(10/26/08) -

Two-Thirds in U.S. Want Bush Tenure to End

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many adults in the United States hold negative views on their current head of state, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates International released by Newsweek. 67 per cent of respondents personally wish that George W. Bush’s presidency was over.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many adults in the United States hold negative views on their current head of state, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates International released by Newsweek. 67 per cent of respondents personally wish that George W. Bush’s presidency was over.

Bush—a Republican—earned a second four-year term in the November 2004 presidential election. The U.S. president’s approval rating has not surpassed the 40 per cent mark in a national survey since December 2006. 

Bush’s tenure was marked by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which led to the start of the war on terrorism against al-Qaeda fighters and members of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan; and the invasion of Iraq to topple the government of Saddam Hussein in March 2003.

Since last year, defaults on so-called subprime mortgages—credit given to high-risk borrowers—have caused volatility in domestic and financial markets and raised concerns that the U.S. economy could fall into a recession.

Earlier this year, the U.S. government took control of mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Other financial institutions—including Bear Stearns, Merril Lynch, Lehman Brothers, American International Group (AIG), IndyMac Bancorp and Washington Mutual—have been sold, placed under bankruptcy protection, or received emergency loans from the Federal Reserve. European banks have also been affected, several stock indexes have seen a decline, and the market value of equities and commodities has been reduced.

Yesterday in his weekly radio address, Bush discussed the economic situation, saying, "Despite the ups and downs that our markets have experienced in recent months, the American people have reason for optimism in our nation’s economic future. Throughout our history, we have seen that when Americans are given the freedom to apply their talents and imagination, prosperity and success follow closely behind. For over two centuries, that principle has allowed our economy to overcome every obstacle it has faced. And we can all be confident that it will do so again."

American voters will elect a new president, and renew the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate on Nov. 4.

Polling Data

At this point in time, do you personally wish that George W. Bush’s presidency was over, or don’t you feel this way?

Source: Princeton Survey Research Associates International / Newsweek
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,092 registered American voters, conducted on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23, 2008. Margin of error is 4 per cent.