Bush's approval rating is tanking

[The Vorlon]

The average of the last 8 polls taken just prior to the November election was a Bush approval rating of 49.5%

Bush Approval Rating

The current Average over at RealClearPolitics does not have Rasmussen it it, but if you add Rassussen's 43% into the mix the average of the last 8 polls is 50.0%

49.5% versus 50.0%

Hmmm...

I do not yet see a crushing and compelling trend here...

The folks who backed Bush in November still like him, the folks who hated him in November still hate him.

Not a lot of charge IMHO.

Final note:

Rasmussen's current result is based on ADULTS, while his preelection polls were based on LIKELY VOTERS, so the Rasmussen trendline in not apples to apples either.

During 2004, reports on the President Job Approval were based upon surveys of Likely Voters. Typically, a survey of Likely Voters would report a Job Approval rating 2-3 points higher than a survey of all adults.

[The Vorlon]

That makes sense.  Vorlon, why would Rasmussen change from LV to adults in calculating approval and why not to RV?

Two possibilities:

Firstly, there is a practical reality - 22 months out from the next election what exactly is a likely voter? - indeed given the massive registration drives that seem here to stay, what is a "registered" voter for that matter?

Secondly, it may simply just be a cost cutting move.  To get 500 "Adults" per night requires fewer calls than reaching 500 "likely voters" - Its post election, I suspect Rasmussen is getting fewer visitors and hence in making less money in add revenue, it may simply just be nothing more than a cost saving move.