As the World Trade Towers fell, President George Bush’s approval rating rose, reaching near 90 percent at its peak.

The capture of Saddam Hussein, however, is unlikely to cause the presidential rally numbers seen after Sept. 11, local experts said.

Josh Reicks, senior in political science and president of the ISU College Republicans, said Bush’s approval will not jump as it did after Sept. 11 because that day caused a uniquely patriotic feeling throughout the country.

The war in Iraq has been such an “ongoing affair,” that it won’t cause the surge seen after the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, Reicks said.

“At this point you either support what the president is doing — creating democracy in Iraq — or you don’t. I don’t think capturing Saddam Hussein is going to drive people from one camp to the other camp,” he said.

James Hutter, associate professor in political science and adviser for the ISU Democrats, said any increase would likely be small and fade over time.

The credit for capturing Hussein should go to the troops in Iraq, not Bush, Hutter said.

“Bush didn’t capture him; American troops did,” he said. “Credit doesn’t go to any politician in Washington.”

Hutter said the effect on the 2004 presidential election will also be limited because all candidates are going to be in support of capturing Hussein, Hutter said.

There is not a person running in the election who is running on a platform to not capture Hussein, he said.

“They’re in it for health care, the economy and because we went to war,” Hutter said.

Reicks said what happens after the capture will have a greater effect on the election than the initial capture. It will be interesting to see what information Hussein provides and the trial, which will likely continue on through the 2004 election, Reicks said.

“It’s just going to help him more and more,” he said.

The capture may also help “blunt some criticism the nine Democratic candidates are giving,” he said.

As time goes on, people are going to start questioning why Hussein was not caught sooner or why Osama bin Laden has not been apprehended, Hutter said. Questions will arise over whether the capture of Hussein was worth the lives it cost, he said.

“People might ask, ‘Was my son’s life worth this?'” he said.