Sunday, December 4 2005 17:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New York: United States (US) President George Bush's counter offensive against his critics seems to have done little so far to lift his flagging ratings with the latest 'Time' magazine poll finding that 53 per cent disapprove of the way he is doing things and a minority of 41 per cent supporting him.

His rating has little changed since September following Hurricane Katrina striking the Gulf Coast when 42 per cent supported him and 52 per cent disapproved of him.

The only top official, who has emerged unscathed is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice whose approval rating at 53 per cent is highest in the Bush administration.

An interesting finding is that 60 per cent would like the next President to be completely different from Bush and only 36 per cent opining that new incumbent should be someone like him. The next Presidential election is due in 2008.

The respondents are split on whether Bush can recover the lost ground with almost half, 46 per cent, saying he is likely to do so and 49 per cent expressing the view that he is unlikely to do so. As many as 76 per cent of those who disapprove of the way Bush is doing job say they are unlikely to change their mind by 2008.

But the Bush's disadvantage does not automatically translate into advantage for John Kerry, the Democratic candidate whom Bush had defeated.

The poll found that if the presidential elections were being held between Bush and Kerry, it would be a dead heat again (47 per cent for Bush, 48 per cent Kerry).