Ipsos-Reid/Cook Political Report: Job Approval For Bush, On Decline All Summer, Stops Declining
Between August 16 and August 18, 2002 and between September 3 and September 5, 2002, Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs interviewed a representative sample of 2,000 adults nationwide, including 1,554 registered voters. The margin of error for the combined surveys is +/- 2.2% for all adults and +/- 2.5% for registered voters.
Washington, D.C. -- President Bush's job approval has been declining all summer. That decline was driving voters to favor Democrats in the upcoming mid-term elections. The most recent Ipsos-Reid/Cook Political Report polls, conducted from August 16-18 and from September 3-5, 2002, show that the decline in President Bush's overall job approval ratings has ended.
Overall, do you approve, disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling his job as President? (IF APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE, ASK:) Is that strongly (approve/disapprove) or somewhat (approve/disapprove)? (IF HAVE MIXED FEELINGS OR NOT SURE, ASK:) If you had to choose, do you lean more toward approve or disapprove?
And when it comes to (READ ISSUE) do you approve or disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling that issue?
(IF APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE, ASK:) Is that strongly (approve/disapprove) or somewhat (approve/disapprove)? (IF HAVE MIXED FEELINGS OR NOT SURE, ASK:) If you had to choose, do you lean more toward approve or disapprove?
Today, voters would still like to see Democrats win control of the congressional agenda, with 46% preferring that Democrats win the upcoming congressional elections and 41% preferring Republicans.
And if the election for Congress were held today, would you want to see the Republicans or Democrats win control of Congress?
"The trend toward Democrats in the Congressional vote during July and August has been built on the decline in President Bush's job approval during the summer months," says Thomas Riehle, President of Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs, which conducts the survey the first and third week of every month. "The trend toward a decline in Bush's overall job rating as well as the decline in his ratings of handling the economy and other domestic issues also seem to have ended. The end of the summer has brought a change in focus of news stories toward foreign policy and the potential for war with Iraq, which has led to a rallying around the president," reports Riehle.
Despite indications that the trend toward increasing Democratic preference has ended, Democrats have managed to solidify support among key demographic groups as the election season moves into the fall, including women, older voters, and voters in the Northeast and the on the West coast. The following table highlights some of the key Democratic support groups.
And if the election for Congress were held today, would you want to see the Republicans or Democrats win control of Congress?
For more information on this release, please contact:
Thomas Riehle President Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs 202.463.7300
