Part I was discussed
here in terms of the Democracy Poll and the Harvard poll of college campuses. The discussion dealt with the dichotomy between Junior's policies and perception of leadership qualities.
This look from the LA Times takes a gander at Missouri and how Bush is simply 'liked', a term not usually associated with, for example, Al Gore. Many Americans will vote for him regardless of his poicies because he's a stand-up guy, whatever that is.
Your thoughts, please, on 1) why he's liked and 2) what the Dem candidate should do about it?
His Policies Aside, Many Voters Back the Personality in Chief
For Bush supporters in a Missouri town, it's not the issues that will count in 2004, it's character.
By Stephanie Simon Times Staff Writer
November 16, 2003
CLAYTON, Mo. -- The nine Democrats vying for the presidential nomination make the case at every campaign stop that the nation needs fresh leadership. But millions of voters aren't about to consider that.
With a year to go until the election, a solid core of Americans emphatically back George W. Bush for a second term -- no matter who else is on the ballot. They approve of his conservative values. Mostly, though, they admire his character.
Simply put: They trust him.
"Even if I don't line up with him exactly on all his policies, I want a president who stands up for what he believes in," said Robert Koerper, 44, a restaurant owner. "You always know where he's coming from. That's the kind of leader I want."
Such responses are not unique to this city of 16,000. National polls conducted in recent weeks have found a majority of Americans skeptical about the president's actions on such pivotal issues as taxes, the economy, health care, social security, foreign affairs and the war in Iraq. Still, about 55% say they approve of the way Bush has handled the presidency overall.
An ABC News/Washington Post poll late last month found that just 40% of Americans thought Bush understood the problems they face in daily life. By large margins, they expressed concerns about the cost of the campaign in Iraq, anger at the rising number of casualties and anxiety that the U.S. would get bogged down in a long, expensive mission. They also overwhelmingly expressed frustration with the national economy.
Yet 62% rated Bush as a strong leader. Nearly 60% called him trustworthy.
Against a generic Democratic nominee, Bush won by one percentage point, but in hypothetical matchups with specific Democratic candidates, he won handily.
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