I could have a favorable impression of someone, but could be disappointed in his performance. Note the difference. Many a Redskin was cut from the team based on this. As for Fenty, he might be a decent guy (68%), but I don't like his performance (44% +/- 4%), so come 2010, I will vote him out. Nothing personal. I want a mayor who is a decent person and a good performer. If I had to choose, performance would be first.

Fenty has a GOOD shot at winning in 2010, not because of approval number predictions, but because MANY of the people who don't like what he is doing WON'T come out to vote. The same can be said of Alexander's first election and others. Disapproving of a candidate is one thing. Voting against them is another. DC, unfortunately is filled with voter apathy...strangly enough in the wards that were NOT surveyed.

While you make up your mind, the published poll indicates that others have too: in three important wards, they approve of the Mayor, and Rhee.

With the margin of error determined at almost 4%, it is difficult to qualify this data, interpretations may vary, but it smacks of a possible Fenty-re-election survey. They asked about Cheh, Graham, Wells, Mendelson, Kwame, Gray, along with Rhee and Nickels, as if to put them as equals. The only person missing is Lanier.

I say that too because even what was reported by the Examiner, tended to "cherry pick" only the results that would help present their angle for the story. No mention of Gay marriages, Adams Morgan, and other poignant things about this survey. Just how Fenty has a 68% Approval rating, from Wards 1, 3, 6, the majority of which are white, male, and over 40.

Joel, let's not dismiss the numbers as they point to more inaccurate picture.

Not only that but while they didn't ask Latinos (note the Black/White extrapolation), be advised that the remaining Wards have a higher African-American concentration and thus would more than likely NOT SUPPORT Fenty, based on what this survey predicts.

Try telling that to the RNC, or to any now-former GOP members of Congress, or to any of the failed GOP candidates for statehouse seats.

Anyone who's worked in politics knows that approval ratings, while obviously subject to flux over time, can be very important barometers of voter sentiment.

This professional poll indicates very high approval ratings for Fenty in three key wards that have been important factors in citywide elections, and for Rhee also (who, arguably, reinforces support for Fenty, given school reform is his signature issue).

You can dismiss the numbers if you wish, but any seasoned observer would not, regardless of their own opinions of the political figures involved.

If Bush went "hard" as Cheney would suggest, we'd all be wearing gas masks, gasoline would be through the roof, and the casulty rate in Iraq and Afghanistan would be exponentially worse.

Forget about approval ratings. Simply vote the man out.

Approval and reelection poll numbers for citywide offices are meaningless if the poll is only in three decidedly nonrepresentative wards out of eight.