Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Cat

2007-07-04T22:06:00Z

Hellosun:

'''[[George W. Bush]]''', the 43rd [[President of the United States|President]] of the [[United States]], has drawn significant domestic and international [[critic]]ism since his [[United States presidential election, 2000|election in 2000]]. [[Public perception of George W. Bush|His level of popular support]] has declined from 90 percent (the highest ever recorded by [[The Gallup Organization]]) immediately after the [[September 11]], [[2001]] [[September 11, 2001 attacks|attacks]] to 26 percent (in a Newsweek poll taken in June 2007<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19352087/site/newsweek|title=How Low Can Bush Go?|date=June 21, 2007|accessdate=2007-06-22|publisher=Newsweek}}</ref>), the lowest level for any sitting President in 35 years, rivaling [[Richard Nixon]]'s unpopularity at the time of the [[Watergate scandal]]. A NBC/WSJ poll<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19209733|title=Republicans abandoning Bush|date=June 13, 2007|accessdate=2007-06-14|publisher=MSNBC}}</ref> also taken in June 2007 indicated only 19% of respondents believing that the country is headed in the right direction, the lowest level recorded in 15 years.

His opponents have criticized his role in the controversial 2000 election, his way of fighting the [[War on Terrorism]], his support for the [[USA PATRIOT Act]] and the [[2003]] [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion]] of [[Iraq]], among many other acts and issues along the way, and there is currently a [[Movement to impeach George W. Bush|movement to impeach him]]. Former President [[Jimmy Carter]] has called Bush's presidency "the worst in history"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.komotv.com/news/national/7592052.html|title=Carter: Bush's presidency has been 'worst in history'|date=May 19, 2007|accessdate=2007-06-12|publisher=KomoTV}}</ref>, although he later said that comment was "careless or misinterpreted," and that he "wasn't comparing this administration with other administrations back through history, but just with President Nixon's."<ref>"[http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/21/carter.bush.ap/index.html Carter: Anti-Bush remarks 'careless or misinterpreted']", Associated Press, [[May 21]], [[2007]]. Retrieved [[May 21]], [[2007]]</ref>

== Criticisms of administration ==

=== Foreign policy and national defense ===

==== Response to September 11, 2001 attacks====
In a [[White House]] briefing on [[August 6]], [[2001]], President Bush was informed of the terrorist threat posed by [[Al Qaeda]] in a memorandum entitled "[[United States White House briefing on terror threats of August 6, 2001|Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.]]". Critics allege that these warnings were ignored.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/48/17356
|title=Bush ignored 9/11 Warnings
|author=Jason Leopold
|publisher=truthout
|date=[[January 31]] [[2006]]
|accessdate=2007-05-03
}}</ref>

He has also received criticism for publically using phrases like "bring it on" and "wanted dead or alive", both regarding terrorists. He apologized for these incidents in 2006. <ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/06/02/regrets_confessions_bring_em_on/
|title=Regrets? Confessions? Bring 'em on!
|author=Leslie Savan
|publisher=The Boston Globe
|date=[[June 2]] [[2006]]
|accessdate=2007-06-11
}}</ref>

====Iraq====
{{Refimprove|date=June 2007}}
[[Image:SebuscaBush.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Pamphlets given during a protest for Bush visit to [[Bogotá]], [[Colombia]] in March 2007, depicting his image ''a la'' [[wanted poster]]. Translation: "Wanted George W. Bush for crimes against the humanity and the planet. Reward: the right to live".]]
''Main article: [[Opposition to the Iraq War]]''

President Bush has taken a significant amount of criticism for his decision to invade Iraq in March 2003 and his handling of the situation afterwards. As President Bush organized the effort, made the case, and ordered the invasion himself, he has borne the brunt of the criticism for the war.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://baltimorechronicle.com/2006/090606HICKMAN.html
|title=Bush, Not Iraq War Critics, "Could Not Be More Wrong"
|author=John Hickman
|publisher=Baltimore Chronicle
|date=[[September 6]] [[2006]]
|accessdate=2007-01-11
}}</ref> A Newsweek poll taken in June 2007 showed a record 73% of respondents disapproving of Bush's handling of the war in Iraq<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19352087/site/newsweek|title=How Low Can Bush Go?|date=June 21, 2007|accessdate=2007-06-22|publisher=Newsweek}}</ref>.

Critics of the invasion claimed that it would lead to the deaths of thousands of Coalition soldiers and Iraqi soldiers and civilians, and that it would moreover damage peace and stability throughout the Middle East. When this later turned out to be the case, public support for Bush and his policies dropped sharply.

Another oft-stated reason for opposition is the [[Peace of Westphalia|Westphalian]] concept that foreign governments should never possess a right to intervene in another sovereign nation's internal affairs. [[Giorgio Agamben]], the Italian philosopher, has also offered a critique of the logic of such pre-emptive war.

[[Anti-war]] sentiment has led to a number of large protests in the US, among the most visible being the one led by [[Cindy Sheehan]], the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, and some reflection in electoral politics. A significant minority of mostly [[Democratic Party (US)|Democratic]] politicians, such as former Vice President Al Gore, opposed the invasion of Iraq. John Kerry, the Democratic nominee for President in 2004, voted to authorize the invasion, and said during his campaign that he stood by his vote. Howard Dean, a rival for the nomination, ran on an anti-war position, but did not favor quick troop withdrawal. Dennis Kucinich, another candidate for the Democratic nomination, favored replacement of the U.S. occupation force with one sponsored by the [[United Nations|UN]], as did [[Ralph Nader]]'s independent presidential candidacy.

====Torture====
{{main|Guantánamo Bay detainment camp|Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse}}
Another point of discussion has been whether the detainment and treatment of prisoners in the [[Abu Ghraib prison]] and the [[Guantánamo Bay detainment camp]] constitutes [[torture]] or not. Although a [http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=15160&pg=1 CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll] "found that sizable majorities of Americans disagree with tactics ranging from leaving prisoners naked and chained in uncomfortable positions for hours, to trying to make a prisoner think he was being drowned."<ref>{{cite news
| first = Toni
| last = Locy
| title = Poll: Most object to extreme interrogation tactics
| url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-12-poll-interrogation_x.htm
| work = USA TODAY
| publisher = USA TODAY
| date = [[2005-01-13]]
| accessdate = 2007-01-20
| language = eng
| quote = sizable majorities of Americans disagree with tactics
}}</ref>

