Bush ratings up after Saddam capture

Fifty-eight percent of Americans now approve of the way Bush is doing his job, six percentage points higher than the number just before the former dictator surrendered to U.S. forces in a hole near his hometown of Tikrit. Bush’s disapproval ratings have shrunk to 33 percent from 40 percent prior to the capture. …

The positive perception of the president spread to his domestic policies as well. After Hussein’s capture, 49 percent of Americans approved of his handling of the economy, compared to 44 percent before the weekend.

There is no denying that the capture of Saddam Hussein is considerably more important than serving turkey to soldiers. As a result, all of Bush’s numbers shifted 5% or so (a bit more than the margin of error). Granted, if the nation is still as closely divided as it was in 2000, it won’t take even a 5% shift to decide the election.

It may all come down to who blunders the most in the next 11 months. mjh