A massive poll of 1,800 Americans by the Pew Research Center conducted May 3-9 indicates that the establishment media's relentless drumbeat on the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal and other bad news out of Iraq has had a real effect on President Bush's job approval rating and the way some Americans view the war.
The Pew poll in late April found 48% approved of Bush's job performance and 43% disapproved. In the latest poll, 44% approved and 48% disapproved. Meanwhile, in late April, 55% thought the war in Iraq was going very well or fairly well. In the latest poll, only 46% thought the war was going very well or fairly well, while 51% said they believe it is going not too well or not well at all. Nonetheless, in both polling periods, 53% said the U.S. should retain troops in Iraq until Iraq has a stable government.
