Rocky fails to rally Utahns in poll

Across the state, Utahns (including the normal sampling in the city) disapprove of the mayor's job performance — 64 percent against, only 28 percent in favor. And three out of four Utahns disagreed with Anderson's call for public protests when Bush came to the city to speak to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention.

The survey was of 414 people statewide with a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent. For the questions about Salt Lake City residents' attitudes, Jones surveyed 230 people with a margin of error of plus or minus 7 percent.

Anderson said he and other protesters were right to speak out against Bush.

"What is right is not dictated by polls," he said. "I believe when people see things headed in the wrong direction in our country, we have an obligation to make our views known."

Anderson does not need support outside of Salt Lake City to win another term or push his city agenda. But is he concerned that his low job approval ratings outside the city, or that the opposition seen statewide to his Bush protests could harm the city before the Legislature or in other statewide arenas?

"The Legislature has never treated Salt Lake City well. It didn't matter who was mayor," Anderson said. "They love to make me their punching bag, especially because so many of them disagree with the notion of equality of gays and lesbians or some badly needed progressive changes in this state."

Anderson continued: "I'll never be unafraid to speak out on issues of great concern to this state and nation, regardless of whatever the political impact may be."

The mayor said many officeholders seek to retain their political capital. "They have their base of support and don't want to do anything to lose it."

He knew his call for protests against "many of the president's policies would lose the support of some of those who have been there with me in the past.

"But my objective is not to reach the end of my life and look back and say I'm sure glad I compromised all over the place so I could hold on to those voters."

In Utah, where voters generally like their elected officials, it is not unusual for a popular incumbent to get more than 50 percent support in what's called a "naked re-elect" poll question. By those standards, Anderson's 36 percent naked re-elect is not a good number for the mayor.

Asked if Anderson should even try for a third term, 44 percent of city residents said he should run again, but 50 percent said he shouldn't run again.

Anderson said that it's so far out from the November 2007 election those numbers don't mean much.

In addition, some of the 53 percent who said they'd like to "give someone new a chance" to serve don't yet know who that someone may be, because neither he nor anyone else has announced their candidacy, the mayor said.