Only 50% Prefer Obama to Bush

Only 50% of respondents to a recent poll say they prefer Barack Obama to George W. Bush, with 44% saying they’d like Dubya back. Given Bush’s vast unpopularity at the end of his term, that’s probably the most troubling number for the president in the latest Public Policy Polling results. The poll gives him a 49% approval rating for December, essentially unchanged from November.

On health care, just 39% of respondents approve of his plans, compared to 52% opposed. Of those opposed, 90% said it was because it involved too much government intrusion into the sector, with only 6% saying it was because it didn’t create enough government involvement. On Afghanistan, however, he gets a tepid vote of confidence, with 47% approving of his handling of the situation, compared to 37% opposed.