Despite low approval rating, experts say Bush has support of his base

Published: 2005-07-26

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- According to a July 19 Gallup Poll, President George W. Bush's current approval ratings are among the lowest of his presidency. The poll shows that 47.4 percent of Americans support him, but experts from the American Enterprise Institute and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life said he still has support among a large number of Catholics. "Bush is very well-liked among his base constituency, which is conservative evangelicals and, to a lesser extent, traditional Catholics," said John Green, a senior fellow with the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. "They are aligned with him personally and socially. He supports marriage and opposes abortion, and that gives him a great deal of leeway with those groups." In an interview with Catholic News Service, Green said these constituents are just as likely as others to disapprove of issues such as the war in Iraq and the state of the economy, but "they're more willing to give the president the benefit of the doubt."

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .