The President did a great job in response to our troubles and we'll pay him back with a victory here in November.
The biggest political boost went to Governor Bush. The stress of these storms must have taken years off his life. He really showed what he was made of when all hell broke loose. If he runs in 2008, he's got my vote.
President Bush may have four wildcards to play on Election Day in Florida.
Their names are Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne.
A recent Mason-Dixon Florida Poll suggests Bush's handling of the hurricanes' aftermath in Florida could give him a slight advantage over Kerry in the Sunshine State on Nov. 2.
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Storms may give Bush edge
Poll shows voters appreciate reaction to hurricanes
President Bush may have four wildcards to play on Election Day in Florida.
Their names are Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne.
A recent Mason-Dixon Florida Poll suggests Bush's handling of the hurricanes' aftermath in Florida could give him a slight advantage over Kerry in the Sunshine State on Nov. 2.
In the poll, 13 percent of undecided voters said Bush's performance during the hurricanes will make them "more likely" to vote for him. The majority of the 625 residents polled — 77 percent — said it will have no effect on their vote.
The poll conducted Monday and Tuesday and released Saturday has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
"This is not a huge figure but could be very important if the race remains tight in the state and if Florida again proves to be the decisive battleground state," said Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc.
Overall, 16 percent of voters polled said they would be more likely to vote for Bush because of the hurricanes. Only 5 percent said they would be less likely to vote for the president.
Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne pounded Florida over six weeks beginning Aug. 13, affecting the majority of Floridians in some way.
Bush quickly visited devastated areas after the storms, including Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, where he met residents still in shock over their property losses.
The president asked Congress for billions in cleanup aid for each hurricane.
Sen. John Kerry also visited Florida after the hurricanes.
Statewide, 70 percent of voters gave Bush an excellent or good rating of his performance in the aftermath of the storms. That is much better than his father, President George H.W. Bush, who received a 50 percent "fair or poor" rating from voters after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
Bush edged eventual winner Bill Clinton in Florida by just more than 100,000 votes in 1992.
Undecided voter Sarah Gillim, 44, of Alva said the president's actions regarding the hurricane won't affect the way she votes for president.
"It shouldn't really play a big part on the election," said Gillim, a registered Republican. "It doesn't hurt (presidents) of course unless it was not a good job. It was handled well. It's not going to hurt him."
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush enjoyed favorable approval ratings for his handling of the series of state disasters. Statewide, 84 percent of voters rated the governor's performance as "excellent or good."
The late Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles got just 28 percent in those categories after Andrew in 1992, with 68 percent of voters rating his performance "fair or poor."
At 61 percent favorable, Jeb Bush's overall job performance is the highest in more than five years of Mason-Dixon poll research.
Posted by floridacracker at October 10, 2004 12:58 PM