Analysis of President George W. Bush's Approval Numbers after
Hurricane Katrina
https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/browse/?cuecard=3147
General Information
Source:
Creator:
NBC Today Show
Resource Type:
Katie Couric/Tim Russert Copyright:
Event Date:
Air/Publish Date:
09/15/2005
09/15/2005
Copyright Date:
Clip Length
Video News Report
NBCUniversal Media,
LLC.
2005
00:03:20
Description
NBC's Tim Russert discusses President George W. Bush's dismal approval numbers in the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina. The poll is released just before the president prepares to address the nation about the
Katrina relief effort. As Russert notes, normally in times of crisis Americans rally around their president.
With Hurricane Katrina, the opposite has taken place.
Keywords
George W. Bush, Hurricane Katrina, Katrina Response, Approval Ratings, Job Approval, African
Americans, Black Americans, White Americans, Voters, Race, Public Opinion, NBC-WSJ poll, NBC
News, Wall Street Journal, Poll, September 11, 2001, 9/11, Terrorism, Direction of Country, Right Track,
Wrong Track, Iraq War, Gas Prices, Economy, Presidential Speeches, Primetime Address, Andrews Air
Force Base, Presidential Trips, New Orleans, Louisiana
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Citation
MLA
"Analysis of President George W. Bush's Approval Numbers after Hurricane Katrina." Tim Russert,
correspondent. NBC Today Show. NBCUniversal Media. 15 Sep. 2005. NBC Learn. Web. 25 March 2015
APA
Russert, T. (Reporter), & Couric, K. (Anchor). 2005, September 15. Analysis of President George W.
Bush's Approval Numbers after Hurricane Katrina. [Television series episode]. NBC Today Show.
Retrieved from https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/browse/?cuecard=3147
CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE
"Analysis of President George W. Bush's Approval Numbers after Hurricane Katrina" NBC Today Show,
New York, NY: NBC Universal, 09/15/2005. Accessed Wed Mar 25 2015 from NBC Learn:
https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/browse/?cuecard=3147
Transcript
Analysis of President George W. Bush's Approval Numbers after Hurricane Katrina
KATIE COURIC, co-host:
The President has his work cut out for him tonight when he addresses the nation about the Katrina
recovery effort. The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows his support is slipping. Tim Russert
is NBC's Washington bureau chief, and moderator of "Meet The Press."
Tim, good morning.
Mr. TIM RUSSERT: Good morning, Katie.
COURIC: We should mention, you're on your way to New Orleans, right Tim?
Mr. RUSSERT: Yeah, Katie, I'm out in front of Andrews Air Force Base, and we'll be heading down with
the President today.
COURIC: All right, let's talk about these latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal numbers, Tim. As you
know, the President's approval rating, according to this poll, is at an all-time low of just 40 percent. And
when you look at how that compares to his approval rating following September 11th, which was 88
percent, it's quite dramatic, isn't it?
Mr. RUSSERT: It's extraordinary, Katie. Normally in times of crisis the American people, in fact go-surround their President and support their President. That has not happened in Katrina. Quite the opposite.
A 40-percent approval is the lowest rating George Bush has had in the five years of his Presidency.
COURIC: Can this all be attributed to the Katrina aftermath in your view, Tim, or are there other forces at
work here?
Mr. RUSSERT: There are some other serious forces, Katie. Multiple challenges. Iraq is very much on
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people's minds front and center, and people--only 37 percent of Americans say that George Bush is
handling Iraq in a favorable way. Also, Katie, gasoline prices taking their toll on the President's
popularity.
COURIC: Now asked if the Bush Administration would have moved faster in the relief effort if the
affected areas had been mostly white suburban communities instead of inner-city African-American
communities, 30 percent of whites polled said they agreed, but 70 percent of blacks said that they agreed
that the response would be faster if the victims were white. I know this is particularly unsettling for the
White House, Tim. And--and I'm wondering, how does the President tackle this issue, and is there a
reason this Administration is particularly vulnerable to such criticism?
Mr. RUSSERT: You know, Katie, this is a haunting question, because it tears back the curtain on the
racial divide that exists in this country--how blacks and whites see this so differently. The President had
been embarking on a huge reach-out to black Americans to join the Republican Party. Obviously that is
going to be very, very difficult in light of these numbers. It's going to take an awful lot to convince
African-Americans by this President that he responded quickly. It's going to take a concerted effort. This
is his fourth trip. Many more trips, much more investment. It's a long uphill struggle in order to rectify
this situation.
COURIC: What can we expect from the President's address tonight, Tim?
Mr. RUSSERT: Katie, I think the President's going to try to put things in perspective in his mind, saying,
`I've taken responsibility for a sluggish effort by all levels of government. But now we have to focus on
the recovery.' He's going to point to specific examples of people who have been healed or have--have
found their loved ones, and also, Katie, talk about the enormous response from the American people.
But the President will be judged on Katrina long-term, Katie. What will New Orleans and the Gulf region
look like a year from now, two years from now? All the while trying to manage the difficulties in Iraq.
These two twin challenges: Iraq and Katrina, will very much define his Presidency.
COURIC: Thanks so much, Tim. Have a safe trip.
© 2008-2015 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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