Statistic of the day: George W. Bush’s ratings

As the economy has faltered, George W. Bush’s approval numbers have plummeted. All of this has occurred despite Americans’ belief that the strategy in Iraq is bearing fruit. And last year, Iraq was a central issue for most voting Americans. Below are George W. Bush’s ratings as recounted by Political Wire:

A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Sen. Barack Obama leads Sen. John McCain by ten points nationally, 53% to 43%.

“Though every race is different, no presidential candidate has come back from an October deficit this large in pre-election polls dating to 1936.”

Other interesting findings:

• A record 90% of registered voters say the country is seriously off on the wrong track, the most since this question first was asked in 1973
• Bush’s 23% job approval rating has now fallen below Nixon’s lowest
• Bush’s 73% disapproval is at an all-time record
• 92% of Americans are following the election closely

With monetary stewards returning some faith to global markets, will Bush’s approval ratings be on the mend? What will all of this mean for John McCain, who has been slipping in the polls as the economy has soured?