President Bush has stated that "We do not torture."<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9956644/
|title=Bush: ‘We do not torture’ terror suspects
|publisher=Associated Press
|date=[[Nov 7]] [[2005]]
|accessdate=2007-01-11
}}</ref> Yet, many people and governments<ref>{{cite news
| first = Darren
| last = Carlson
| author = Darren K. Carlson
| title = Public Believes U.S. Government Has Tortured Prisoners
| url = http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=20170&pg=1
| format = fee required
| work = The Gallup Poll
| publisher = The Gallup Organization
| date = [[2005-11-29]]
| accessdate = 2007-01-20
| language = eng
| quote = [...]denying his agency tortures prisoners. But most Americans think otherwise.
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| first = Darren
| last = Carlson
| author = Darren K. Carlson
| coauthors = CNN, USA Today
| title = Americans Frown on Interrogation Techniques
| url = http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=15160&pg=1
| format = fee required
| work = The Gallup Poll
| publisher = The Gallup Organization
| date = [[2005-03-08]]
| accessdate = 2007-01-20
| language = eng
| quote = a majority of Americans think it's wrong for the government to use any of these methods
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| first = Edward
| last = Cody
| author = Edward Cody
| title = China, Others Criticize U.S. Report on Rights
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3840-2005Mar3.html
| work = Washington Post Foreign Service
| publisher = The Washington Post Company
| date = [[2005-03-04]]
| accessdate = 2007-01-20
| language = eng
| quote = No country should exclude itself from the international human rights development process
}}</ref> don't see it that way and have staged several protests.<ref>{{cite news
| title = Guantanamo protest at US embassy
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6250669.stm
| work = UK BBC NEWS
| publisher = British Broadcasting Corporation
| date = [[2007-01-11]]
| accessdate = 2007-01-20
| language = eng
| quote = More than 300 protesters gathered outside the US embassy for the hour-long demonstration.
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| first = Lena
| last = Sun
| author = Lena H. Sun
| title = As Torture Survivors Watch, Activists Stage Arrests Near White House
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/26/AR2005062600955_pf.html
| work = Washington Post News
| publisher = The Washington Post Company
| date = [[2005-06-27]]
| accessdate = 2007-01-20
| language = eng
| quote = The men and women who survived imprisonment, beatings and rapes knew ahead of time that yesterday's arrest of a group of their supporters in front of the White House was a symbolic protest to spotlight the continuing use of torture by governments around the world, including the United States.
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| first = Esteban
| last = Israel
| author = Esteban Israel
| title = Guantanamo prison draws protests worldwide
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/11/AR2007011101177_pf.html
| format = Reprint
| work = Washington Post News
| publisher = Reuters
| date = [[2007-01-11]]
| accessdate = 2007-01-20
| language = eng
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| first = Carol
| last = Leonnig
| author = Carol D. Leonnig
| title = 80 Arrested Protesting Guantanamo Detentions
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/11/AR2007011100964.html
| work = Washington Post Nation News
| publisher = The Washington Post Company
| date = [[2007-01-12]]
| accessdate = 2007-01-20
| language = eng
}}</ref> These sentiments are partly a result of the Pentagon's suggestion that the president can legally torture anyone he deems to be a threat to security,<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3783869.stm
|title=US 'not bound by torture laws'
|publisher=[[BBC News]]
|date=[[June 7]] [[2004]]
|accessdate=2007-01-11
}}</ref> and because the Bush administration has repeatedly tried to stop attempts at limiting torture,<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4530494.stm
|title=Congress presses for torture ban
|publisher=[[BBC News]]
|date=[[December 15]] [[2005]]
|accessdate=2007-01-11
}}</ref> including [[signing statement|legislation]] by President Bush to exclude himself from the laws created by the [[McCain Detainee Amendment#Signing statement by President Bush|McCain Detainee Amendment]]. Furthermore many people<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/forumy/2005/12/exporting-torture-us-rendition-and.php
|title=Exporting Torture: US Rendition and European Outrage
|author=Chandra Lekha Sriram
|publisher=[[JURIST]]
|date=[[December 13]] [[2005]]
|accessdate=2007-01-11
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.sacc.org.uk/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=189&catid=27&Itemid=41
|title=US Consul's gaffe provokes outrage in Scotland
|publisher=SACC
|date=[[January 16]] [[2006]]
|accessdate=2007-01-11
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/9350/
|title=U.S. Treatment of Terror Suspects and U.S.-EU Relations
|author=Mary Crane
|publisher=[[Council on Foreign Relations]]
|date=[[December 6]] [[2005]]
|accessdate=2007-01-11
}}</ref> are concerned by the Bush Administration's use of [[Extraordinary rendition]], where individuals are sent to other countries where torture can easily occur without any form of oversight. Bush defends this practice on the basis that:<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/04/20050428-9.html
|title=Press Conference of the President
|author=[[George W. Bush]]
|publisher=[[The White House]]
|date=[[April 28]] [[2005]]
|accessdate=2007-01-11
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4088746.stm
|title=US suspects 'face torture overseas'
|author=Dan Isaacs
|publisher=[[BBC News]]
|date= [[June 14]] [[2005]]
|accessdate=2007-01-11
}}</ref> <blockquote>[...] the United States government has an obligation to protect the American people. It's in our country's interests to find those who would do harm to us and get them out of harm's way. And we will do so within the law, and we will do so in honoring our commitment not to torture people. And we expect the countries where we send somebody to, not to torture, as well. But you bet, when we find somebody who might do harm to the American people, we will detain them and ask others from their country of origin to detain them. It makes sense. The American people expect us to do that.</blockquote>

A pentagon memo lists many interrogation techniques which were requested and approved during the presidency of George W. Bush on the basis that "The current guidelines for interrogation procedures at GTMO limit the ability of interrogators to counter advanced resistance".<ref>{{cite paper
| author = William J. Haynes II, General Counsel
| title = Counter-Resistance Techniques
| publisher = DEFENCE PENTAGON
| date = [[2002-11-27]]
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/documents/dodmemos.pdf
| format = PDF Reprint ACTION MEMO FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
| accessdate = 2007-01-21
}}</ref> The Bush administrations connections to torture has been one of the main considerations in the [[movement to impeach George W. Bush#Geneva Conventions controversy|movement to impeach George W. Bush]].

However, these arguments often suppose that the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse was in some way condoned or ordered by President Bush, when in fact <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2004/05/24/usint8614.htm |title=Summary of International and U.S. Law Prohibiting Torture and Other Ill-treatment of Persons in Custody (Human Rights Watch, 24-5-2004) |accessdate=2007-06-18 |author=Human Rights Watch |authorlink=http://hrw.org/ |date=2004-05-24 |format=HTML |work=Global Issues |publisher=Human Rights Watch |language=eng |quote=International and U.S. law prohibits torture and other ill-treatment of any person in custody in all circumstances.}}</ref> it was in violation of military and administration policies. The courts martial of the parties responsible for the prisoner abuse serve to show{{Fact|date=May 2007}} the administration's non-tolerance for such acts.

