A majority of Wisconsin residents do not want President Bush re-elected this fall, according to the latest Badger Poll.
The poll, co-sponsored by The Capital Times and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reveals that 54 percent of the state’s citizens hope to see someone other than George Bush in office next year. Only 38 percent of Wisconsinites said they favored re-electing George Bush.
Fifty-three percent of those polled rated Bush’s job performance as “fair” or “poor” while 46 percent said they thought the president was doing an “excellent” or “good” job.
Although the results could negatively affect Bush’s chances in Wisconsin, the president’s supporters say the results are skewed due to the primary and the large influence Democratic candidates currently have in the state.
“At this time, it is common for the President’s approval rating to go down,” Matt Seaholm, a member of Students for Bush, said. “He’s been taking hits left and right from the Democrats. While they’re out campaigning, he is busy governing the country.”
Many Bush supporters pointed to the large press time devoted to the democratic primary as reason for the Badger Poll results.
“Democratic candidates for president are given huge amount of time on TV,” Republican Party of Wisconsin spokesman Chris Lato said. “They are getting on TV and bashing George Bush.”
Chair of College Democrats of Madison Ryan Grady, however, feel things will only get worse for Bush’s popularity in the state once the primary is over.
“Once someone wins the nomination, I think you will see his approval ratings at a low point.”
Bush’s struggle in Wisconsin is not unexpected due to the state’s more liberal electorate, Lato said. A close race is inevitable in the state due to the 2000 election results, when George Bush lost Wisconsin by only 5,780 votes — less than one vote per ward.
“It’s a race we know is going to be close,” Lato said.
The Badger Poll also looked at democratic candidates popularity in the state. Among democrats polled, 32 percent said they preferred John Kerry as the Democratic nominee, with Gen. Wesley Clark, Gov. Howard Dean, D-Vt., and Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., each receiving about one third that amount of support. Joseph Lieberman was in the race when the polls were conducted, meaning the numbers may have shifted slightly since his concession.
Don Eggert, co-chair of Students for Kerry, claims the poll’s results come from John Kerry’s appeal as the candidate most able to beat President Bush.
“There is an absolute premium on electability,” Eggert said. “One of the things John Kerry says is don’t just to send a message, send a president.”
Kerry is the current frontrunner in the Democratic primary after winning seven states thus far in the contest. Clark and Edwards each currently have under their belts a win in one state, while Dean has not yet captured a victory yet.
The Wisconsin primary is set to take center stage as the candidates criss-cross the state campaigning in the days leading up to Feb. 17 to capture Wisconsin’s delegates.
“At this point, Wisconsin could be the place where it is all decided. You might not even have to wait for Super Tuesday,” Eggert said.
