RSS 2.0 FeedVoters Hate Bush And Congress About Equally, So What Does That Mean For 2008 ?
by Doug MataconisThe latest Associated Press poll shows that the American public has equally negative views of President Bush and the Democratic-controlled Congress:
WASHINGTON - Public approval for President Bush and Congress has sunk to the lowest levels ever recorded in The Associated Press-Ipsos poll.
Only 31 percent said they approve of the job Bush is doing, according to the survey released on Thursday. His lowest previous approval in the survey was 32 percent — a virtual tie with the new reading — recorded several times, most recently in June.
Only 69 percent of Republicans voiced approval of Bush, about where he has been in recent months but still an anemic showing for a president within his own party. That included only 29 percent from the GOP who said they strongly approve of the job he is doing
(…)
Congress’ job performance was approved by just 22 percent, continuing a steady decline in the public’s assessment since Democrats took over in January. Unable to force Bush to wind down the Iraq war, just a quarter of Democrats gave a thumbs-up to Congress’ work, compared to a fifth of Republicans and independents.
Congress’ lowest approval reading in the poll had been 24 percent, recorded most recently in July.
The one thing about poll numbers like this that doesn’t entirely make sense is that it’s hard to reconcile them with the fact that the two candidates leading their respective parties’ nomination battles at the moment, Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, are both closely associated with the establishment and both closely associated with institutions that are not held in very high regard at the moment.
Part of this is attributable to the fact that we’ve seen this before in American politics. Back in the 1980s and early 90s, the approval ratings for Congress were very low. In fact, back in 1992, Congresses approval rating was at 18%. And yet, year after year, the incumbents that made up that supposedly unpopular Congress kept getting re-elected. This didn’t make sense, unless you looked deeper into the numbers and saw that, while alot of people disliked Congress as an institution, they had a good enough opinion of their own Congressman or Senator to vote for his or her re-election. Mostly, that was because these incumbents were skilled at bringing benefits to their constituents in the form of taxpayer dollars.
The question as 2008 approaches, though, is whether this general public disapproval of two branches of government will have any impact on the race for the White House. So far at least, the answer appears to be no. Though he is the quintessential anti-establishment candidate, and seems to tap into many of the frustrations that the public has with the current leadership in both branches of government, including opposition to the war, Ron Paul remains stuck in single digits in the polls. Maybe that will change now that he seems to be being taken more seriously, but it’s going to take a true political turnaround for the numbers that Giuliani and Clinton have now to be reversed.
Right now, it seems, all these poll numbers indicate is that the American public wants a change. What they don’t seem to realize is that the change they appear to be headed for will just be more of the same nonsense that we’re seeing right now.
Even remarkably stupid people have an opinion. Unfortunately, due to the fact that stupid people are also ignorant they probably do not have any suggestions or solutions, and therein lies the problem! How then do stupid ignorant people change the way their lives are being manipulated? The answer is they do not. We Americans are so weak, apathetic and lazy that we will whine incessantly and constantly about the status of the nation but will not lift a finger to change the dynamic. We have gone from a nation of citizens to groveling as peasants for a bureaucracy of many would be Kings. The possibility that a group of patriots would emerge and turn the tide away from the path of brainless socialism to democracy again has faded. We are becoming the Europe that we disdained and abandoned two hundred odd years ago complete with Barons and Lords, however riches, not royalty is the current prize. I fear it is too late to turn back the tide. Forgotten history always seems to repeat itself over and over again.
Comment by Bill — October 4, 2007 @ 11:53 pmIt is the Republicans in congress with the low 20’s the democrats in congress are at 57 percent approval
Comment by R Mills — October 5, 2007 @ 8:46 amR Mills,
Comment by Bob — October 5, 2007 @ 8:59 amI didn’t realize that there was a poll that rated performance of the Republicans in congress vs. the performance of the Democrats in congress. Do you have the source for that poll? Can you provide the site? Thanks