animaux

Growing opposition to Bush re-election

Julian Borger in Washington
Monday August 25, 2003
The Guardian

For the first time, more Americans say they would oppose President George Bush's
re-election in 2004 than support a second term, according to a poll published
yesterday that showed mounting pessimism over the US military presence in Iraq.
As attacks on coalition forces continue to inflict casualties, a Newsweek poll
found that the human and economic costs of occupation were eroding the
president's support at an accelerating rate.

Sixty-nine per cent of those asked were concerned that the US would be bogged
down for many years in Iraq with little to show for it in improved security for
Americans; 49% said they were very concerned.

At the same time Mr Bush's approval rating dropped to 53%, down 18% since April,
and his lowest rating since before the September 11 attacks turned him from the
victor of a disputed election presiding over a worsening economy into a wartime
leader.

But the most jarring statistic for the White House looked forward to the 2004
election. Some 49% of Americans questioned in yesterday's poll said they did not
want him re-elected, against only 44% prepared to give him a second term. The
corresponding figures in April were 52% backing re-election with 38% opposed.

The change over four months represents a serious haemorrhage in support,
reflecting a combination of long-term but spreading disenchantment with the
president's economic stewardship and new doubts over where he is taking the
country in his open-ended "war on terror".

In April, 74% of the country supported his handling of the situation in Iraq.
Yesterday that figure was 54%. Americans are split between those who believe the
administration's line that the invasion has undermined terrorist groups such as
al-Qaida (45%) and those who think the opposite - that it has inspired a new
generation of Islamist radicals to take up arms against America and its allies.

Despite the increasing doubts over how US troops can be extricated, a
significant majority of Americans, 61%, still believe the invasion of Iraq was
justified, and a slightly smaller majority would support the maintenance of a
significant occupation force for up to two years.

The impact of the Iraq occupation on Mr Bush's standing has encouraged Democrats
who, voters said yesterday, had the best approach to stimulating the economy and
handling domestic issues such as health and education, a reversal since the
beginning of the year.

Nine presidential contenders have joined the Democratic primary contest, with a
10th likely soon - General Wesley Clark, a former Nato commander.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1028985,00.html

easy rider

Rumor is that Wesley Clark will announce sometime in September.

--
"There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas,
probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on -
shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again."

-George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002

"Don't be fooled again"
-Me, August 1, 2003.

thweatt

: Easy Rider wrote:
: >
: >
: > Rumor is that Wesley Clark will announce sometime in September.

: He should announce during the GOP's convention to steal Duhbya's
: thunder.

That would be a good time for him to announce, AFTER the Democrat
primaries. It would fit with his incredible lack of timing.

--
--
William "Dave" Thweatt
Robert E. Welch Postdoctoral Fellow
Chemistry Department
Rice University
Houston, TX
thweatt@ruf.rice.edu
dave.thweatt@us.army.mil

thweatt

: > Tempest (tempest@hotmail.com) wrote:
: >
: >
: >: Easy Rider wrote:
: >: >
: >: >
: >: > Rumor is that Wesley Clark will announce sometime in September.
: >
: >: He should announce during the GOP's convention to steal Duhbya's
: >: thunder.
: >
: > That would be a good time for him to announce, AFTER the Democrat
: > primaries. It would fit with his incredible lack of timing.
: >
: What "incredible lack of timing" are you talking about?

He was proved to look VERY foolish during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He
would go on CNN and talk about how bad "The Plan" was and how we
underestimated the Iraqi Army, blah blah blah. He was proven very wrong,
and even lost his face-time at CNN.

--
--
William "Dave" Thweatt
Robert E. Welch Postdoctoral Fellow
Chemistry Department
Rice University
Houston, TX
thweatt@ruf.rice.edu
dave.thweatt@us.army.mil

easy rider

I don't recall the part about underestimating the Iraqi army. Other than
that, the plan ****ed. The plan is being abandoned. The UN is suddenly
NOT irrelevant anymore.

As for the Iraqi "army," they used the oldest strategy in the book: "He
will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight." Or, more
colloquially paraphrased: "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight
another day." I mean, exactly who is that is killing all those fine young
men George Bush thinks are expendable?

No, no. You're right. As always. The plan was outstanding, the Iraqis are
going to name Bush an honorary saint. Peace reigns in Iraq.

--
"There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas,
probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on -
shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again."

-George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002

"Don't be fooled again"
-Me, August 1, 2003.

tempest

You're assuming he plans to run as a Democrat, moron.


--
"The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or
religion but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence.
Westerners often forget this fact, non-Westerners never do."

Samuel P. Huntington