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Voters cast their highest disapproval rating of the way Bush is handling Iraq 58 - 41. For the first time since the US-led invasion of Iraq, voters said in May that they do not think "Going to war" was worth the expense or lives lost.
As for Bush's outward perceptions, he continues to rank high with voters on morals, personality, and vision. Nearly 7 in 10 think Bush would make a great friend, and that he holds high moral values. More voters, 77 percent, say he has a strong vision to lead the country; but only 44 percent say they are confident he can carry out his vision or leadership ability.
Vice President Dick Cheney, whose overall approval ratings have been stable throughout his term, saw his approval slide in May as well. Those who report their "feelings" towards Cheney are "very" negative, rose to its highest level of his term to 29 percent, while those in the neutral range have leveled off to 16 percent. Thirty-nine percent of voters hold positive feelings towards Cheney, to 42 percent say overall feelings are negative.
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry saw his support inch up during May, as voters say Kerry would serve the economy better than Bush 54-40, although Bush holds higher ratings for handling Iraq and terrorism according to polls.
Polls in May also show 62 percent of voters are dissatisfied with the direction of the United States, which is the highest since the question was first asked in 1997, on the eve of the hi-tech boom.
Consumer Comfort Index holds steady in the negative teens, -13, up from February and March, but lower than December 2003 and January. Considering the US Labor Department claims the US job recovery is in full swing, consumers do not yet agree.
Presidential race 2004 continues neck-in-neck with Kerry and Bush each at 47 percent. Kerry has a slight lead over Bush between the two, but Kerry falls behind Bush when independent candidate Ralph Nader is offered as a choice. Nader told the Village Voice that he knows his candidacy hurts Kerry's chances, but his angst towards the Democrats for "ignoring" him serves a bit of poetic justice in the race overall and Nader intends to hold his ground in distant third place.