====Other human rights====

The Bush administration has been criticised for failing to support the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Bush administration "has taken the position that disability is neither a human rights issue nor a predicate for international law."<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A21060-2004Nov3
|title=Human Rights for the Disabled
|author=Thornburgh, Dick and Reich, Alan
|publisher=Washington Post
|date=[[November 3]] [[2004]]
|accessdate=2007-06-13
}}</ref>

=== Domestic policy ===

Domestic criticism of Bush has waxed and waned throughout his administration. Before 9/11, Bush was reviled by the bulk of the American left, mostly for his role in the controversial 2000 election, and for perceived shortcomings in his [[No Child Left Behind]] program for education.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/01/05/elec04.prez.bush.no.child.ap/
|title=Bush stumps for 'No Child Left Behind'
|publisher=[[CNN]]
|date=[[January 6]] [[2004 ]]
|accessdate=2007-11-01
}}</ref> The next major domestic item which Bush faced significant opposition to was his program of [[tax cuts]], codified in the [[Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001]] and the [[Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003]]. Both acts ultimately passed, but calls for their repeal lasted until the end of the [[2004 US Presidential election|2004 campaign]]. Democratic candidate [[Howard Dean]] in particular called for a repeal of the part of the tax cuts which affected the wealthiest Americans in order to fund public health care programs and reduce the federal deficit.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.trendmacro.com/a/talkingpoints/2004_01_01_tparchives.asp
|title=Tax Reform
|author=Bruce Bartlett
|publisher=TrendMacrolytics
|date=[[January 06]] [[2004]]
|accessdate=2007-11-01
}}</ref>

After Bush was re-elected, he made [[Social Security]] reform a top priority. He proposed options to permit Americans to divert a portion of their Social Security tax (FICA) into secured investments, creating a "nest egg" that he claimed would enjoy steady growth. This led Democrats to label the program a "privatization" of Social Security. Bush embarked on a 60-day tour to shore up public support for the plan, attacking the political reaction against reforms. Ultimately, however, no consensus on a plan could be reached within the congressional Republican party, and Bush was left without any political will to pass his reforms. The issue was dropped, and the status quo maintained.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/07/AR2006020701865.html
|title=Bush's Social Security Sleight of Hand
|author=Allan Sloan
|publisher=[[Washington Post]]
|date=[[February 8]] [[2006]]
|accessdate=2007-11-01
}}</ref>

Bush has been increasingly forced to defend his actions on many fronts and has been unable to generate widespread support in the nation as a whole.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htm
|title=Bush Approval Ratings
|publisher=Polling Report.com
|accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref> An example of the general displeasure and extent to which many Americans have lost respect and confidence in the President lies in his recent election as the "Biggest Tool of 2006" in an online poll created by Comedy Central.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/last_laugh_2006/poll.jhtml
|title=Bush 'Wins' Poll
|publisher=Comedy Central
|accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref>

The Republican Party's defeat in the [[2006 US midterm elections]] is taken as another sign of plummeting public support for President Bush. After the Democratic Party's victory, [[MSNBC]] reported that "The war in Iraq, scandals in Congress and declining support for Bush and Republicans on Capitol Hill defined the battle for House and Senate control".<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15620405/
|title=Democrats win control of Senate
|publisher=MSNBC
|date=[[Nov 9]] [[2006]]
|accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref>

====Civil liberties and expanding government====
After [[9/11]], Bush continually signed legislation interpreted as limiting the civil liberties of United States citizens. The two most prominent pieces of legislation are the [[USA PATRIOT Act|PATRIOT Act]] and the [[Military Commissions Act of 2006]], which remove certain privacy rights and the right of [[habeas corpus]]. Criticism has come from both sides on this issue. Conservatives have criticized him for increased government spending, including non-defense spending, after running as a candidate who pledged to reduce spending and make government smaller. Liberals have criticized him for eliminating basic civil liberties and for not fulfilling his [[United States Constitution|Constitutional]] duties to uphold habeas corpus.

====Response to Hurricane Katrina====
{{main|Criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina}}

The President would come under more criticism when the powerful category 5 [[Hurricane Katrina]] slammed into the Gulf Coast region in the early hours of [[August 30]], [[2005]]. In the wake of the hurricane, two levees protecting [[New Orleans]] from [[Lake Pontchartrain]] collapsed, leading to widespread flooding. In the aftermath of this [[NOLA#21st Century .28Hurricane Katrina.29|disaster]], thousands of city residents, unable or unwilling to evacuate prior to the hurricane, became stranded with little or no relief for several days, resulting in lawless and unsanitary conditions in some areas. Blame for inept disaster response was partially attributed to state and local authorities, but public outcry in the disaster's early hours was largely directed at the Bush administration, mainly [[FEMA]]<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/14/fema.ig/index.html
|title=Report: Criticism of FEMA's Katrina response deserved
|author=Mike M. Ahlers
|publisher=[[CNN]]
|date=[[April 14]] [[2006]]
|accessdate=2007-11-01
}}</ref> and the [[Department of Homeland Security]]<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/09/03/katrina.chertoff/
|title=Chertoff: Katrina scenario did not exist
|publisher=[[CNN]]
|date=[[September 5]] [[2005]]
|accessdate=2007-11-01
}}</ref> alleging weak crisis management and coordination. Rapper [[Kanye West]] said in a relief fund raising concert that "George Bush doesn't care about [[African Americans|black people]]," alleging that Bush did not do anything to help merely because most of the victims were black.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090300165.html
|title=Kanye West's Torrent of Criticism, Live on NBC
|author=Lisa de Moraes
|publisher=[[Washington Post]]
|date=[[September 3]] [[2005]]
|accessdate=2007-11-01
}}</ref>

The criticism led to the resignation of FEMA director [[Michael D. Brown|Michael Brown]], and eventually, Bush himself accepted personal responsibility for what he deemed, "serious problems in the federal government's response" in a [[September 15]], 2005 press conference. Currently, the administration is investigating itself, yet several politicians have called for either congressional or independent investigations, claiming that the Executive Branch cannot satisfactorily investigate itself.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/08/AR2005090802165.html
|title=Leaders Lacking Disaster Experience
|publisher=Washington Post
|author=Spencer S. Hsu
|accessdate=2007-11-01
|date=[[September 9]] [[2005]]
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.time.com/time/press_releases/article/0,8599,1109304,00.html
|title=CRONYISM in the Bush Administration
|publisher=Time
|author=Diana Pearson
|accessdate=2007-11-01
|date=[[Sep 25]] [[2005]]
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1109345,00.html
|title=How Many More Mike Browns Are Out There?
|publisher=Time
|accessdate=2007-11-01
|date=[[Sep 25]] [[2005]]
}}</ref>

