The president’s overall job performance rating now stands at 52 percent, up a point from last week. Bush’s rating for his handling of handling the situation in Iraq, however, remains below the 50 percent mark (47 percent) essentially unchanged from last week (46 percent).
The NEWSWEEK poll was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, which interviewed a total of 1,004 adults by telephone on Sept. 25 and 26. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points overall. When the poll surveyed only registered voters, 821 people were interviewed, with the margin of error being plus or minus 4 percentage points. When the poll surveyed only registered Democrats and Democratic leaners, 349 people were interviewed; the margin of error is plus or minus 6 percentage points.
According to the poll, the public overwhelmingly prefers that the United States work closely with major allies through international organizations to achieve foreign policy goals (78 percent) rather than going it alone (15 percent). In the case of postwar Iraq, 72 percent say some authority for rebuilding Iraq should be given to the United Nations as a way to encourage other countries to contribute money and troops. The number of Americans who think the Bush administration doesn’t do enough to involve major allies and organizations in trying to achieve foreign policy goals has increased significantly since the Iraq war and its aftermath (41 percent now vs. 29 percent in March.)
Meanwhile, the majority of those polled–55 percent–disapprove of how Bush is handling the economy. Only four in 10 Americans now say they approve of way Bush is handling the economy (37 percent) and taxes (40 percent). And despite the current administration’s focus on terrorism, the economy weighs heaviest on American minds in determining whom to choose for president, with 50 percent saying it’s the most important issue.
On the political front, retired general Wesley Clark remained in the lead as first choice for the Democratic nominee for president in the wake of the debate this week among all 10 declared Democratic candidates. Clark has support from 16 percent of Democrats and democratic leaners (up 2 points from last week’s poll). He is followed by former Vermont governor Howard Dean (holding at 12 percent) and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (holding at 10 percent). Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt is now in fourth place at 10 percent (up 2 points from a week ago), while Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman has slipped 3 points, to 9 percent.
Among registered voters, Clark continues to beat the other Democratic Party candidates in how he would fare in an election against President Bush, although all of the candidates–Clark included, would lose to the incumbent. This week Clark polls at 43 percent to Bush’s 49 percent (a 6 point gap), while Kerry polls at 42 percent to Bush’s 50 percent (an 8 point gap). Dean and Gephardt fared worst, with Bush beating them each by 14 points.
Voters are closely divided on whether George W. Bush should be re-elected. While 46 percent of voters would like to see him returned to office, 47 percent would not.
