Laura Bush doesn't believe bad polls on husband

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - First lady Laura Bush said on Sunday she does not believe opinion polls showing her husband's approval ratings at record low levels.

Interviewed on Fox News Sunday, Laura Bush said she did not think people were losing confidence in President George W. Bush, despite a series of polls showing support for him at its lowest point in his five-year presidency and among the lowest for any president in the past 50 years.

"I don't really believe those polls. I travel around the country. I see people, I see their responses to my husband. I see their response to me," she said.

"As I travel around the United States, I see a lot of appreciation for him. A lot of people come up to me and say, 'Stay the course'."

Many recent polls have put Bush's job approval rating below 35 percent. One, the Harris poll, published last Friday, measured his approval at 29 percent, the first time any survey has put his support below the 30 percent mark. Two other polls published last week put his job approval at 31 percent.

In a separate interview on ABC's "This Week," Laura Bush said her husband's popularity was suffering because the country had been through a difficult year.

We've had a very, very difficult year, starting with the hurricane last September, but already because of the terrorist attack in 2001 and then the war on terror since then," she said. "He's the one that has to make the hard decisions. And, of course, they don't please everyone."

Mrs. Bush complained that when her husband's popularity was high, newspapers did not put that on the front page. Now it was low, they took great delight in highlighting the fact.

Asked if she thought the media had been unfair, Mrs. Bush said: "No, I don't think it's necessarily unfair. I think it's just, you know, I think they may be enjoying this a little bit."

http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle....-BUSH-LAURA.xml

[iceyspots 0]

denial is not just a river in egypt..

[terri o'neale 0]

And they said Hillary was a Tammy Waynette "stand by your man."

[nayalamb 0]

I don't really believe those polls. I travel around the country. I see people, I see their responses to my husband. I see their response to me.

Where exactly has she been? To fundraising events???? Photo ops? Definitely not to the parts of the country that are really struggling...

[terri o'neale 0]

I don't really believe those polls. I travel around the country. I see people, I see their responses to my husband. I see their response to me.

Where exactly has she been? To fundraising events???? Photo ops? Definitely not to the parts of the country that are really struggling...

Besides they always pack the events with supporters. Like after Katrina...they always picked the people that supported his policies for him to meet. You never saw him meeting one of the people that were crying and screaming.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I don't really believe those polls. I travel around the country. I see people, I see their responses to my husband. I see their response to me.

Where exactly has she been? To fundraising events???? Photo ops? Definitely not to the parts of the country that are really struggling...

Besides they always pack the events with supporters. Like after Katrina...they always picked the people that supported his policies for him to meet. You never saw him meeting one of the people that were crying and screaming.

Bingo. They live in their own little reality. Created just for them. How the heck would this woman know what the people of this country really think and feel? She doesn't have a clue. And she won't get a clue. They won't let her get one, and she's quite obviously not trying too hard to see the real America, either.

And they said Potemkin was dead.

Edited May 15, 2006 by ET-US2004

[I'm Gone 60]

Bingo. They live in their own little reality. Created just for them. How the heck would this woman know what the people of this country really think and feel? She doesn't have a clue. And she won't get a clue. They won't let her get one, and she's quite obviously not trying too hard to see the real America, either.

What do you expect her to say "Yeah I know my husband's a #### up." LOL

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Bingo. They live in their own little reality. Created just for them. How the heck would this woman know what the people of this country really think and feel? She doesn't have a clue. And she won't get a clue. They won't let her get one, and she's quite obviously not trying too hard to see the real America, either.

What do you expect her to say "Yeah I know my husband's a #### up." LOL

No. There are other ways to express that she's aware that he ain't all that popular at this point. Going out and looking just as ignorant as her dear husband seems a poor approach. To me at least...

[MichelleandCraig 1]

I also bet, that if a lot of people in America got a chance to meet the President or his wife, they wouldn't exactly walk up to him and go "what the heck are you doing to our country??" Many would probably just not bother...who knows. But, of course, *IMO I think the majority walking up to her would be supporters only. M.

PS...that's not to say EVERYONE would be like that...I know some that would really loveeeeee an opportunity to get at the guy...even for a few seconds!!!

Edited May 15, 2006 by MichelleandCraig

[I'm Gone 60]

No. There are other ways to express that she's aware that he ain't all that popular at this point. Going out and looking just as ignorant as her dear husband seems a poor approach. To me at least...

Well she isn't an elected official and I see nothing wrong with her playing dumb on this one and sticking up for hubby.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I also bet, that if a lot of people in America got a chance to meet the President or his wife, they wouldn't exactly walk up to him and go "what the heck are you doing to our country??" Many would probably just not bother...who knows. But, of course, *IMO I think the majority walking up to her would be supporters only. M.

PS...that's not to say EVERYONE would be like that...I know some that would really loveeeeee an opportunity to get at the guy...even for a few seconds!!!

That's reminded me of an old TV for one of the UK national dailies during the 1980's.

An old lady knocks on the door of Number 10 with a rolled up newspaper and then proceeds to beat Margaret Thatcher with it. When she leaves you see there's a whole line of people waiting in line for their turn.

[djcess 0]

i like bush

[000OOO000 0]

You know she is gonna speak positive things.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I sometimes wonder what these people think about when they go to bed at night...

"Gee what a lovely job we're doing George! It's nice where we live isn't it George, the sun's always shining and I've always got a smile on my face. Even when life is $hit".

Edited May 15, 2006 by Fishdude

[Saddle Bronc 124]

FYI, Laura does have a foundation for her comment.

I remember approval ratings in WashPost and NYTimes for BillyBubba ran at near 70%--but contemporary ratings in Guardian, Telegraph and London Times ran 39-45% (personally, I believe these more as unlike US media, their Brit counterparts have nothing to gain--of course nothing to lose either--by "cooking" the approval numbers for a US president).