Bush's approval rating hits new low in state poll

CRAIG GILBERT
JS Online
Friday July 20, 2007

President Bush's approval rating has sunk to a new low in a Wisconsin poll by the firm Strategic Vision, with only 19% of those surveyed approving of Bush's job performance.

Buy a link hereIn 15 previous surveys by the firm dating back to fall 2005, the president's approval rating has ranged from 38% to 24% (in May). Bush has been at or near personal lows this summer in many national polls.

In the Wisconsin poll of 800 likely voters taken July 13-15, some 19% approved and 73% disapproved of Bush's overall performance. Only 17% approved (and 77% disapproved) of Bush's handling of the Iraq war - the worst numbers on Iraq that Bush has received in this poll. The president got far higher marks for his handling of the war on terror, with 46% approving and 43% disapproving.

Also, 64% of those surveyed favored withdrawing from Iraq within 6 months, matching the previous high in the poll last fall.

Congress earned low ratings as well in the survey, with only 22% approving of its performance.

In other results, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Rudy Giuliani continued to lead the presidential pack in the state.

Among GOP voters, Giuliani led with 24%, followed by Tommy Thompson and Fred Thompson at 15% each, John McCain at 10%, Mitt Romney at 6% and Newt Gingrich at 5%.

Among Democratic voters, Clinton led with 40%, followed by Barack Obama at 24%, John Edwards at 14% and Bill Richardson at 6%.

Strategic Vision is a GOP firm based in Atlanta that has polled independently in Wisconsin and several other states since 2004. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.