Central Ohio Poll: Support for Bush, Iraq war waning

From the Columbus Dispatch: central Ohio poll indicates Bush support dropping like a rock. Encouraging news from a key state!

http://www.dispatch.com/reports-story.php?story=dispatch/2004/05/23/20040523-A1-02.html

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"Central Ohio is turning against both the war in Iraq and President Bush.

A new poll shows that residents of this crucial presidential battleground have sharply reversed themselves in the 8½ months since the nation marked the second anniversary of the 9/11 attack.

The survey and follow-up Dispatch interviews indicate those in the Columbus area are highly disturbed by recent revelations about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners and are no longer willing to accept the continuing American casualties."

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"Approval of Bush’s handling of Iraq has dropped 11 percentage points to 38 percent. His overall approval rating has sunk 6 points to 44 percent since September — but is 17 points below the that of April 2003, shortly after the war started."

Thanks for anything that you've done to help President's Bush poll numbers in Ohio drop as fast as his face did off the bike over the weekend. You the man/woman/energy soucrce/universal mind/Xtian leader, et al!!!!

Welcome to DU, with the traditional :toast:

This is the truly tasty part of that poll:

" Independent voters made up only 8 percent of those surveyed, which means their totals are less reliable statistically. Bush fared badly with this key group. Almost three-fourths disapproved of his job performance, with virtually half expressing strong disapproval. And by a 2-to-1 ratio they don’t want Bush re-elected."

Conforms to conventional wisdom that undecideds break heavily to the challenger in almost every presidential election. Observe that the action in EVERY poll we've seen to date is in the number usually not reported in the headline. Yes, in most polls * and JK are in a "dead heat" at roughly 43-45% each. That leaves 5-10 percent, give or take Nader (who appears, amazingly, to be sucking support almost evenly from * and JK in most polls!) who either don't plan to vote (gotta figure 2-4 percent even in polls of "likely voters" because respondents are usually unwilling to admit they are slackers) or are undecided. (Also, add back in what should be a larger turnout of formerly "unlikely" voters, *especially* on our side, if the DNC can manage a halfway decent GOTV effort. Are you listening Terry?) Since party bases seem pretty solid, I'd surmise that a substantial number of undecideds are formal independents (as am I, hope this doesn't disqualify me from DU!). If the 3-6 percent of the likely electorate that has not made up its mind breaks 3 to 1 for Kerry, both bases hold, and nothing else changes (INSERT PRAYER OF YOUR CHOICE HERE), Kerry can start measuring for drapes in the oval office.

Speaking of which, remember all the smarmy Bushco BS about having to "scrub" the oval office after Clinton? How about all the false vandalism/theft garbage levelled at the Clintons and their people? Let's not forget to return that favor as the 'pukes gather their belongings. Kerry should personally shampoo the carpet under his desk to get rid of all the bullshit from *'s boots.

In other words, let's make sure the door DOES hit *'s butt on the way out.

Dang it feels good to imagine the comeuppance these people have in their future. I'm trying not to get complacent or cocky (but that's what places like DU are for, right?) In mixed company, I'm seriously worried about this election. Must . .. stay . . . angry!

Realcountrymusic

Well, it looks like whatever his OH strategy is at this point, it's working.

The October surprise. Found weapons, found Usama, perhaps some total BS, who knows.

But what is tragic is, we could have had an even better candidate in Dean, who would be gaining ground just like Kerry, and another five percent on top of that, since Nader wouldn't be in the race.

I also think it's funny you don't hear the Republicans saying "you aren't going to win just on an anti-Bush campaign." You think? I always thought that was total BS, and that we could indeed run against almost everything he's done.

I always thought Columbus was "Bush Country". Maybe the worm has turned.

Subject: Fiscal dreamland: Congress, President Should Wake Up and Smell the Deficit
Message:
...that's the headline of an editorial in the same issue of the Columbus Dispatch, which is a pretty conservative paper.

http://www.dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/2004/05/23...

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"How many tax cuts are enough? When is the debt burden the nation is passing to its children sufficiently crushing?"

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The above editorial shows that R's are starting to rebel against the deficit/gov't expansion Bush has caused. Fiscal conservatives are understandably upset with *.

(Thanks for the welcome...I'm glad to be here!)

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

The poll was done in the Columbus area. What is the politics of this area?