Author Topic: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%  (Read 9041 times)

RadioFreeSeaLab

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President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« on: October 17, 2007, 05:26:43 AM »
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1624620720071017
Quote
Voters unhappy with Bush and Congress
Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:21am EDT

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deepening unhappiness with President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress soured the mood of Americans and sent Bush's approval rating to another record low this month, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

The Reuters/Zogby Index, which measures the mood of the country, also fell from 98.8 to 96 -- the second consecutive month it has dropped. The number of Americans who believe the country is on the wrong track jumped four points to 66 percent.

Bush's job approval rating fell to 24 percent from last month's record low for a Zogby poll of 29 percent. A paltry 11 percent gave Congress a positive grade, tying last month's record low.

"There is a real question among Americans now about how relevant this government is to them," pollster John Zogby said. "They tell us they want action on health care, education, the war and immigration, but they don't believe they are going to get it."

The dismal assessment of the Republican president and the Democratic-controlled Congress follows another month of inconclusive political battles over a future path in Iraq and the recent Bush veto of an expansion of the program providing insurance for poor children.

The bleak mood could present problems for both parties heading into the November 2008 election campaign, Zogby said.

"Voter turnout could still be high next year, but the mood has turned against incumbents and into a 'throw the bums out' mindset," Zogby said.

The national telephone survey of 991 likely voters, conducted October 10 through October 14, found barely one-quarter of Americans, or 26 percent, believe the country is headed in the right direction.

The poll found declining confidence in U.S. economic and foreign policy. About 18 percent gave positive marks to foreign policy, down from 24 percent, and 26 percent rated economic policy positively, down from 30 percent.

A majority of Americans still rate their personal financial situation as excellent or good, although the number dipped slightly this month to 54 percent from 56 percent. In August, 59 percent rated their finances as excellent or good.

"Americans are still feeling good about a number of things in their lives, but not about the government's leadership," Zogby said. "They are giving up on this government."

The Index, which made its debut last month, combines responses to 10 questions on Americans' views about their leaders, the direction of the country and their future. Index polling began in July, and that month's results provide the benchmark score of 100.

A score above 100 indicates the public mood has improved since July. A score below 100 shows the mood has soured, and a falling score like the one recorded this month shows the nation's mood is getting worse.

The RZI is released the third Wednesday of each month.

In the 2008 White House race, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York tightened her grip on the top spot in the Democratic nomination race with the support of 46 percent, up from 35 percent last month.

Her top rival, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, was at 25 percent, moving up slightly from last month's 21 percent. Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina was third with 9 percent, and about 12 percent of Democratic voters were unsure of their choice.

Among Republicans, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani expanded his lead over Fred Thompson, the former senator and Hollywood actor. Giuliani led Thompson 28 percent to 20 percent, compared to last month's 26 percent to 24 percent.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney jumped from 7 percent to 14 percent and moved past Arizona Sen. John McCain into third place. McCain fell from 13 percent last month to 8 percent.

More Republicans, 18 percent, said they had not made up their mind, leaving room for more shifts in the field. "We still have one in five Republicans undecided. That race is really up in the air," Zogby said.

A majority of voters asked about former Vice President Al Gore said he should not run for the White House in 2008 despite winning the Nobel Peace Prize. About 51 percent said he should not enter the race and 40 percent said he should.

The Nobel award on Friday came halfway through the polling period. The Gore question was asked of 485 likely voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percent.

The rest of the national survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at http://blogs.reuters.com/category/events/trail08/)


What gets me is that the politicians seems to think approval ratings suck because they aren't left wing enough.  Not socialist enough.  I'm betting it's the other way around.  Most of America is sick of this socialist mommy government bullcrap.

Manedwolf

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2007, 05:29:00 AM »
Just wait'll Turkey says "NO SUPPLY LINES FOR YOU" in response to Pelosi's idiocy, and the troops start running out of stuff.

As to what America is sick of, it's two-pronged. They see the socialist BS, and also news every day that they are not being protected, it's not working. That no matter how many laws they pass, there's school rampages all the time with helpless people cowering in closets while one predator stalks the halls unchallenged. I think people are waking up, there.

Ironically, it might be because the masses are comparing that real-life scenario with the movies, wherein an Ordinary Citizen Good Guy With a Gun stops the villain. People are realizing that the laws prevent that sort of hero from ever having a chance to stop the maniac.

jefnvk

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2007, 08:37:42 AM »
I do love how the Presidents low approval rating is preached as mandate for change, while congress' low approval rating is blown off  rolleyes
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Strings

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2007, 09:30:24 AM »
This might work out completely to the good for the repulicrats. Bush ain't even a consideration (no real connections) with any of the current runners for Pres, and the Dem congress having such low approval ratings aids the Reps...

 I think I'll be needing some popcorn for the next election cycle...

wooderson

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2007, 12:04:07 PM »
Quote
What gets me is that the politicians seems to think approval ratings suck because they aren't left wing enough.  Not socialist enough.  I'm betting it's the other way around.  Most of America is sick of this socialist mommy government bullcrap.
Which would totally explain why they voted in Democrats, right?

Define 'left wing enough' - the Democrats were voted in on Iraq and corruption, with a side of 'gee I don't feel too secure after six years of a Bush-GOP economy.' They've repeatedly caved on Iraq, done nothing of note on corruption, and the economy has continued in its precarious state.

They don't poll well with the Republicans who wouldn't give them a favorable rating no matter what - because obviously Democrats are baby-eating Leninist traitors, etc. etc. etc.. They don't poll well with swing voters who got tired of the GOP machine. They don't poll well with their base who wanted them to get us out of Iraq.

