Bush polls are averaged between the top national non-partisan polls. The ones used are listed in the detail section below. They are averaged to eliminate spikes or valleys by one poll from distorting the national feeling.
Polls are recalculated when either several polls have changed or any poll has changed and several weeks have passed.
Bush polls summary has the poll, the current number, the direction since the last poll and the change, and the date. See the summary section below.
When polls are too old, they are eliminated from the computations, but are listed in their own section for historical interest. Old polls will be re-added for the computations when they are current. See the inactive section for those polls.
Once an average is determine, that one number is kept for historical purposes and for the graph of job approval ratings. The history section includes this number for the past year while the graph goes back to June 2001.
Any president has a raise in their polls at the end of their term. This has happened with people from Nixon to Clinton and it appears to be happening with Bush. We seriously doubt that he will jump to the goal he set last summer of 45% by the end of his term. We doubt he will hit 30%.
Gallup is down 3 points to 29%. ABC is back with a giant jump to 30%. Fox is back with a big jump (7 points) to 30%. NBC has a slight jump to 27%. CBS is back with a big jump (4 points) to 24%. CNN (the other returning poll) is up (4 points) to 28%. Zogby is back with the same number (25%). PEW is back with a small jump (2 points) to 24%.
The record low so far is 23.63% (11 / 10 / 2008).
Over 0 years and 08 months under 30% (from 4/05/08) of sustained ratings.
Over 2 years and 10 months under 40% (from 2/28/06) of sustained ratings.
Over 3 years and 05 months under 45% (from 7/17/05) and
Over 4 years and 10 months under 50% (from 2/16/04) of sustained ratings.
Current average:
27.13%
0.63 higher than last poll (217 points for 08 polls)
Gain/Loss in 2008:
5.88%
January start: 33.00%
After 9/11 drop average:
61.00%
(488 base points for 8 polls)
Just before 9/11 average:
51.75%
621 base point of 12 polls
Just after 9/11 average:
87.41%
1049 base point of 12 polls
9/11 bump:
35.66%
Current high poll(s):
30.00%
Fox (12/09) & ABC (12/11)
Current low poll(s):
24.00%
PEW (12/03) & CBS (12/05)
ABC & Washington Post
30.00%
(+7) 12/11/08
CBS
24.00%
(+4) 12/04/08
CNN/Opinion Research
28.00%
(+4) 12/01/08
Fox
30.00%
(+4) 12/09/08
Gallup
29.00%
(-3) 12/12/08
NBC/Wall Street
27.00%
(+1) 12/05/08
PEW
24.00%
(+2) 12/03/08
Zogby/Reuters
25.00%
(+0) 12/10/08
AP/Ipsos-Reid/AOL
31.00%
(+3) 07/31/08
Harris
24.00%
(-1) 09/17/08
IBD/CSM
43.00%
(-0) 08/02/04
LA Times/Bloomberg
23.00%
(-4) 10/10/08
Newsweek
23.00%
(-2) 10/22/08
NPR
33.00%
(-5) 05/07/08
Quinnipiac
30.00%
(+4) 08/12/08
Time
28.00%
(+5) 10/03/08
ABC/Washington Post
12/11/08
30%
Approval
10/08/08
23%
09/27/08
26%
08/19/08
30%
Pre-911
55%
(09/06/01)
Post-911
92%
(10/08/01)
03/02/06
46%
Favorability
06/02/05
48%
10/02/04
53%
CBS & NY Times
12/04/08
24%
Approval
10/31/08
20%
10/25/08
22%
10/19/08
22%
Pre-911
50%
(08/28/01)
Post-911
90%
(10/08/01)
03/07/07
30%
Favorability
02/08/07
32%
01/18/07
27%
CNN/Opinion Research
12/01/08
28%
Approval
11/06/08
24%
10/30/08
28%
10/17/08
27%
Pre-911
--
(n/a)
Post-911
--
(n/a)
08/29/08
38%
Favorability
09/22/06
46%
04/21/06
40%
FOX
12/09/08
30%
Approval
11/01/08
26%
10/28/08
29%
10/20/08
28%
Pre-911
55%
(08/22/01)
Post-911
84%
(10/17/01)
12/09/08
34%
Favorability
07/22/08
30%
06/17/08
35%
Gallup
12/12/08
29%
Approval
12/04/08
32%
11/13/08
29%
11/07/08
28%
Pre-911
51%
(09/07/01)
Post-911
90%
(09/21/01)
08/21/08
35%
Favorability
04/18/08
32%
07/12/07
37%
NBC/Wall Street Journal
12/05/08
27%
Approval
11/01/08
26%
10/17/08
27%
10/04/08
29%
Pre-911
50%
(06/23/01)
12/05/08
31%
Fav. (Very & Somewhat)
10/17/08
29%
10/04/08
30%
PEW
12/03/08
24%
Approval
10/23/08
22%
10/09/08
25%
07/31/08
28%
Pre-911
51%
(08/21/01)
Post-911
86%
(09/21/01)
03/19/08
34%
Fav. & Mostly
02/20/08
35%
01/30/08
34%
Zogby
12/10/08
25%
Approval
11/13/08
25%
10/09/08
21%
09/11/08
28%
Pre-911
50%
(08/28/01)
Post-911
82%
(09/14/01)
10/20/06
45%
Favorability
10/10/06
47%
09/22/06
49%
AP Ipsos-Reid/Cook
07/31/08
31%
Approval
07/10/08
28%
06/12/08
29%
04/07/08
28%
Pre-911
45%
(09/05/01)
Post-911
88%
(11/09/01)
11/04/05
38%
Favorability
10/08/05
41%
09/09/05
42%
Harris
09/17/08
24%
Approval
08/06/08
25%
06/04/08
24%
04/02/08
26%
Pre-911
52%
(08/15/01)
Post-911
88%
(10/17/01)
Investor's Business Daily/
Christian Science Monitor
08/02/04
43%
Approval
06/01/04
43%
06/02/03
57%
05/05/03
64%
Pre-911
45%
(09/05/01)
Post-911
82%
(10/03/01)
08/02/04
43%
Favorability
06/01/04
42%
06/02/03
55%
LA Times/Bloomberg
10/10/08
23%
Approval
09/19/08
27%
08/15/08
25%
06/17/08
23%
Pre-911
57%
(04/21/01)
Post-911
86%
(11/10/01)
06/19/08
24%
Positive
Newsweek
10/22/08
23%
Approval
10/08/08
25%
07/09/08
28%
04/16/08
28%
Pre-911
50%
(05/10/01)
Post-911
88%
(10/11/01)
03/05/08
33%
Favorability
10/31/07
34%
10/14/04
51%
National Public Radio
05/07/08
33%
Approval
01/29/08
38%
10/04/07
38%
04/26/07
37%
Pre-911
N/A
not found
Post-911
N/A
not found
Quinnipiac University
08/12/08
30%
Approval
07/08/08
26%
05/08/08
28%
10/23/07
35%
Pre-911
N/A
not known
Post-911
N/A
not known
11/13/06
44%
Favorability
08/17/06
46%
05/21/06
43%
Time
10/03/08
28%
Approval
09/26/08
23%
07/31/08
29%
04/05/07
33%
Pre-911
55%
(07/17/01)
Post-911
89%
