The results of the poll showed that 36% of those polled approved of President Bush’s overall job performance;
“The President’s poll numbers remained largely static since our August poll,” said David E. Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision, LLC, who conducted the poll. “In our August poll, we had seen Republicans who had previously been registering disapproval on the President’s job handling moving back into the fold. This movement was blunted in September. The President is being hindered by concern over the economy and the war in Iraq which continues to be his Achilles Heal.”
When Republicans were asked if they viewed President Bush as a conservative in the mode of Ronald Reagan, 8% said yes; 73% said no; and 19% were undecided.
“This question continues to be a problem for the President,” said Johnson. “Originally, in 2000, he portrayed himself as a Reagan Republican and maintained strong support among base Republicans because of this. Today, he is no longer viewed that way. In order to really move his overall numbers, the President must reconnect with Republicans and convince them that he is a true Reagan conservative.”
When asked if voters approved or disapproved of the way Congress is handling its job, 17% approved; 69% disapproved;
“For Democrats the good news should be that the President’s poll numbers are so low in a state like Florida that it may affect Republican candidates, yet the flip side is that voters don’t approve of the Democratic Congress which could hurt incumbents like Tim Mahoney,” said Johnson. “The current Congress continues to be the one of the most unpopular in recent memory with dissatisfaction widespread.”
When asked if they believed Democrats in Congress had a better plan to resolve the Iraq War then President Bush, 16% said yes; 65% said no; and 19% were undecided.
“This question demonstrates that Iraq can be troublesome for Democrats as well as Republicans, with large numbers of Democrats not believing that their Party has a viable plan to end Iraq,” said Johnson.
When asked if they favored an immediate withdrawal of United States military forces from Iraq within 6 months, 54% said yes; 34% said no; and 12% were undecided.
“The number favoring a swift withdrawal from Iraq increased since August with a sharp increase in North Florida,” said Johnson.
The poll showed 67% of respondents approving of Governor Charlie Crist’s job performance;
“While Governor Crist remains one of the most popular some of the luster is beginning to wear off in his approval numbers,” said Johnson. “Interestingly the largest group expressing disapproval at his job performance are social conservative Republicans.”
Senator Bill Nelson received a job approval of 52%; with 33% disapproving;
“Senator Martinez has yet to make a strong impression on Florida voters and is being hurt because he is seen too close to the President,” said Johnson.
The poll asked Republican respondents their choices for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2008. The results were, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani with 35%; former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson 24%; former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney 9%; Arizona Senator John McCain 6%; former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee 5%; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich 4%; Texas Congressman Ron Paul 3%; Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo 2%; Kansas Senator Sam Brownback 1%; California Congressman Duncan Hunter 1%; and 10% undecided.
“Thompson increased his support in Florida by 6% since our August poll yet still trails Giuliani by double digits,” said Johnson. “Hurting Thompson is the presence of Romney and Huckabee who are taking conservative support that would otherwise coalesce around Thompson. Giuliani receives his strongest support in South Florida and Tampa Bay, while Thompson scores best in Central Florida and North Florida.”
When Republicans were asked how important it was for their presidential candidate to be conservative in the mode of Ronald Reagan, 46% said very important; 23% said somewhat important; 6% said not very important; 13% said not important; and 12% were undecided.
“The candidate who can best identify with this desire for a Reagan-like candidate will be the one who will win,” said Johnson.
The poll asked Democrats their choice for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2008. New York Senator Hillary Clinton led with 44%; Illinois Senator Barack Obama 22%; former North Carolina Senator John Edwards with 12%; New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson with 6%; Delaware Senator Joseph Biden with 2%; Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd with 1%; Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich received 1%; and 12% undecided.
“Clinton increased her lead which is a trend that we are seeing in other states and clearly dominates the race and leads in all regions in the state,” said Johnson. “Most significantly is that Edwards and Richardson both lost support since August while Obama stayed static.”
When Democratic voters were asked what they most looked for in a presidential candidate, charisma, experience, or ideology, 35% selected ideology; 32% selected experience; 17% said charisma; and 16% were undecided.
“Clinton is seen as the more experienced and ideological candidate which explains her lead over Obama, the candidate of charisma,” said Johnson.
Strategic Vision, LLC is an Atlanta-headquartered public relations and public affairs agency. Results are based on telephone interviews with 1200 likely voters in Florida, aged 18+, and conducted September 21-23, 2007. The margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. Additional information on Strategic Vision, LLC may be obtained at www.strategicvision.biz.
