WASHINGTON — As President Bush prepares for next week's State of the Union address, he faces widespread discontent over his job performance and the nation's direction that could threaten his party in the 2006 election, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll has found.
In the survey, 43% of Americans said they approved of Bush's performance as president -- his weakest showing ever in a Times poll.
He received even lower marks for his handling of the economy, healthcare and Iraq -- especially from women, who the poll found had turned against him on several fronts. And by a 2-1 ratio, those surveyed said the nation needed to change direction from the overall course Bush had set.
But most of those surveyed believed Bush's policies had made the nation more secure. And a plurality say they trusted him more than they did Democrats to protect the country against terrorism -- advantages that could help Republicans defend their House and Senate majorities in November.
The poll found a majority still willing to take tough steps to reduce the risk of terrorism -- including surrendering some of their civil liberties and supporting military action against Iran if it continues to advance toward developing nuclear weapons.
The contrasting findings frame what could be a crucial dynamic in this year's elections: Whether broad, though slightly eroded, confidence in Bush's handling of terrorism will outweigh persistent dissatisfaction over his performance on domestic concerns and the war in Iraq.
The Times/Bloomberg poll, supervised by Times Poll Director Susan Pinkus, surveyed 1,555 adults Sunday through Wednesday; its margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The poll findings pose another key question: Can Democrats significantly benefit from discontent over Bush and the congressional GOP majority while suffering their own image problems?
Just 36% expressed a favorable opinion of congressional Democrats, whereas 45% viewed them unfavorably. That's statistically the same as the showing for congressional Republicans, who were viewed favorably by 38% and unfavorably by 44%.
"I was watching the news ... and I heard nothing from the Democrats," said Dez Jackson, 20, a cashier in Greenville, S.C., who was sharply critical of the president in the survey. "What are they, afraid to speak up?"
Even amid such doubts about Democrats, the poll is crowded with warning signs for Bush and his fellow Republicans.
