As voters go to polls to pick his successor, George W. Bush hits new low in approval rating

George W. Bush likes to say that you can't read too much into public opinion polls. And who can blame him. He was elected president not once but twice.

Still, today's new numbers -- in a poll conducted from Friday through Sunday -- must come as a blow. His numbers are at the low end of the graph above, which is pollster.com's average of all the major polls.

As Americans are turning out to the polls in record numbers, Bush's approval rating, according to the latest CBS News tracking poll, has dipped to 20%, the lowest ever recorded for a president. His disapproval rating of 72% matches his all-time high, reached last month.

The same poll, taken on the eve of a historic election, found that Republican John McCain had gained some ground on Democrat Barack Obama but that Obama maintains a comfortable, 51%-42% spread over McCain among likely voters, with 5% undecided and a plus-or-minus error rate of 3%.

-- Johanna Neuman

Graph credit: Pollster.com

Comments

[DaveT]

Polls or no polls, the truth of George Walker Bush is that he was never meant to be President of the United States. He came from wealth. But was a spoiled screw up in his youth. He may have attended Harvard, but only because of his Dad's money. And he spent most of the time drinking and getting drunk or being on the cheerleading squad. George Walker was a failure in the "military". A man who basically goofed off in the Texas National Guard, avoided Vietnam and again, drank his way through life. He was a failure as a businessman, both the head of an oil company and a baseball team. George senior pushed his son into politics. Perhaps it was the only thing George Jr. couldn't screw up. He was a popular governor of Texas. Yet, he was never really prepared to take on the role of President of the United States. He won the election on a referendum. No more sex in the Oval Office. A somewhat thin argument since the office has seen its share of naughty bits going far past Clinton, JFK and so on. The electorate vote not by their head, but by their heart. The pendulum swung to the right, and the sanctimonious cry for "morality." 911 came. And G.W. did what any President would have done. But he failed to capture Osama Bin Laden. Instead he took it upon himself to go to war with Iraq (on specious information, if not lies) for oil and to settle an old score for his dad from the Gulf War. G.W. failed with Hurricane Katrina. Now Wall Street. Time and time again, the bumbling G.W. has pushed the wrong button. Made bad decisions. He calls himself the "Decider", but each decision digs the nation deeper into a hole. I think come January when poor George leaves the White House for good, he will probably be relieved to return to Crawford and is ranch. He leaves behind a legacy as being one of the worst Presidents in the history of this country. "One of" is the operative word. He will have company. Don't look back, George, it's just too painful.

[Tom]

It was said: "President Bush had to lead our country through some of the roughest times it has faced, and America still came out standing on both feet." America is not standing on both feet ! Our approval rating world wide is down. We used to be a respected Country, now we are hated. Our economy is tanking, it aint finished yet. Our Military is stretched thinner than ever. I think the Bush administration will be remembered as THE CAUSE of the roughest times in America, which are on the way. We ain't hit bottom yet.

[darkle]

NO MORE YEARS FOR REPUBLICAN CHAOS.

republicans want YOU to sit on your hands and not vote.
GO AND VOTE, now!!

No more years for REPUBLICAN LIES & CORRUPTION.

[luis]

everybody wants to forget that we are at war, only because of him and his henchmen. He lied to the American people by presenting false evidence. we all bought his lies, and now look us. whether now or 100 years from now, he his still a liar that sent us to war.

[Charr]

no wonder Poppy was crying that one time the press caught up w/ him....he knew what the kid cost the family legacy back then... "shouldabeenjeb." Time for a new paradigm.

[Ben]

Finally, the Bush era is coming to an end. Everybody sing:
Na, na, na, na!
Na, na, na, na!
Hey, hey, hey!
GOOD-BYE!

[Ricardo]

Wow, Bush is not only the worst president ever, but he is also the least popular. He'll probably get divorced soon too, for the trifecta.

We now need to drive a stake in the heart of neoconservatism starting tomorrow for once and for all. Storm the television studios and burn the young Republican's charters.

[Brian]

The possibility of impeachment does not end with the tenure in office. Congress can still impeach in order to remove any claim held to benefits granted former officeholders. Furthermore, the impeachment/trial process is a civil proceeding; criminal charges can also apply.

[Fred]

"Wow, Bush is not only the worst president ever, but he is also the least popular. He'll probably get divorced soon too, for the trifecta."

The first point is debatable. He is also not the least popular - Truman had lower approval ratings as did other presidents. Lincoln had very low approval ratings too and was only barely re-elected, yet he is considered one of the best presidents. We won't know how good or poor Pres. Bush's presidency was until a number of years in the future.

