63% of all voters say it was a mistake. “The problem of Iraq is inseparable from this President,” said Peter J. Woolley, a political scientist who directs the poll. “It has simply overwhelmed his presidency and the public's view of him.”

Only 28% of Garden State voters approve of the President's handling of his job, a new low and a slide of five points from PublicMind's March survey.  Two-thirds of voters (65%) disapprove of the President's handling of his job. A national Gallup poll also released today reports just 34% approve of the President’s job performance while 63% disapprove. “At this point, the President's confrontation with the Democratic majority in Congress over a timetable to withdraw from Iraq has not worked in his favor,” added Woolley.

Republicans split on the question of whether the country is on the right or wrong track (43 to 40%) while Democrats overwhelmingly say (82%) that the country is on the wrong track.  Just 22% overall say the country is headed in the right direction. “If you have ever wished to live in interesting times, your wish has come true,” said Woolley.

Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind poll of 648 randomly selected registered voters statewide was conducted from May 1 through May 6 and has a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points.

 

Contact: Peter Woolley 973.670.3239 or Dan Cassino 973.896.7072

For more information, please call (973) 443-8661.



Copyright © 2007, Fairleigh Dickinson University. All rights reserved. FDU PublicMind Poll [Latest update 070509]