Considering Bush's approval ratings were so low, why was re-elected?

Question

Before I read the page of answers, I need to say a couple of things.

First, pardon my grammar.
Second, I'm not in any way a political expert, this is just something I'm curious about. I'm not trying to be pro-Bush or anti-Bush.

Answer 1

The same way he was elected in the first place!

Answer 2

I hate to be a stickler for accuracy, but technically he was only elected. Al Gore was elected in Y2k. That being said, the Dem's put up a paper thin candidate. Bush sucks to be sure but when compared with John Kerry even a card carrying liberal would be like, "well... at least Bush never met a spending bill he didn't like, I guess he's not a real conservative." Couple that with the aggressive agenda by the right to put the fear of married gay terrorists into the base (and on the ballot) and the Dem's (yet again) got their @ss handed to them.

Finally, the Democratic party is a mess (which is why I'm pretty confident there isn't any left wing conspiracy to control the media or anything else - these incompetent boobs can't even coordinate an effective get out the vote effort). Republicans on the other hand, will pretty much drink whatever flavor of kool aid their leadership offers. The low ratings you're now seeing can best be described as buyer's remorse.

Answer 3

Poll number reveal some things but conceal others. For instance people my respond to a question like "Are you satisfied with the way the president is handling the war?" in the negative. Say 60% of the respondants don't like it. But of that 60% only 20% want to quit. The other 40% want him to fight harder. Looking at the result that 60% don't like the way he is handling the war is not very useful. Why they are not satisfied is much more important.

That is why even with 60% of the people unhappy with how the war is going, an anti-war candidate stands no chance.

See?


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Answer 4

Bush's approval ratings went from 50 or 51% before 9/11 and up to 90% afterwards. They've fallen steadily since but they were still high enough at that time(2004) to get him elected again. People were scared and said they "didn't want to "change horses in mid stream". (during the war). I think, if the horse breaks a leg, you need to change!

Answer 5

Ditto Spur. Half the country, in fact, probably closer to 2/3 of the country don't know a hill of beans about what a president is supposed to do. Some were looking for someone who they BELIEVE is a God. Others believe Bush IS God. And still others voted for him because they didn't know any better.
(btw He was never elected in the first place)

Answer 6

The reason Bush was re-elected was because the issues he used as a campaigne platform made his a favor to must people in the center of the United States known as the bread basket or the red states. Unfortunatly they out number the people along the coast who are mostly liberal.

Answer 7

What makes you think Bush was elected?
Bush was installed the first and the votes were not allowed to be couted in Florida.
In Ohio, voting machines were rigged, valid voters were purged off the roles and all kinds of illegal shenanigans were pulled by the Repulsicans to win it.

Neither election did he win. He cheated bigtime.

Answer 8

Because the election managed to be spun toward moral issues, mainly gay marriage, wherein the conservative right felt obliged to vote for Bush due to the thought on gay marriage. That way they didn't have to think about dissatisfaction with the war.

Answer 9

Duh.
Did the thought occur to you that maybe his approval ratings in 2004 just MIGHT have been better than they are now?

Break the Prozac's in half next time you decide to ask a question.

Answer 10

Don't get me started. But read Al Franken's new book and it'll explain it all in the first few chapters.