Bush's reelect numbers low, so is Dem Party

From reader BB:

"Amidst the obligatory Gore bashing in Adam Nagourney's article in today's Times for his low favorability numbers, I was surprised that there was no mention of the results of the following question:

15. If George W. Bush is renominated as the Republican Party's nominee for president in 2004, do you think you will probably vote for George W. Bush, or vote for the Democratic candidate, or don't you know yet?

11/20-24/02

Bush: 32
Dem. candidate: 18
Don't know yet: 47
DK/NA: 2

[Click here for full poll results. -- Kos]

"All the prior polls I have seen have shown Bush's reelect number in the 40s. This seems to be at least as big a deal than Gore's low favorability numbers."

The news article accompanying the latest poll results is also quite interesting, right down to its headline: "Positive ratings for the GOP, not its policies."

Three weeks after Republicans captured control of the government, Americans hold favorable views of the party and President Bush, but they are less enthusiastic about some of the policies Republicans are promoting, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

They are ambivalent about tax cuts, concerned about Republican plans for Social Security and strongly opposed to the administration's environmental policies.

At the same time, nearly half of the respondents expressed an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party — the highest percentage with such a view since 1996. Americans said Democrats had failed to offer a plan for the future or a reason to vote against Republicans in this latest campaign, suggesting that the election's outcome was as much a testament to what Democrats did wrong as to what Republicans did right.

Lay this at the feet of the Democratic Party's failed PR machine.

Posted November 26, 2002 08:29 AM | Comments (136)