Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush's approval rating is at an all-time low of 30 percent following his State of the Union speech this week, a Newsweek magazine poll found.

That compares with 31 percent who approved of the president's job performance in Newsweek's poll last week.

The new poll also found that 58 percent of respondents said they "personally wish" Bush's presidency was over at this time, and 53 percent said they think history will see him as a below- average president.

Bush's decisions about policy in Iraq and other areas are influenced more by his personal beliefs than the facts, according to 67 percent of those polled.

Most of those polled -- 71 percent -- said they felt the president won't have enough support during the next two years to implement his policies.

The Democratic controlled Congress isn't likely to seriously consider the energy, health and other domestic initiatives Bush outlined in his speech Jan. 23, according to 48 percent of those polled. Forty-one percent said they think Congress will consider Bush's domestic policy plans.

Among the leading 2008 presidential candidates, Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton of New York was favored over Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona 50 percent to 44 percent.

Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois beat McCain in the poll 48-42 percent and former Democratic Senator John Edwards of North Carolina beat McCain 48-44 percent.

Clinton led former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Republican, 49-46 percent. Potential matchups pitting McCain or Giuliani against Obama or Edwards were also within in the poll's 4 percentage point margin of error.

Among Democrats and those who lean Democratic, 55 percent of those polled said they'd most like to see Clinton nominated as the party's presidential candidate and 35 percent chose Obama. Among Republicans and those who lean Republican, 48 percent said they'd choose Giuliani compared with 44 percent for McCain.

The poll, released today and scheduled for publication in the magazine's Feb. 5 edition, is based on interviews of 1,003 adults on Jan. 24-25.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio at at acapaccio@bloomnberg.net
Last Updated: January 28, 2007 09:11 EST

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