President Bush’s current low mark for public approval is 31 percent. How does that compare historically?

Resident Fellow Karlyn Bowman

Faring slightly better were Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan, each of whom hit 35 percent. Bill Clinton and Gerald Ford fell to 37 percent.

Approval-wise, the fortunate presidents were Dwight Eisenhower, whose low was 48 percent, and John Kennedy, who never sank below 56 percent before he was assassinated.

In Gallup’s early April poll, 74 percent of Republicans approved of the job Bush was doing--a record low for him. Prior to the 1994 elections, Clinton’s support in his party was identical to what Bush’s was in the early April poll.

What’s Left of Bush’s Presidency. In an April 21-24 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 15 percent of respondents were optimistic and confident that Bush would do a good job during the remainder of his presidency. Another 22 percent were satisfied and hopeful that he would do a good job.

On the downside, 28 percent said they were uncertain and wondering whether he will do a good job. A plurality of 35 percent said they were pessimistic and worried.

In January 2005, 31 percent said they were optimistic and confident.

GOP Splits and Democratic Unity. In Pew’s April poll, 40 percent of respondents had a favorable view of the Republican Party. Among Republicans, 75 percent who described themselves as moderate-to-liberal Republicans had a favorable view, compared to 90 percent of conservative Republicans.

Forty-seven percent of those surveyed expressed a favorable view of the Democratic party, with no intraparty ideological divisions.

Personal Economic Anxiety. In mid-April, Gallup reported that 53 percent of those surveyed knew someone personally who had been laid off or lost a job in the past six months, while 46 percent said they did not.

Ten percent of employed adults said it was very likely or fairly likely that they would lose a job or be laid off in the next year. Thirty-two percent called the prospect not too likely, and 57 percent said it was not at all likely. The results on this question, first asked by Gallup in 1975 and asked occasionally since, don’t fluctuate much.

Sixty percent said it was very or somewhat likely that if they lost a job, they could find one as good as the one they have now. Twenty-three percent said finding such a job was not too likely, and 16 percent said it was not at all likely.

In another question, 33 percent of respondents said they were in a good position to buy some of the things they would like to have, but 62 percent said it was a “rather bad time” to spend money.

The U.N. and Iran. In a late April Gallup poll, 67 percent (up from 51 percent in February) were not confident in the United Nations’ ability to handle the situation relating to Iran’s nuclear program.

Iraq: Still No Cakewalk. In April 2003, 22 percent of those surveyed by NBC/Wall Street Journal pollsters said that the war in Iraq was generally over, with most of the challenges behind us, while 71 percent said that most of the challenges remained ahead.

In April 2006, those responses were 27 percent and 68 percent, respectively.

Fuel Rebate, DOA. In an April 28-30 Gallup/USA Today poll, 46 percent favored the idea of a $100 fuel rebate, but 52 percent were opposed.

In a May 2-3 Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll, 40 percent said that a $100 rebate would help the long-term energy situation, while 42 percent said it would hurt.

Partisan Differences on Abortion. In an April 4-10 survey, Harris Interactive found that 49 percent favored the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, while 47 percent opposed it. Sixty-one percent of Republicans opposed the decision, and 55 percent of Democrats favored it.

But there was significant intraparty dissent. Thirty-seven percent of Republicans favored the decision, while 43 percent of Democrats opposed it.

Voter IDs. In a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, 62 percent of respondents strongly favored requiring voters to produce a valid photo ID when they go to vote. Nineteen percent were mildly in favor, 12 percent said they felt neutral on the issue, and 7 percent said they were mildly or strongly opposed.

Internet Usage. In a February-April survey, The Pew Internet Project reported that 73 percent of Americans--147 million people--use the Internet, up from 66 percent in January 2005. Forty-two percent, or 84 million people, have broadband connections now, up from 29 percent in January 2005.

Singing the National Anthem. Seventy-eight percent in an early May Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll said that the national anthem should be sung in English only, while 16 percent said it was OK for it to be sung in Spanish, too.

In Gallup’s late April poll on the same issue, 69 percent said that it was appropriate to sing the anthem only in English. Twenty-nine percent said that if people want, they should sing it in Spanish.

Karlyn H. Bowman is a resident fellow at AEI.