====Environment====

Bush has been criticised by national environmental groups for his administration's attacks on and rollbacks of hard won environmental protections going back more than three decades and for its general anti-environmental thrust. These are in areas ranging from the attacks on the endangered species act and the clean air and water acts to climate change and many more. For a comprehensive (to date of the report) list see the National Resources Defence Council's report <i>[http://www.nrdc.org/bushrecord/2005.asp The Bush Record],</i> NRDC's comprehensive account of the Bush administration's environmental policies from 2001 through 2005. More up-to-date information can be found [http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/dpc-new.cfm?doc_name=fs-110-1-1 here]. According to MSNBC:

:<i>After four years in office, the George W. Bush administration has compiled an environmental record that is taking our nation in a new and dangerous direction. Last year alone, Bush administration agencies made more than 150 actions that weakened our environmental laws. Over the course of the first term, this administration led the most thorough and destructive campaign against America's environmental safeguards in the past 40 years.</i> [http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/rollbacks/execsum.asp]

In <i>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/05/revolvingdoor200705 Texas Chainsaw Management]</i> (2007) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argues that "The verdict on George W. Bush as the nation's environmental steward has already been written in stone. No president has mounted a more sustained and deliberate assault on the nation's environment. No president has acted with more solicitude toward polluting industries. Assaulting the environment across a broad front, the Bush administration has promoted and implemented more than 400 measures that eviscerate 30 years of environmental policy." Kennedy has also written a book <i>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060746882/ Crimes Against Nature: How George W. Bush and His Corporate Pals Are Plundering the Country and Hijacking Our Democracy].</i> See also the website [http://www.bushgreenwatch.org/ BushGreenWatch]

== Criticisms of personality==

===Leadership===

George W. Bush's leadership skills have been brought into question. One occasion was on the moment of the September 11th 2001 World Trade Center attacks: while a reading of "[[The Pet Goat]]" to elementary schoolchildren in Florida, after being told by Chief of Staff [[Andrew Card]] that "We are under attack", television cameras filmed Bush in a state of utter immobility that lasted seven minutes.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Adair
| first = Bill
| coauthors = Hegarty, Stephen
| title = The drama in Sarasota
| publisher = St. Petersburg Times
| date = 2002-09-08
| url = http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/08/911/The_drama_in_Sarasota.shtml
| accessdate = 2007-06-15 }}
</ref>
Democratic 2004 presidential candidate [[John Kerry]] cited Bush's lack of swift action, calling into question the incumbent's leadership capabilities, and concluding: "Americans want to know that the person they choose as president has all the skills and ability, all of the mental toughness, all of the gut instinct necessary to be a strong commander in chief."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/08/06/kerry_questions_bushs_wartime_leadership/|title=Kerry questions Bush's wartime leadership|publisher=[[Boston Globe]]|author=Patrick Healy|year=August 6, 2004}}</ref>

Bush's response to Katrina was also criticized widely by the media, in particular by commentators [[Frank Rich]], [[David Remnick]], [[Josh Marshall]], [[Arianna Huffington]], [[Greg Mitchell]], [[Andrew Sullivan]], and [[Howard Kurtz]], as well as others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/03/05/BL2005040700999_2.html|title=The Politics of Katrina|author=Howard Kurtz|publisher=[[Washington Post]]|year=September 7, 2005}}</ref> Remnick charges that "to a frightening degree, Bush's faults of leadership and character were brought into high relief by the [Hurricane Katrina] crisis."<ref>{{cite web|title=Under water|author=David Remnick|url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/09/12/050912ta_talk_remnick|year=September 12, 2005|publisher=[[The New Yorker]]}}</ref>

===Intellectual and psychological ability===

George W. Bush's [[intellectual]] capacities have been questioned by press, media personalities and politicians on numerous occasions.
<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/19/AR2006081900568_pf.html
| title = Pundits Renounce The President
| accessdate = 2006-09-11
| last = Baker
| first = Peter
| date = [[2006-08-20]]
| publisher = Washtington Post
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=401414
| title = Blair 'feels betrayed by Bush on Lebanon'
| accessdate = 2006-09-11
| last = Walters
| first = Simon
| date = [[2006-08-19]]
| publisher = Daily Mail
}}</ref> This tendency led to farcical hoaxes such as the [[U.S. Presidents IQ hoax]]<ref> {{cite web
| url = http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/presiq.htm
| title = President Bush Has Lowest IQ of all Presidents of past 50 Years
| accessdate = 2006-09-11
| date = [[2004-07-15]]
| publisher = snopes.com
}}</ref> A 2006 [[historiometry|historiometric]] study published in the scientific journal ''Political Psychology'', which estimated the [[IQ]]s of all US presidents since 1900, by analyzing speeches and publications by the presidents, rated him second to last, with an estimated IQ between 111.1 and 138.5, and mean of 120 (which still is well above average).<ref>{{cite journal
| author = Dean Keith Simonton
| date =
| year = 2006
| month = August
| title = Presidential IQ, Openness, Intellectual Brilliance, and Leadership: Estimates and Correlations for 42 U.S. Chief Executives
| journal = Political Psychology
| volume = 27
| pages = 511-526
| doi = 10.1111/j.1467-9221.2006.00524.x
| url = http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9221.2006.00524.x
| accessdate = 2006-09-11
}}</ref> In an interview, it was noted by the study's director that "Bush may be 'much smarter' than the findings imply" but that he "scores particularly unimpressively for '[[openness to experience]], a cognitive proclivity that encompasses unusual receptiveness to fantasy, aesthetics, actions, ideas and values.'"<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2350564,00.html
| title = Bush IQ low on presidential league
| accessdate = 2006-09-10
| last = Dobson
| first = Roger
| date = [[2006-09-10]]
| publisher = Times Online
}}</ref> As of 2001, no official IQ data for George W. Bush had been made available to the public,<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.csbsju.edu/uspp/Election/bush011401.htm
| title = Bush gets bad rap on intelligence
| accessdate = 2006-10-09
| date = [[January 14]] [[2001]]
| publisher = St. Cloud Times Online
}}</ref> and none have been published to date. It should be noted that Bush had better grades in college than either Al Gore (who still did graduate cum laude, contrary to Bush),<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A37397-2000Mar18
| title = Gore's Grades Belie Image of Studiousness
| accessdate = 2007-04-16
| date = 2000-03-19
| publisher = Washington Post
}}</ref> or John Kerry.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/benedetto/2005-06-10-benedetto_x.htm
| title = Who is smarter, Kerry or Bush?
| accessdate = 2007-04-16
| date = 2005-06-10
| publisher = USA Today
}}</ref>

