Poll: Bush presidency judged unsuccessful (AP) Updated: 2005-10-14 15:15
WASHINGTON - For the first time, more people say George W. Bush's presidency
will be judged as unsuccessful than say it will be seen as a success, a poll
finds.
 US President Bush
takes questions from reporters during his meeting with Polish President
Aleksander Kwasniewski in the Oval Office in Washington, Wednesday, Oct.
12, 2005. [AP] | Forty-one percent of respondents said Bush's presidency will be seen as
unsuccessful in the long run, while 26 percent said the opposite. Thirty-five
percent said it was too early to tell, according to the Pew Research Center for
the People & the Press.
In January, 36 percent said successful and 27 percent said unsuccessful.
The increasing pessimism about Bush's long-term prospects comes at a time
when many polls have found the public increasingly is negative about Bush's
performance and the direction of the country.
Seven in 10 said they want the next president to offer policies and programs
that are different from the Bush administration's.
Only half said they wanted the next president to offer different policies in
2000, at the end of the Clinton presidency. By a 2-1 margin, people said the
Bush administration has had a negative impact on politics and the way government
works.
People were inclined to say Bush's policies have made things worse on a wide
range of issues such as the federal budget deficit, the gap between rich and
poor, health care, the economy, relations with U.S. allies, the tax system and
education. By 47 percent to 30 percent, those surveyed said Bush has improved
the situation with national security.
Republicans give the president mixed reviews in many of these areas. Almost
half of Republicans said Bush's policies have made the deficit worse and just 12
percent say he has improved that situation.
The poll of 1,500 adults was taken Oct. 6-10 and has a margin of sampling
error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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