WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- President Bush's approval rating has slipped to a new low and he would lose to Sen. John Kerry if the election were held now, a Newsweek poll shows.
Bush's approval rating has slipped to 48 percent, the lowest rating since February 2001. If the election were held now, Democratic frontrunner Kerry would win over Bush by 50 percent to 45 percent among registered voters.
But Bush would have clear wins over other Democratic contenders: Sen. John Edwards, 49 percent to 44 percent; former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, 50 percent to 44 percent; and retired General Wesley Clark, 51 percent to 43 percent.
On the issue of gay marriages, raised last week by a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's ruling hat its landmark decision in support of gay marriage meant full marriage rights and not civil unions, 58 percent of Americans said there should not be legally-sanctioned gay marriages, while 31 percent support such marriages.
The split is more even on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, with 47 percent in support and 45 percent opposed.
The margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points.
