For Immediate Release                                                                             Pia Carusone

February 7, 2008                                                                                      (603)225-6899

How Low Can He Go? Bush's Approval Rating Hits Rock-bottom
Voters Blame Bush for Economic Downturn

(Manchester, NH)- In a new Granite State Poll released today, Andy Smith reports that George Bush's abysmal approval ratings are a direct result of his mismanagement of the economy.
 
According to Smith, "only 26 percent of New Hampshire adults say they approve of the job Bush is doing as president." He goes on to report that "70 percent of political independents disapprove."
 
"Frankly, I'm not surprised by this news," said Raymond Buckley Chair of the NH Democratic Party. "Granite Staters are not easily fooled. America's fiscal house is in disarray and it's no secret why. George Bush, with the rubber stamp of John McCain and John E. Sununu, has driven our economy into a ditch. As he prepares to retire into irrelevancy, Americans are struggling just to get by. We may not have much to take to the bank these days but we can take this: the next president of the United States will be a Democrat."
 
Even Republicans don't trust George Bush, says Andy Smith, "the percentages of Republicans who approve of Bush's handling of the economy has dropped from 78 percent in September to 59 percent in the most recent poll." Overall, only 26 percent of the New Hampshire residents approve of Bush's handling of the economy.
 
"It is no secret that the economy will be a major factor in the 2008 elections," continued Buckley. "The Republicans can play their blame and complain game all they want but the results are in. Americans trust Democrats with their check book. With record numbers of Independents and moderate Republicans jumping ship on the tanking radical GOP agenda, I'm confident change is coming to America."
 
Is America on the right track? Granite Staters say no. Smith reports, "only 23 percent, a record low in New Hampshire, think things in this country are generally going in the right direction."
 
You can read the full poll results online at:
http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/gsp2008_winter_presapp20708.pdf