Bush Approval Up BUT Still Low

According to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll conducted between October 21-23, President Bush's approval rating has risen from 39% to 42%, while the disapproval rating went from 58% to 55%. The previous poll, also conducted by Gallup, was released October 17. That poll had the worst ratings of his presidency.

In the October 21-23 poll, "55 percent of the respondents said that they would vote for the Democratic candidate if Bush were again running for the presidency this year. Thirty-nine percent of those interviewed said they would vote for Bush in the hypothetical election." This is about the same amounts as the approval v. disapproval ratings.

Also in the most recent data, most people preferred Democrats over Republicans on the following issues:
- Health Care ------------------------------- (59 percent to 30 percent)
- Social Security ---------------------------- (56 percent to 33 percent)
- Gasoline Prices --------------------------- (51 percent to 31 percent)
- Iraq ---------------------------------------- (46 percent to 40 percent)
- Taxes -------------------------------------- (49 percent to 41 percent)
- Avoid/Solve Corruption in Government (44 percent to 33 percent)

Most people preferred Republicans over Democrats on only one issue: fighting terrorism (49 percent to 38 percent).