If Bush won a majority of votes in ‘04 by losing moderates and appealing to the base (something I’ve seen repeatedly avered on Democratic sites), and he’s been dropping in popularity since then, doesn’t that mean he’s losing his base � perhaps by being too moderate � and could cull more “support� by being more extreme?

Highly doubtful. I believe it has more to do with his inability to get the legislation passed that he said he would. And as far as this whole “Bush is a moderate” meme that people are trying to push here, I simply don’t understand exactly how all of you are coming to this conclusion. Please elaborate on a point by point basis so I can see what you’re talking about.

Anyway, I don’t think too much of polls. When 21% of Democrats say they “approve of Bush’s performance in office,� do they mean they think he’s doing a great job governing or a great job setting up Democrats for a landslide victory in 2008?

Wow, that seems like a pretty jaded view Callimachus. Given you’re a self-described liberal, I think you’d give those 21% of Democrats more of a break since they’re probably the ones who agree with Bush’s views on the war and WOT.

Anyway, I don’t think too much of polls. When 21% of Democrats say they “approve of Bush’s performance in office,” do they mean they think he’s doing a great job governing or a great job setting up Democrats for a landslide victory in 2008?

Tom Grey…
The procedure is called Intact Dilation and Extraction, and if you’ll remember, Bush signed a law banning it in 2003.

Goy…
Time heals all wounds. And I’m glad to see these numbers are going up. We need worldwide support for our intiatives and I hope they continue to go up. However, going from 20% approval to 38% approval still shows that you’re a very divisive figure.

Seriously…none of you think that Bush couldn’t do more to improve his cooperation with Dems and the rest of the world? Are you kidding me? There’s a reason why he nearly lost last election and it wasn’t just a group hallucination.

CAFTA is pretty moderate — the similar to wildly popular Clinton-signed NAFTA. Free Trade is pretty good economically for all societies (though there are specific loser groups).

Bush is spending FAR more than any Dem would be allowed to spend; Reagan cut gov’t, Bush is not cutting anything. Almost a radical Leftist on gov’t spending.

4 years of Bush and partial birth abortions are still completely legal; pretty radical pro-abortion policy.

What “more moderate” agenda do you want?

http://tinyurl.com/9klxg

“…the Pew Global Attitudes Project’s .. most recent poll â€â€? conducted in May, with 17,000 respondents in 17 countries â€â€? also found evidence that widespread antipathy [toward the US] is abating.

The percentage of people holding a favorable impression of the United States increased in Indonesia (+23 points), Lebanon (+15), Pakistan (+2) and Jordan (+16). It also went up in such non-Muslim nations as France, Germany, Russia and India.

What accounts for this shift? The answer varies by country, but analysts point to waning public anger over the invasion of Iraq, gratitude for the massive U.S. tsunami relief effort and growing conviction that the U.S. is serious about promoting democracy.”

Hmmm…

President Bush Job Approval

Updated Daily by Noon Eastern Bush Job Approval

Strongly Approve 26%
Somewhat Approve 23%
Somewhat Disapprove 17%
Strongly Disapprove 33%
RasmussenReports.com

——————————————————————————–
Saturday July 30, 2005–Forty-nine percent (49%) of American adults approve of the way George W. Bush is performing his role as President. The President’s Approval Rating had been at the 50% or 51% mark for seven straight days.

Fifty percent (50%) of Americans disapprove.

The President’s performance earns approval from 82% of Republicans, 21% of Democrats, and 40% of those not affiliated with either political party.