CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – A new poll shows support has grown in New Hampshire for the way President Bush is handling the war in Iraq.

The poll, for the Concord Monitor, also said residents generally support the president’s Social Security plan, but the support dropped way off when supporters were asked if they back the plan if benefits were tied to rises and falls in the stock market.

On Iraq, 49 percent of the 600 people questioned called Bush’s handling of Iraq good or excellent. In a similar poll a few months ago, 37 percent said they approved of the president’s Iraq policy. Ten percent rated Bush’s Iraq policy as poor.

On Social Security, 55 percent said they favor allowing workers to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes in the stock market. But support drops off to 19 percent overall when the supporters were asked if they’d back the plan if it meant losing benefits when the stock market goes down.

On related questions, 63 percent of the respondents said they do not believe Bush’s re-election means the country has given the president a mandate to change the Social Security program.

Also, 52 percent said they believe Social Security is having major problems, with 28 percent believing there is a crisis.

The poll also showed 51 percent favored a constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage. The breakdown among men and women was fairly even, with the major split coming along party lines. Among Republicans, 53 percent supported an amendment. Of Democrats, 31 percent were for it.

Research 2000 of Rockville, Md., interviewed the 600 likely voters Feb. 7-9. The margin of error was plus or minus four percentage points.

Pollster Del Ali said the State of the Union address and the Iraqi elections probably boosted Bush’s approval ratings.

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Information from: Concord Monitor, http://www.cmonitor.com

AP-ES-02-12-05 1111EST