[Vicki]

How horrible that we had to endure Bush and Cheney for 8 years! I have been sick with despair and horror that these criminals got into office twice. Both times it was suspicious and that suspicion is legitimate. These republicans have been liars, crooks and thieves. They have harmed America in so many ways. Bush and Cheney cared about nothing but themselves and their desires.

[Josh]

Rebekah: In my opinion (and I would venture the majority) Bush did not leave this country "standing on both feet" but instead hobbled us at the knees. For the sake of World Health, January 20th cannot come soon enough.

[Carolyn]

This is what happens when you steal electioons. May it never happen again!
Paper ballots counted right away in the precinct with a small apolitical group involved. Let's start a movement; the media won't address the problem.

[Jim G]

As Obama surfs the economic Katrina all the way to the White House...

[realitybased]

Bush was NOT "elected" the first time, he was appointed by the partisan hacks now known as the supreme court.

By the same standards used to verify elections in foreign countries by the U.N., and methods approved by the U.S., namely the use of exit polls, the second election was blatantly stolen.

[Andy]

Sending our men and women into battle for what was in fact a wild goose chase, looking for WMD's that didn't even exist will go down as one of the greatest follies in all of human history.

[Ernie Sandoval]

President Bush is a disgrace to the American Presidency. He and Mr. Cheney etal, have set new records for criminal acts, while in office - defiantly holding their ethical and moral obligations in blatant contempt of everything the Constitution stands for, looting the US Treasury in the largest bank robbery in US history, and figuratively sodomozing every US citizen with lies, deceptions, and most offensively, wasting the lives of our young men and women in the Middle East, a carngage that continues despite the futility of iany gain to be had. It will be interestring to see if they have really gone off the deep end of arrogant tyranny , if they try to iwrest the presidency away from our newly elected President, as they have shown us once before in 2000. Never before have I had such a lack of respect for a leader, but Mr. Bush and his cronies have earned every iota their disapproval ratings.

[BG]

Don't blame George Bush for what has happened to our country. The true fault lys with the retards that voted him in office for two terms. We can thank the NASCAR, cowboy hat wearing tobacco chewing and religious right for his being put in office that was way over his head. O and lets not forget all the stickers on the back of cars that say support our troops! What they forget to mention is an unjust war and and thousands of lives lost for nothing by brave soldiers and Iraqi's for this fools ego to go one better than his father. Good riddance, but the after affects will be felt for generations to come.

[David Theiss]

I don't understand why anyone, let alone a whopping 45 percent of those polled, would support McCain--it's just Bush wearing a mask.

[Slacker]

You said "We can thank the NASCAR, cowboy hat wearing tobacco chewing and religious right for Bush being put in office."

You forgot "inbred, toothless, cousin marrying, whiskey drinking, trailer park trash who have numerous babies and use their food stamps to buy Marlboros."

[Daniel]

This is an interesting perspective to take. I think an even more interesting question would be "why?" As in, why are we taking his approval rating? He'll be out soon enough.

But I have to say, interesting perspective. It's the perspective that makes me appreciate sites like LA Times or Newsy.com.

[wade williams]

Bush could care less about his dismal record.

Since his re-election, all he spends or has spent time thinking about is (1) keeping the "war" going to further enrich his fatcat big business sponsors, (2) the ribbon cutting ceremony at the opening of his presidential library and (3) his fat pension check.

With all of the American clout, technology and ingenuity at his disposal, he couldn't even follow thru with his assertion he would find the person(s) responsible for 9/11. Osama lives.

20 per cent approval rating??? U gotta be kidding.

[james k. Koeller]

merican revolution coming . It will be internal and not involve bloodshed, but will force us back to the democratic principles of our founders. We will not be another Roman Empire collapsing under the weight of our own aristocracy, but a return to "of the people, by the people, for the people"

[Faye]

Research shows Obama and Cheney and Obama and Bush are related by bloodline. Well Done voters, in continuing the Dynasty.

[satish]

Why should bush care. He is leaving office in 2 months. it's time for him to retire. there is no tough talk from bush for last few months. he sidelined himself long time ago.

[Andrew A]

Im from New Zealand, and i can't remember a time when i've felt more hopeful for the future. America will hopefully once again rise to its position as leader of the free world now that the biggest terrorist of all is on his way out. To all the americans who voted for Obama, Thank You! you have restored my faith in your once great country. In one single day, all you intelligent thinking voters have reversed the opinion that many around the world have had of you for the last 8 years.
Old monkeyboy George did get one thing right though...

"There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be fixed by what is RIGHT with America"