Gallup Finds Bush Approval Rating at New Low -- and Compares to Other Presidents

By: E&P Staff A Gallup poll analysis released Tuesday finds President Bush's job approval rating at the lowest of his presidency and, at 47.4%, below 50% for only the second time.

This compares to the following at the same point in their time in office: Eisenhower 63.6%, Reagan 58.7%, Clinton 56.3, Truman 48.7%, Nixon 44% (during Watergate) and Johnson 42% (at a low point in the Vietnam war).

By Gallup's chart, Bush's current rating is 171st out of 236 for any quarter of a year, going back to Truman in the White House.

?Broadly speaking,? Gallup comments, ?presidents who have had similar quarterly averages to Bush's most recent one did not show much improvement going forward ?

?Clearly, Bush is off to an inauspicious start to his second term in office. He had average a 62% approval rating during his first term in office.?