President George W. Bush's approval rating has tumbled to an all time low in Minnesota—falling to 29 percent in the latest SurveyUSA poll (conducted June 8-10). Bush's descent in the Gopher state has been gradual but steady in the more than 2 years since SurveyUSA began polling Minnesota residents in monthly surveys. In May 2005 Bush's approval rating was at 47 percent. Just before the 2006 elections, in October, 35 percent approved of his job performance.

In the June SurveyUSA poll, 71 percent of Minnesota Republicans still approve of the job Bush is doing, but only 26 percent of independents—a crucial demographic totaling approximately one-quarter to one-third of Gopher State residents —and just 5 percent of Democrats.

Early in his first term—in April 2001—Bush had a healthy 56 percent approval rating in the state, which rose to 87 percent just after the 9/11 attacks (Minnesota Poll). The last public poll in Minnesota which registered a majority of the state approving of his performance was in January 2005, at 51 percent (Minnesota Poll).