Bush Ratings Tumble To Record Lows in Iowa

In what seems like a monthly tradition at Smart Politics comes the latest report of new record low job approval ratings for President George W. Bush in the Upper Midwest—this time in Iowa.

The latest SurveyUSA poll conducted July 13-15 of 600 adults in Iowa shows only 28 percent approve of Bush’s performance as President, with a record 69 percent disapproving. Bush’s approval rating has tumbled in Iowa from 43 percent in January 2006’s SurveyUSA poll—and has never eclipsed 40 percent since. Two-thirds of Iowa Republicans still give Bush positive marks, but only 5 percent of Democrats and just a shade over one-quarter of independents (28 percent).

Bush’s 29 percent approval rating in Minnesota ties a record low set last month in the Gopher State. Sixty-eight percent disapprove. In Wisconsin, where Bush has generally enjoyed slightly higher ratings than in Iowa and Minnesota, 35 percent approve of the President’s job performance—the fifth lowest mark in the Badger State in SurveyUSA’s 26 consecutive months tracking of public opinion.

Bush’s marks are dropping almost across the board—even in red states like Kansas, where the President received 62 percent of the vote in the 2004 election, but now labors with a 37 percent approval rating, the second lowest recorded in that state by SurveyUSA.

Below is a complete listing of Bush’s approval marks in the 15 states polled by SurveyUSA this month:

Alabama = 42%
Kentucky = 38%
Kansas = 37%
Missouri = 37%
Wisconsin = 35%
Virginia = 32%
Ohio = 31%
Oregon = 31%
New Mexico = 30%
Minnesota = 29%
Washington = 29%
Iowa = 28%
California = 25%
New York = 23%
Massachusetts = 19%