Bush Has Lost the South

The AP reports that a majority in 5 Southern states now DISapprove of George W. Bush.

In the survey, 52 percent of respondents said they disapproved or strongly disapproved of Bush's job performance, compared to 43 percent who said they approved or strongly approved.

Asked whether the war with Iraq was worth fighting, a slim majority - 51 percent - said no, while just 44 percent said yes.

All five of the states polled - Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida - went to Bush in the 2004 presidential election by margins ranging from 58 percent in South Carolina and Georgia to 52 percent in Florida.

This is pretty incredible. This was the 'base' (pun intended) that got Dear Leader elected.

Fifty-six percent of people disapproved of Bush's handling of the Iraq conflict. In North Carolina and Florida, roughly 4 in 10 people surveyed expressed strong disapproval of the president on Iraq.

Fifty-two percent said they believe the Iraq war has put the United States more at risk of terrorist attack, compared to 31 percent who said America is now less at risk and 14 percent who said the risk remains about the same as it was before the war. And in Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, more than 50 percent of respondents said they did not believe the Iraq war was worthwhile.

Of those polled, 46 percent said they voted Republican in the 2004 presidential election, while 42 percent said they voted Democratic. When asked which party they will support this year, 33 percent said Democrats and 27 percent said Republicans.

"What jumps out at you here is the difference in drop-off for Democrats and Republicans," Bacot said, adding that Bush's unpopularity could prove a drag on Republican incumbents who won with 55 percent or less of the vote in 2004.

All good news. Let's see how it pans out.

Bush Approval Rating South