---
title: "Stuck in Second"
description: "As Washington shuts down for August, President Bush’s report card from the public for the first half-year of his second term is not a good one compared with how the public graded Presidents Reagan and Clinton at a similar point in time. View chart (New York Times)"
date: "2005-08-09"
authors:
  - name: "Pew Research Center"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2005/08/09/stuck-in-second/"
categories:
  - "George W. Bush"
---

# Stuck in Second

As Washington shuts down for August, President Bush's report card from the public for the first half-year of his second term is not a good one compared with how the public graded Presidents Reagan and Clinton at a similar point in time.

[View chart](http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/09/opinion/09kohut.html&OQ=_rQ3D4Q26&OP=8c32689Q2FQ3EQ2AkQ5EQ3ENQ3BQ5EQ3EEEEQ3EQ60Q5EYxQ3EmQ2Ao)MQ2AQ2AQ5EFQ3EFggQ7EQ3EgQ3CQ3EgpQ3EQ2AkANAQ2ANQ3Egp6Q2AQ60ZQ5EQ5CQ60Q5EYx) (New York Times)