===Personal behavior ===

Some of Bush's opponents use a term previously ascribed to his father, "[[Bushism]]", to describe Bush's colorful [[mispronunciation]] and misuse of words when speaking. Bushisms have been widely popularized and [http://www.dubyaspeak.com archived] across the [[Internet]] due to their often humorous nature.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/US_election_race/Story/0,,392735,00.html
| title = Bush, in his own words
| accessdate = 2006-10-09
| author = Jacob Weisberg
| date = [[November 4]] [[2000]]
| publisher = Guardian Unlimited
}}</ref> Even as early as the [[United States presidential election, 2000|2000]] [[United States presidential election debates|presidential debates]], this was the subject of a ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' sketch (see "[[Strategery]]").<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.kencollier.org/classes/PSC448/readings448/SeriousStrategery.html
| title = Serious 'Strategery' As Rove Launches Elaborate Political Effort, Some See a Nascent Clintonian 'War Room'
| accessdate = 2006-10-09
| author = Dana Milbank
| date = [[April 22]] [[2001]]
| publisher = Washington Post
}}</ref> Perhaps his most famous mispronunciation is that of "[[nucular|nu''cular'']]" instead of "nu''clear''" when referring to [[nuclear weapons]]. In addition, he is often disparagingly called "[[Dubya]]", a stereotypical Texan pronunciation of the letter "W," which is Bush's middle initial.

Also, Bush has exhibited behavior deemed shocking <ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-geyer_31edi.ART.State.Edition1.4370227.html
| title = Georgie Anne Geyer: A spreading terror
| accessdate = 2007-05-31
| author = Georgie Anne Geyer
| date = [[May 31]] [[2007]]
| publisher = Dallas Morning News
}}</ref>
and appalling<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seanpaul-kelley/bush-in-the-bunker_b_47328.html
| title = Bush in the Bunker
| accessdate = 2007-05-31
| author = Sean-Paul Kelley
| date = [[April 30]] [[2007]]
| publisher = The Huffington Post
}}</ref>
by many mainstream weblogs and publications.
A prime example is the unwelcome shoulder rub he gave German Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] at the [[G-8]] summit.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/07/19/BUSH.TMP
| title = Cowboy george: Bush's unexpected squeeze of the German chancellor has the Internet howling
| accessdate = 2007-05-31
| author = Carla Marinucci
| date = [[July 19]] [[2006]]
| publisher = San Francisco Chronicle
}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.bild.t-online.de/BTO/news/aktuell/2006/07/18/merkel-bush-liebes-attacke/merkel-bush-liebes-attacke.html
| title = Bush: Liebes-Attacke auf Merkel (Bush: Love Attack on Merkel!)
| accessdate = 2007-06-02
| date = [[May 1]] [[2007]]
| publisher = Bild
}}</ref> Other issues include an incident where Bush wiped his glasses on an unsuspecting woman's dress on the David Letterman show <ref>{{cite web|url=http://politicalhumor.about.com/cs/bushvideos/v/bushkleenex.htm|publisher=About.com|accessdate=2007-06-12|title=Bush Uses Woman's Clothing As Kleenex }}</ref>, an incident when he was younger, when he ruined a rented house in Montgomery Alabama and never paid for it <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/6487413/alabama_getaway|publisher=Rolling Stone|accessdate=2007-06-12|title=Alabama Getaway }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/09/02/allison/index.html?pn=2|publisher=Salon.com|accessdate=2007-06-12|title=George W. Bush's missing year}}</ref> and Bush making a middlefinger gesture in front of a camera during his time as governor <ref>{{cite web|url=http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/bushvideos/v/bushflipbird.htm|publisher=About.com|accessdate=2007-06-12|title=Bush's One-Fingered Victory Salute}}</ref>.

Another more recent example is during a commemorative ceremony in which Bush presented the mothers of fallen soldiers with a Presidential coin, in which he jokingly commented to one of them "now don't go sell it on eBay". <ref>{{cite web
| url = http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/05/bush_to_mother_.html
| title = Bush to mother: Don't sell on eBay
| accessdate = 2007-06-05
| author = Mark Silva
| date = [[May 31]] [[2007]]
| publisher = Chicago Tribune
}}</ref>

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

==See also==
{{George W. Bush}}

==External links==
*[http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/worst_president_in_history/page/1 "The Worst President in History?"], 2006, [[Rolling Stone]] article by [[Princeton University]] historian [[Sean Wilentz]]
*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120101509.html "He's the Worst Ever"], Dec. 3, 2006, [[The Washington Post]] column by [[Columbia University]] historian [[Eric Foner]]
*[http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=309706&sid=WOR "Faux Pas"]

<div style="clear:both"></div>
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

[[Category:Criticisms|Bush, George W.]]
[[Category:George W. Bush]]

Dog

2007-07-04T22:05:28Z

Hellosun:

