CNN's Malveaux baselessly claimed host of southern and western states are "friendly territory" for Bush

On the November 3 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, reporting on President Bush's "all-out campaign blitz" in the days leading up to the November 7 midterm elections, baselessly claimed that the southern and western states to which Bush is traveling constitute "red states" and "friendly territory." Malveaux reported that Bush's itinerary includes trips to Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Florida, Arkansas, and Texas, all states that Bush "won two years ago." But in referring to these states as "friendly territory," Malveaux ignored polling in each of the states that shows Bush has higher disapproval ratings than approval ratings.

From Survey USA polls released on October 17:

• Missouri: Bush's approval rating was at 38 percent, while his disapproval rating stood at 59 percent.
• Iowa: Bush's approval rating was at 37 percent, while his disapproval rating stood at 62 percent.
• Colorado: Bush's approval rating was at 39 percent, while his disapproval rating stood at 59 percent.
• Nebraska: Bush's approval rating was at 46 percent, while his disapproval rating stood at 52 percent.
• Kansas: Bush's approval rating was at 41 percent, while his disapproval rating stood at 57 percent.
• Florida: Bush's approval rating was at 41 percent, while his disapproval rating stood at 57 percent.
• Arkansas: Bush's approval rating was at 36 percent, while his disapproval rating stood at 62 percent.
• Texas: Bush's approval rating was at 45 percent, while his disapproval rating stood at 52 percent.

From the November 3 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:

MALVEAUX: Well, Wolf [Blitzer, host], President Bush really engaged in an all-out campaign blitz, hitting about a half-dozen states before Election Day.

Now, this is friendly territory for President Bush -- they're red states -- ones that he won two years ago, so what he's doing is really turning on the charm, trying to get the Republican base -- essentially to convince them to go out to the polls.

So today, we saw President Bush hitting the battleground state of Missouri, then on to Iowa. Saturday, it is Colorado. Sunday -- Nebraska, and Kansas. Monday -- Florida, Arkansas, and then Texas -- that's where he's going to be voting on Tuesday before he returns to the White House.

And, Wolf, the playbook is quite simple. It is: try to appeal to the Republican base by focusing on their issues. That would be tax cuts and national security.

—R.D.