The Hindu : International : Mixed reactions to new Bush term

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 21, 2005

International

International

Mixed reactions to new Bush term

By Adam Nagourney and Janet Elder

By Adam Nagourney

and Janet Elder

WASHINGTON, JAN. 20. Even as George W. Bush assumes office for the second term, most Americans say they do not expect the economy to improve or that American troops would be withdrawn from Iraq by the time Mr. Bush leaves the White House, and many have reservations about his signature plan to overhaul Social Security, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Seventy per cent, however, said they thought Mr. Bush would succeed in changing the Social Security system. And the poll found that 43 per cent of respondents expect most forms of abortion to be illegal by the time Mr. Bush leaves the White House, given his expected appointments to the Supreme Court. The poll offered the kind of conflicting portrait of the nation's view of Mr. Bush that was evident throughout last year's presidential campaign.

Nearly 60 per cent of respondents said they were generally optimistic on the eve of the swearing-in about the next four years, but clear majorities disapproved of Mr. Bush's management of the economy and the war in Iraq. Nearly two-thirds said a second Bush term would leave the country with a larger deficit, while 47 per cent said that a second term would divide Americans.

Focus on social security

Americans said that they did not expect any improvement in health care, education, or in reducing the cost of prescription drugs for the elderly by January of 2009. Just under 80 per cent, including a majority of those who said they voted for Mr. Bush in November, said it would not be possible to overhaul Social Security, cut taxes, and finance the war in Iraq without increasing the budget deficit.

The findings suggest that Mr. Bush does not have broad popular support as he embarks on what the White House has signalled would be an ambitious second term.

And 56 per cent said the country has gone off on the wrong track, about as bad a rating Mr. Bush has received on this measure since entering the White House.

The poll suggests that Mr. Bush's effort to lay the groundwork to reshape the Social Security system has had some success.

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