[[Image:George W. Bush public opinion polling.png|thumb|[[CBS News]]/[[New York Times]] Bush [[public opinion polling]] from February 2001 to March 2007. Blue denotes "approve", red "disapprove", and gray "unsure". Large increases in approval followed the September 11 attacks and the beginning of the 2003 Iraq conflict.]]
'''[[George W. Bush]]''', the [[POTUS|President]] of the [[United States of America]], has inspired a variety of perceptions regarding his policies, personality and performance as a [[head of state]]. In the U.S. and elsewhere, [[journalists]], [[opinion poll|polling]] organizations and others have documented the expression of an evolving array of [[public opinion|opinions]] of President Bush. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine named George W. Bush as its [[Person of the Year]] for 2000<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.time.com/time/personoftheyear/2004/
| title = Person of the Year President George W. Bush American Revolutionary
| accessdate = 2006-09-09
| year = 2004
| work = [[TIME]] Magazine
}}</ref> and 2004,<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.time.com/time/poy2000/
| title = And the Winner Finally Is...… George W. Bush
| accessdate = 2006-09-09
| year = 2000
| work = [[TIME]] Magazine
}}</ref> hailing him as the most influential person during these two years. Bush began his presidency with [[approval rating]]s near 50%.<ref name=ApprovalRatingsOverTime>{{cite web
| url = http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/cgi-bin/hsrun.exe/Roperweb/PresJob/PresJob.htx;start=HS_fullresults?pr=Bush
| title = Job Performance Ratings for President Bush
| accessdate = 2006-09-09
| author = Roper Center
| year = 2006
}}</ref> In the time of national crisis following the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], Bush enjoyed approval ratings of greater than 85%, maintaining 80–90% approval for four months after the attacks. Since then, his approval ratings and approval of handling of domestic and foreign policy issues have steadily dropped. Polls conducted in early 2006 showed an average of around 40% for Bush, up slightly from the previous September, but still historically low from a President coming off of his [[State of the Union Address]], which generally provides a boost. As of July 1, 2007, Bush's approval rating is estimated to be 28.9%.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.pollster.com
| title = Pollster
}}</ref>
==Background==
At the beginning of his first term, Bush was regarded by some as lacking legitimacy due to his narrow victory in Florida and the attendant controversy surrounding his electoral college victory, which included accusations of vote suppression and tampering. Bush has also been accused of squandering opportunities for uniting Americans across party lines. While routinely criticized by Democrats, Bush has also divided Republicans, American celebrities, and sports and media personalities, many of whom have engaged in heated criticism of Bush. Activist and filmmaker [[Michael Moore]]'s 2004 movie ''[[Fahrenheit 9/11]]'' accused Bush of using public sentiments following 9/11 for political purposes and lying about the cause for war in Iraq. Bush has also been subject to criticism in the international community: he has been targeted by the global anti-war and anti-globalization campaigns, and criticized for his foreign policy. Bush's policies were also the subject of heated criticism in the 2002 elections in Germany<ref>{{cite journal
| title= Die außenpolitischen Positionen der Parteien im Bundestagswahlkampf 2002
| year=2002
| author= M. Overhaus, S. Schieder
| journal= Politik im Netz| volume 3
| url= http://www.deutsche-aussenpolitik.de/daparchive/dateien/2002/01300.pdf}}</ref> and the 2006 elections in Canada.<ref>{{cite news
|author = CBC News
|url = http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/realitycheck/americans.html
|title = Was the American ambassador meddling in a Canadian election?
|publisher = CBC.ca Reality Check Team
|date = [[2005-12-14]]
|accessdate = 2006-09-23
}}</ref> Bush has been openly condemned by centrist, liberal and leftist politicians such as [[Gerhard Schröder]], [[Jean Chrétien]], [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]], [[Romano Prodi]], [[Paul Martin]], and [[Hugo Chávez]]. Diplomatic visits made by Bush have been characterized by protests, sometimes of a significant scale.
[[Image:Blair Bush 2006.jpg|thumb|300px|left|George W. Bush answering a reporter’s question during a joint press availability with [[Prime Minister]] [[Tony Blair]] in the East Room of the [[White House]], [[July 28]], [[2006]]. White House photo by Paul Morse]]
Bush has enjoyed strong support among Republicans and Americans holding conservative and pro-military views, and for the 2004 elections, 95-98% of the Republican electorate approved of and voted for Bush, a figure exceeding the approval of [[Ronald Reagan]]. This support has waned, however, due mostly to Republicans' growing frustration with Bush on the issues of spending and illegal immigration. Some Republicans have even begun criticizing Bush on his policies in Iraq, Iran and the Palestinian territories.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-15-rice-request_x.htm
| title = Republicans criticize Rice over Bush Mideast policy
| accessdate = 2006-09-09
| author = Associated Press
| date = [[2006-02-15]]
}}</ref> Bush has also enjoyed strong personal and working relationships with foreign leaders such as [[Tony Blair]], [[John Howard]], [[Junichiro Koizumi]], [[Angela Merkel]], [[Stephen Harper]], and [[Ehud Olmert]], as well as good rapport with [[Vladimir Putin]] and [[Vicente Fox]]. Here, tensions have arisen, such as the cooling of the relationship between Bush and Putin.<ref name=LeeryofPutin>{{cite web
| url = http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20060721-9999-1n21usrussia.html
| title = Bush, White House now leary of Putin as Russian turns back on democracy
| accessdate = 2006-09-09
| author = Condon, George E. Jr.
| date = [[2006-07-21]]
| publisher = San Diego Union Tribune
}}</ref> Privately, Bush has expressed regret at the effusiveness he displayed after his first meeting with Putin. "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy...I was able to get a sense of his soul."<ref name=LeeryofPutin />

From time to time, Bush's [[intellectual]] capacities have been questioned by the media<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/19/AR2006081900568_pf.html
| title = Pundits Renounce The President
| accessdate = 2006-09-11
| last = Baker
| first = Peter
| date = [[2006-08-20]]
| publisher = Washtington Post
}}</ref> and other politicians<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=401414
| title = Blair 'feels betrayed by Bush on Lebanon'
| accessdate = 2006-09-11
| last = Walters
| first = Simon
| date = [[2006-08-19]]
| publisher = Daily Mail
}}</ref> leading to speculation about his [[IQ]], of which no official record is known.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.csbsju.edu/uspp/Election/bush011401.htm
| title = Bush gets bad rap on intelligence
| accessdate = 2006-10-09
| date = [[January 14]] [[2001]]
| publisher = St. Cloud Times Online
}}</ref>

Detractors tend to cite the various linguistic errors made by Bush during his public speeches (colloquially known as [[Bushisms]]).<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/US_election_race/Story/0,,392735,00.html
| title = Bush, in his own words
| accessdate = 2006-10-09
| author = Jacob Weisberg
| date = [[November 4]] [[2000]]
| publisher = Guardian Unlimited
}}</ref> Bush's habit of [[mispronunciation|mispronouncing]] words has received much ridicule in the media and in popular culture. Even as early as the [[United States presidential election, 2000|2000]] [[United States presidential election debates|presidential debates]], this was the subject of a ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' sketch (see [[Strategery]]).<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.kencollier.org/classes/PSC448/readings448/SeriousStrategery.html
| title = Serious 'Strategery' As Rove Launches Elaborate Political Effort, Some See a Nascent Clintonian 'War Room'
| accessdate = 2006-10-09
| author = Dana Milbank
| date = [[April 22]] [[2001]]
| publisher = Washington Post
}}</ref> Perhaps his most famous mispronunciation is that of "[[nucular|nu''cular'']]" instead of "nu''clear''". It should be noted, however, that he is not the only American president to have done this, and that [http://m-w.com/dictionary/nuclear Merriam-Webster Online] considers this an acceptable pronunciation (though adding a footnote defending its inclusion).<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www-csli.stanford.edu/~nunberg/nucular.html
| title = Going Nucular
| accessdate = 2006-10-09
| author = Geoffrey Nunberg
| date = [[October 2]] [[2002]]
| publisher = Washington Post
}}</ref>

[[Image:Bush_belfast.jpg|thumb|230px|A mural of President Bush in [[West Belfast|West]] [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]], depicting the local population's perception of his foreign policy and relationship with the British government.]]
In 18 of 21 countries surveyed around the world, a majority of respondents were found to hold an unfavorable opinion of Bush. Respondents indicated that they judged his administration as "negative" for world security.<ref> {{cite web
| url = http://www.globescan.com/news_archives/bbcpoll.html
| title = In 18 of 21 Countries Polled, Most See Bush’s Reelection as Negative for World Security
| accessdate = 2006-09-24
| date = [2004]
| publisher = [[BBC World Service]] and [[Program on International Policy Attitudes]]
}}</ref><ref> {{cite web
| url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/04/world/main604135.shtml
| title = Polls: World Not Pleased With Bush
| accessdate = 2006-09-24
| date = March 4, 2004
| publisher = [[Associated Press]]
}}</ref> A poll taken in mid September of 2006 indicated that 48 percent of Americans believed the war with Iraq has made the U.S. less safe, while 41 percent believed the war has made the U.S. safer from terrorism.<ref> {{cite web
| url = http://www.pollingreport.com/iraq.htm
| title = Iraq
| accessdate = 2006-09-24
| date = September, 2006
| publisher = [[USA Today]] [[Gallup poll]]
}}</ref> Another poll shows that a majority of Americans, by a margin of 61 to 35 percent, believe that the United States is not better off because of Bush's policies.<ref> {{cite web
| url = http://www.pollingreport.com/bush.htm
| title = President Bush and the Bush Administration
| accessdate = 2006-09-24
| date = September, 2006
| publisher = [[Los Angeles Times]] [[Bloomberg L.P.]]
}}</ref> Another poll conducted in Britain placed Bush at the second biggest "threat to the world peace" right after [[Bin Laden]], and topped [[North Korea]]n dictator [[Kim Jong-Il]].<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1938434,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12 British believe Bush is more dangerous than Kim Jong-il]</ref>
According to poll taken in November of 2006, [[Finns]] just as British believe that Bush is second biggest "threat to the world peace" right after [[Bin Laden]]. [[Kim Jong-Il]] came 3rd in poll and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hassan Nasrallah share 4th position.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/200611115352441_uu.shtml
| title = He uhkaavat maailman turvallisuutta (They threat the world peace)
| accessdate = 2006-11-11
| last =
| first =
| date = [[2006-11-11]]
| publisher = Iltalehti
}}</ref>

Some people, such as [[Benjamin Ferencz]], a chief prosecutor at the [[Nuremberg trials]], hold the view that Bush should be tried for war crimes along with Saddam Hussein for starting "aggressive" wars. They argue that the US-led invasion was a war of aggression, and therefore under the [[Nuremberg Principles]] it constitutes the supreme international crime from which all other war crimes follow.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/138319/1/
| title = Bush and Saddam Should Both Stand Trial, Says Nuremberg Prosecutor
| accessdate = 2006-09-09
| last = Glantz
| first = Aaron
| date = [[2006-08-25]]
| publisher = OneWorld
}}</ref>

Other experts have also regarded the Bush Administration's decision to invade Iraq as the supreme international crime, a crime against the peace: "There was no authorization from the U.N. Security Council ... and that made it a crime against the peace," said [[Francis Boyle]], professor of international law, who also said the U.S. Army's field manual required such authorization for an offensive war. However, historians point out that every [[U.N. Security Council#Permanent members|permanent member of the U.N. Security Council]] has undertaken at least one war without the council's permission or endorsement, and no such authorization came from the U.N. in other U.S. led wars and/or interventions such as [[Vietnam]], [[Haiti]], [[Kosovo]], [[Panama]] or [[Grenada]], or for that matter President [[Jimmy Carter]]'s attempt to rescue American hostages during the [[Iran Hostage Crisis]].<ref>[http://www.cfr.org/publication/5564/un_blessing_is_just_a_frill_for_a_us_war_in_iraq.html]</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003207442_watada18m.html
| title = Iraq war bashed at hearing for soldier who wouldn't go
| accessdate = 2006-09-09
| last = Bernton
| first = Hal
| date = 2006-08-18
| publisher = The Seattle Times
}}</ref>

==Domestic==
{{see also|Criticism of George W. Bush}}

[[Image:Bush approval ratings line graph.png|thumb|left|Bush approval rating from February 2001 to August 2006. Notable spikes in his approval rating followed the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], and the beginning of the [[2003 Iraq conflict]].]]

Bush began his presidency with [[approval rating]]s near 50%.<ref name=ApprovalRatingsOverTime>{{cite web|url=http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/cgi-bin/hsrun.exe/Roperweb/PresJob/PresJob.htx;start=HS_fullresults?pr=Bush|title=Job Performance Ratings for President Bush|publisher=Roper Center}}</ref> Following the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], Bush held approval ratings of greater than 85%, among the highest for any President. Since then, his approval ratings and approval of his handling of domestic, economic, and foreign policy issues have steadily declined. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/pa/presidentialRatings.cfm|title=President Bush’s Approval Ratings|publisher=Ipsos News Center}}</ref>.

In 2002, Bush had the highest approval rating of any president during a midterm congressional election since [[Dwight Eisenhower]]. In an unusual deviation from the historical trend of midterm elections, the Republican Party regained control of the [[United States Senate|Senate]] and added to its majority in the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]. Typically, the President's party loses congressional seats in the midterm elections; 2002 marked only the third midterm election since the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] that the party in control of the White House gained seats in both houses of Congress (others were [[United States House election, 1902|1902]] and [[United States House election, 1934|1934]]).

In 2003, Bush's approval spiked upward at the time of the [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster]] in February. The upward trend continued through the invasion of Iraq in March. By late 2003, when presidential opponents began their campaigns in earnest, his approval numbers were in the low to middle 50s. Most polls tied the decline to growing concern over the [[U.S.-led occupation of Iraq]] and a slow recovery from the 2001 recession. Polls of May 2004 showed anywhere from a 53% <ref>{{cite web|title=President Bush Job Approval |url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/Bush_Job_Approval.htm|publisher=Rasmussen Reports}}</ref> to a 46 % approval rating. <ref>{{cite web|title=Race too close to call|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/polls/usatodaypolls.htm|publisher=USA Today}}</ref>

Polls conducted in early 2006 showed an average of around 40% for Bush, relatively low for a president coming off of his [[State of the Union Address]], which generally provides a boost.

