IF PRESIDENCIES are destined to crumble, the cracks tend to appear first in the Granite State, where independents flock to one party’s primary or another to presage the attitude—and anger—that centrist “swing voters” will express nationwide months later. Bush remains personally well liked in New Hampshire—and nationally. According to the newest NEWSWEEK Poll, his job-approval rating is holding at 51 percent. But the human and financial costs of the war—symbolized by death-a-day news reports and the $87 billion funding request—have made Dean a power in the state, and are beginning to worry administration insiders. “If we don’t get Iraq right in time,” fretted one National Security Council official, “we could lose the election."
The $87 Billion Money Pit
What Will Iraq Cost Bush?
Meanwhile, USA Today has
more bad news for Bush.
Independent voters, who some say are key to President Bush's re-election hopes next year, are losing confidence in his leadership in Iraq as attacks there continue, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll has found.
In the poll, 39% of independents approve of the way the Bush administration has handled things in Iraq since Bush declared an end to major combat six months ago; 57% of independents disapprove. In the public overall, the poll found, 47% approve.
That is a substantial deterioration from late April, when it was assumed that U.S. troops had secured the country. At that time, when 80% of the public approved of the conduct of the war, 73% of independents approved.
In late April, 69% of independents favored the war — about the same level as the general public. Now, 48% of independents support the war, which is 6 percentage points below overall support.
Note that this poll was in the field prior to last night's wave of attacks.