More telling than 'approval ratings' would be 'who do you trust' or 'who do you want guiding us on issue X' ratings. Those don't tend to go as badly for Democrats, because the people who voted for them in November still hold out some hope that they won't be completely useless.


"The famously genial grin turned into a rictus of senile fury: I was looking at a cruel and stupid lizard."

Manedwolf

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2007, 12:15:06 PM »
Wooderson, they were elected into office because of a rash of Republican scandals that were hyped by the leftwing press, including such slimeballs as Tom DeLay and "Duke" Cunningham. Democrat William Jefferson's money in the freezer didn't get one tenth the airtime. Also because they promised to get out out of the war in a way that made sense, that the Iraqis would have to take over responsibility for their own country.

Instead, they launched into the same old Liberal Agenda, including the nannystate. One of the first things Hillary Clinton did was to launch an attack on violent video games and demand that the government be a parent to the kids whose parents were buying the games for them in defiance of existing laws. Then they launched various statist and socialist program attempts, McCarthy tried to push her AWB II, and now Pelosi is trying to choke the supply lines to the war by poking the Turks with a stick.

Thus, approval of 11%. They did not do anything they promised, just picked up the same failed agenda from before they were kicked out last time.

The definition of madness is do keep doing something exactly the same way, expecting different results.

RadioFreeSeaLab

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2007, 12:19:33 PM »
They lost because the republicans have completely failed their base.  People were just fed up, nothing more.  If people actually wanted the Democrats and their policies, the approval rating might be a tad higher than 11%.

wooderson

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2007, 12:20:11 PM »
Wow, that's a well-reasoned and logical argument you're making there, manedwolf. The media is biased against Republicans and Democrats are all KKKommies, hence low approval.

Well-played.

(though I am highly amused by the Hillary part - because her allies on restricting violence/sex/etc. are always those damned lib'ruls, not conservative Christians or anything)
"The famously genial grin turned into a rictus of senile fury: I was looking at a cruel and stupid lizard."

wooderson

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2007, 12:21:46 PM »
Quote
They lost because the republicans have completely failed their base.
So the Republican base jumped wholesale to the Democrats?
"The famously genial grin turned into a rictus of senile fury: I was looking at a cruel and stupid lizard."

RadioFreeSeaLab

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2007, 12:23:58 PM »
No.  But enough did to sway it, in addition to the people who just plain stayed home.

Standing Wolf

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2007, 12:56:59 PM »
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"There is a real question among Americans now about how relevant this government is to them," pollster John Zogby said. "They tell us they want action on health care, education, the war and immigration, but they don't believe they are going to get it."

Let's just throw the bums out en masse.
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roo_ster

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #11 on: October 17, 2007, 05:07:28 PM »
...because obviously Democrats are baby-eating Leninist traitors
Well, we can agree on that, at least.  laugh
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longeyes

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2007, 05:10:21 PM »
People are looking for nobility and strength of character.  It's a deep instinct.

And, of course, they're not seeing it, except in our military.

In their heart of hearts people feel we have a rogue government but it will take a while for that realization to filter up into the mind...
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Perd Hapley

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #13 on: October 17, 2007, 05:16:33 PM »
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They lost because the republicans have completely failed their base.
So the Republican base jumped wholesale to the Democrats? 

No, they just stayed home.  But Manedwolf does have a point in that dissatisfaction with Republicans is often interpreted as a demand for a left-ward shift.  In fact, much of the disapproval has to do with conservative and libertarian disapproval of the Republicans' going soft. 

To put it another way, when a very conservative older person hears about a poll in which 67% of Americans disapproved of the direction the country was taking, they are likely to interpret that according to their lights.  They will think of things like high crime rates, the decay of the nuclear family, high rates of illegitimacy, etc.  When an anti-war leftist hears of the same poll, they will likely think of issues like the Iraq war, and what they perceive as the loss of civil liberties and a slow economy. 
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RevDisk

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #14 on: October 17, 2007, 05:26:50 PM »
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"There is a real question among Americans now about how relevant this government is to them," pollster John Zogby said. "They tell us they want action on health care, education, the war and immigration, but they don't believe they are going to get it."

Let's just throw the bums out en masse.

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MechAg94

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #15 on: October 17, 2007, 06:36:40 PM »
Wow, that's a well-reasoned and logical argument you're making there, manedwolf. The media is biased against Republicans and Democrats are all KKKommies, hence low approval.

Well-played.

(though I am highly amused by the Hillary part - because her allies on restricting violence/sex/etc. are always those damned lib'ruls, not conservative Christians or anything)
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Tallpine

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #16 on: October 18, 2007, 09:14:33 AM »
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The definition of madness is do keep doing something exactly the same way, expecting different results.

Which is how I feel everytime I mark a ballot ....  Sad
Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one. The road goes upward toward the light; but the laden traveller may never reach the end of it.  - Ursula Le Guin

Waitone

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Re: President's approval rating 24%, Congress 11%
« Reply #17 on: October 21, 2007, 04:12:35 PM »
Same nonsense year after year after year after year right up until the US Party has had it with the Them Party.  Wannna see when things will change?  We traditionally want to throw out the other guy's bum.  Change is imminent when we want to throw out our own bums.  Happened in '94 and not since then.  Congress' low ratings as well as the president tells me something is afoot out here in flyover country.  How it will manifest itself remains to be seen.  Discontent with government (particularly federal government) has never been higher in my experience.  Not during Watergate, not during Clintongate, not ever.  Is Ron Paul the dude on a white horse?  Doubt it.  Maybe for the first time we are approaching the situation where Useless Eaters are in a mood to do it themselves instead of attaching their allegiance to the Them Party.   I wish my crystal ball is was clear but it appear to me the US Party members are a little grumpy.
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