In April 2006, the president's approval in the polls continued the trend. Four states continue to maintain a positive approval rating: [[Utah]], [[Wyoming]], [[Idaho]] and [[Nebraska]]. His disapproval rating in traditionally [[red states]] had risen, with higher than 60% of voters disapproving in [[Ohio]], [[Florida]], [[Arkansas]], [[New Mexico]], [[Nevada]], [[Colorado]], [[Virginia]], [[Missouri]] and [[Iowa]]. Even in his conservative-spun homestate of [[Texas]], disapproval reached 51 percent. His disapproval rating in several American states had reached an all time high, with more than 70% disapproving in [[Rhode Island]], [[Massachusetts]], [[Delaware]], [[Vermont]] and [[New York]]. His highest approval rating stood at 55% in [[Utah]], and his lowest, 24%, in [[Rhode Island]].<ref>{{cite web|title=50 State POTUS 04/06 Sort By State|url=http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2006/06041850StatePOTUSApproval.html|publisher=SurveyUSA}}</ref>

In [[July 10]], [[2006]], an average of major polls indicated that Bush's approval rating stood at 39.4%.<ref>{{cite web|title=Average of major polls|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/archive/?poll_id=19|publisher=Real Clear Politics}}</ref>

In polls conducted between [[August 7]] and [[August 16]], 2006, Bush's average approval rating was 37.0%, and his average disapproval rating was 57.3%.<ref>{{cite web|title=RealClearPolitics Poll Averages|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/archive/?poll_id=19|publisher=Real Clear Politics}}</ref>

At the conclusion of 2006, an [[Associated Press|AP]]-[[AOL]] News telephone poll of 1,004 adults found President George W. Bush to be both the top villain and hero of the year.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://wcbstv.com/watercooler/watercooler_story_362133530.html|title=Poll: President Bush Top Villain Of 2006|date = [[2006-12-28]]|accessdate= 2007-02-14|publisher=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> The president was followed in the villain poll by [[Osama bin Laden]], who took in 8 percent to Bush's 25 percent, [[Saddam Hussein]] (6 percent) and Iran's [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] (5 percent). In the hero poll, Bush's 13 percent was followed by: Soldiers/troops in Iraq (6 percent), [[Jesus Christ]] (3 percent), [[Barack Obama]] (3 percent) and [[Oprah Winfrey]] (3 percent).<ref>{{cite news|title=Hero or villain? Depends on your point of view|url=http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061229/OPINION/612290323/1014|date=[[December 29]] [[2006]]|publisher=[[Chillicothe Gazette]]|author=Lori McNelly}}</ref>

Polls conducted after Bush's [[Iraq Troop Surge|Troop Surge]] strategy was announced in January 2007 showed his approval rating had dropped to approximately 32.0%. A recent poll by Mirror also suggested that 48% of the Americans believe Bush to have the lowest intelligence of all post WWII Presidents.

===December 2005 Rasmussen poll on Iraq===
A poll by Rasmussen Reports on [[10 December]] [[2005]] asked, "Should President Bush be impeached and removed from office?" 32% said "yes," and 58% said "no."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2005/Impeachment.htm|title=32% Favor Bush Impeachment
|publisher=Rasmussen Reports}}</ref> Earlier polls asked conditional versions of the impeachment question. For example, Zogby International on [[November 2]], [[2005]] asked whether respondents agreed with the statement, "If President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment." Americans agreed with this, 53% to 42%. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.impeachpac.org/?q=node/6|title=53% of Americans Support Impeachment|publisher=ImpeachPAC}}</ref>

===October 2006 Newsweek poll on impeachment===
A poll by Newsweek on [[19 October]] [[2006]] revealed that 51% of respondents believed that the impeachment of George W. Bush should be a priority. <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15357623/site/newsweek/page/2/</ref> This poll drew the ironic jab of political commentators, with comparisons to Bush referring to his 2004 election margin of 51% as a mandate.<ref>http://www.wonkette.com/politics/impeachment/its-a-mandate-209624.php</ref>

==Global criticism of Bush==
[[Image:Schröder and Bush.jpg|thumb|Former German chancellor [[Gerhard Schröder]] and President Bush, 2001]]
[[Image:Dailymirror.jpg|left|thumb|Coverage of Bush's re-election in 2004 by the British ''[[Daily Mirror]]''. The ''Mirror'' has carried a number of front pages hostile to G.W. Bush, as have other [[Europe]]an newspapers and magazines.]]
[[Image:Bush and Chirac.jpg|thumb|President Bush and [[President of the French Republic|French President]] [[Jacques Chirac]] during the [[27th G8 summit]], [[July 21]], [[2001]].]]

Opinions of Bush from outside the U.S. are generally less favorable. For example, a global sampling of 21 nations found that 58% of those sampled believed that George Bush's re-election would have a negative impact on their peace and security. Only 26% believed it would have a positive one.<ref name=globescan>[http://www.globescan.com/news_archives/bbcpoll.html Globe Scan poll] for the [[Program on International Policy Attitudes]]</ref>

===In specific countries===
The [[United Kingdom|U.K.]] ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' newspaper ran the following headline the day of Bush's reelection: “How Can 59,054,087 People Be So Dumb?”, underlining Bush's unpopularity in some sections of the British press. Among the population of Britain, two-thirds of the population holds a dim view of Bush, a figure that is duplicated in Canada. Bush fares slightly better in Mexico and Italy, where just over half of the population has a negative view, but much worse in other countries. “Three-quarters of those in Spain and more than 80% in France and Germany had a negative view of Mr. Bush's role in world affairs."<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/04/world/main604135.shtml Polls: World Not Pleased With Bush], report by CBS News of a survey conducted by [http://www.ap-ipsosresults.com/ Ipsos] for the [[Associated Press]], March 4, 2004</ref> In Turkey, 72% of those polled said that George Bush's re-election made them “feel worse about Americans".<ref name=globescan />
In November 2006, a survey taken in Britain, Mexico, and Canada showed that they believe Bush is more dangerous than the North Korean leader, [[Kim Jong-il]], and the President of Iran, [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]]. <ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1938434,00.html British believe Bush is more dangerous than Kim Jong-il], report by The Guardian of a survey conducted by the Guardian in Britain and leading newspapers in Israel (Haaretz), Canada (La Presse and Toronto Star) and Mexico (Reforma) November 3, 2006</ref>

===Islamic world===
In Islamic countries, opinion of Bush is even less favorable. In these Islamic countries, Bush's unfavorable ratings are particularly high, often over 90%.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/02/opinion/02wright.html What Would Machiavelli Do?] --Robert Wright, ‘’[[The New York Times]], August 2, 2004</ref> In Jordan, for example, Bush’s favorable rating is only nine percent.<ref name=ICM>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/america/finaldata.pdf ‘’What the World Thinks of America’’] Poll results prepared by ICM research for the BBC</ref>

===Favorable opinion===
Bush enjoys somewhat more favorable views among the populations of some allied states, though they are usually a minority of the countries polled. In one multi-nation poll after Bush’s 2004 re-election, India and the Philippines were the only countries (out of 21 that were polled) where a majority (about 60%) saw his return to office as positive for peace and security in the world.<ref name=globescan /> In one poll of ten countries, [[Israel]] was the only country where the population had a net favorable opinion, with 62 percent favoring Bush.<ref name=ICM />

==References==
<div class="references-small">
<references/>
</div>

==See also==
{{George W. Bush}}

==External links==

*[http://pollingreport.com/ Pollingreport.com: a nonpartisan compilation of published scientific polls]
[[Category:George W. Bush]]