Poll: More Blame Bush Than Obama For Nation's Bad Economy

In what cannot be happy news for Mitt Romney, a new Gallup poll shows that by a considerable margin Americans outside of Kool-Aid drinking GOP circles blame Chimperator George Bush for the nation's crippled economy far more than they blame Barack Obama.  While Romney continues to try to blame Obama for the continued economic doldrums, 68% of Americans recognize where the real fault lies: George Bush, Emperor Palpatine Cheney and the GOP controlled Congress.  Obviously, Obama needs to keep pounding on this fact - and the fact that Romney's proposals to date are little more than a warmed over version of the disastrous policies of the Chimperator's failed presidency.  Here are highlights from Politico:

 

Americans continue to place more blame for the country’s ongoing economic problems on former President George W. Bush than on President Barack Obama, a new survey shows.

Though Bush has been out of office for nearly three and a half years, 68 percent blame him a “great deal” or “moderate amount” for the nation’s economic woes, according to a Gallup poll released Thursday. Meanwhile, 52 percent of Americans believe the same about Obama.

There exists a partisan divide on who blames who for the current economic distress, but Republicans are more willing to blame Bush than Democrats are willing to blame Barack Obama.

In fact, 49 percent of Republicans said Bush was greatly or moderately responsible for America’s economic woes, compared to 51 percent who said he wasn’t. On the other hand, 19 percent of Democrats blame Obama for the current distress, while 81 percent say he is “not much” or “not at all” responsible.

Bush’s continued unpopularity - he was recently polled as the least popular living ex-president - may have an impact on the 2012 presidential race, since some of the potential running mates for GOP candidate Mitt Romney are deeply tied to Bush, who served in the White House from 2001 to 2009.

For example, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman was the director of Office of Management and Budget from 2006 to 2007; Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels held the same position from 2001 to 2003. And of course, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is George W. Bush’s brother.