When President George W. Bush is greeted by his host, President Vladimir Putin at this weekend’s G8 meeting in St. Petersburg, neither one can feel secure in the confidence placed in their leadership by the citizens of major countries around the globe. But the latest Pew Global Attitudes survey also finds that the other leaders at the annual summit also earn generally low marks for their handling of world affairs.
Within the GOP, the president’s support has faded fastest among moderates and liberals. The drop among conservatives has been more gradual, but the implications are just as serious.
When President Bush delivered a strong warning against isolationism in his State of the Union address, he was speaking to a recent and dramatic turn in public opinion, indicated by Pew polling.