SALON

Tuesday, Jun 7, 2005 8:29 PM UTC

Will the skipper sink the GOP in ’06?

President Bush's poll numbers continue looking dismal.

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Topics: 2006 Elections, Iraq war, War Room,

President Bush continues to talk up the progress the U.S. military is making in Iraq, but his relentless optimism isn’t having much of an impact on public opinion. According to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll, 58 percent of Americans disapprove of Bush’s handling of Iraq — which, the Post pointed out, marks the 13th consecutive month a majority of Americans have disapproved of his management of the war. In fact, the president’s policy of ignoring public opinion may be catching up with him; 58 percent of poll respondents also said Bush is ignoring the public’s concerns and focusing on issues that are not important to them.

The full poll results won’t be available until Tuesday evening, so it’s hard to know if respondents were specific about where they think Bush should back off. But Tuesday afternoon’s Post speculated that “partisan squabbles” and controversy over judicial nominees have fueled the perception that the president is out of touch with the electorate.

Bush is losing big particularly among self-described political independents, 68 percent of whom said they disagree with the president’s priorities. The Post characterized the potential loss of those independent voters as “ominous” news for the GOP: “That suggests Bush’s mixed record in the second term on issues the public views as critical — particularly on Iraq and the economy — may be as much a liability for GOP candidates in next year’s mid-term election as his performance in his first term was an asset to Republican congressional hopefuls last year and in 2002.”

Page Rockwell

Page Rockwell is Salon's editorial project manager. More Page Rockwell.

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Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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