Former US president George W. Bush is now more popular than Barack Obama, according to a new poll showing that the Bush family name is becoming less toxic with the American public. (Topnews.in Image)
Telegraph.co.uk – Former U.S. president George W. Bush is now more popular than Barack Obama, according to a new poll showing that the Bush family name is becoming less toxic with the American public.
The findings of the CNN/ORC poll will provide a measure of encouragement for Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and younger brother of George W. Bush as he prepares to launch his expected 2016 presidential campaign next month.
At the same time, polls show Hillary Clinton, the Democrat front-runner for president in 2016, facing a sharp decline in her trustworthiness after a string of negative news stories over her lack of transparency and the finances of the Clintons’ charitable foundation.
More than half – 52 per cent – of Americans now have a favourable view of George W. Bush, who left office in 2009 with the lowest approval ratings of any president in recent history, his reputation scarred by the world financial crisis, Hurricane Katrina and the fallout from the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Experts attributed Mr. Bush’s mild resurgence to the general softening of attitudes over time, and the fact that Mr Obama is now starting to “own” some of the blame for the continuing disintegration of the Middle East.
Asked in the same poll whose policies were more at fault for the current problems in Iraq, 44 per cent blamed Mr Obama and 43 per cent Mr Bush.
Larry Sabato
“Former presidents become golden oldies over time. As they recede into history their favorables tend to go up,” said Professor Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
“However, when they become part of current partisan politics, they sink again. Bill Clinton’s ratings have suffered lately because of Hillary’s candidacy, and should Jeb Bush become the GOP nominee -far from a sure thing – George W. Bush’s ratings will take a dive again.”
