Bush: Lowest Approval Rating On Record
Posted by supercynic on April 23, 2008
I swear I’m not gloating about Bush setting the record for the lowest presidential rating since the ratings started 70 years ago. In all seriousness, I’m sad. I don’t want any president to suck. This is my country as well, and I have to live here regardless of who is president. But what truly kills me about this is that of the 28% of the people who still approve of this guy, 95% of them live here in Mississippi. I think we should change our state motto to “Mississsippi: We Ain’t 50th For Nothing.”
And what scares the hell out of me is that McCain’s platform is basically a 3rd Bush term — and he’s running even with both Obama and Clinton! Are we as a country really this illogical? Only 28% of the country approve of Bush, but 50% of that same country would support a man who is running on essentially a continuation of the policies of the man who only 28% approve of??!! Please someone explain this to me because I sincerely don’t understand it. And I don’t need to hear, “Well, the Democrats are worse.” This isn’t about Democrats. It’s only about Republicans in name only. It’s really about how one president has truly been a bad president and another candidate who differs little from that bad president has a higher approval rating. Take the labels off — it doesn’t matter that we’re talking about Republicans here — and someone please explain this bizarro result to me.
It seems like the more I read about politics, the more I find myself rubbing my temples and having to take deep breaths.
This entry was posted on April 23, 2008 at 1:54 am and is filed under Politics. Tagged: approval rating, Bush, McCain, Politics, president. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
redneck pundit said
Have you seen Congress’s approval ratings?
When you combine the media’s irrational hatred for the guy with conservative’s disappointment, there’s no way he’s going to have high numbers.
How did Twain put it, “If you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.”
supercynic said
Congress almost always has a low approval rating. Every election cycle we hear, “Throw the bums out,” and then we see the same people get elected. There was “irrational hatred” for Bill Clinton by everybody and his numbers were never so low.
I think you partially nail it when you say it’s b/c of conservatives’ disappointment. What I can’t figure out is why conservatives would then run someone who is acting like a Bush clone. That’s my question.
As far as Twain goes, I think he’d be shocked Bush got elected in the 1st place.
redneck pundit said
C’mon, the media loved Bill & Hil.
McCain’s nomination is a mystery… and disappointment. The GOP caved to the erroneous perception that America wanted moderates and failed to run a true conservative.
McCain has voted with Democrats so much that I don’t see how he can be compared to Bush. The war is about the only thing they agreed on.
Twain would be shocked about a lot of things today.
supercynic said
The 2000 McCain was an independent-minded Republican, but the 2008 McCain is Bush all over again. He’s embraced evangelicals that he once called “agents of intolerance,” he caved on torture, and I don’t see any economic policies coming from him that are different from Bush.
I’ll address the media and the Clintons when I have more time b/c there’s a wealth of information debunking the “liberal media” myth and its supposed love affair w/ the Clintons.
Twain would be shocked at how much we’re saying he’d be shocked.
Yack said
The argument comparing Bush to McCain is flawed however I know that’s what the Dems will do to get the White House. I would try the same approach if I were them.
How is Bush different from McCain? McCain wants to eliminate earmarks, control spending, he’s against waterboarding, he co-authored McCain Feingold, co-authored McCain Kennedy, voted against Bush’s tax cuts…and many other things I can’t recall at the moment? He is hardly a conservative. What you are seeing now is him moving to the right to secure his base which is a smart play. In the general election, he’ll tilt more towards the center.
Is it a good thing for a candidate to support Evangelical Christians or repudiate them? Just curious. I always thought of EC’s as hard-working, God-fearing people. Maybe I don’t comprehend the term “Evangelical”.
supercynic said
Yacker, I think you’re comparing McCain 2000 to Bush, which I would agree with. But in this election, McCain ‘08 has flip-flopped on the tax cuts and torture issues. As far as earmarks and controlling spending, if he’s truly advocating those positions, doesn’t that make him a conservative? Maybe I’m misunderstanding you, but you said he “wants to eliminate earmarks, control spending…” thus, he’s “hardly a conservative.” I thought conservatives liked those things. I know I support the elimination of earmarks and the reigning in of government spending and I’ve always considered myself to be a fiscal conservative.
Regarding ECs, I think that term is too broad for me to answer the question. It depends on what ECs you’re talking about. Are we talking about Hagee, Robertson, et al., or are we talking about the Southern Baptist Convention types? Are Catholics considered ECs? My original post was limited to the Hagees of the world, which McCain originally was right about but has now flip-flopped on. If McCain ‘00 were running, I would have a very hard time deciding who to vote for. Right now, he’s making it easy for me.
That’s my 1 cent. It used to be worth 2 cents but the devaluation of the dollar has cut my opinion’s worth in half. Oh, there I go again with the economic humor. Keynes would be so proud.
Yack said
I was comparing McCain to Bush when talking about spending. Bush has lost a lot of conservatives because he has been a big spender. McCain wants to constrain spending which we disperately need. With Medicare almost bankrupt, I don’t support any candidate (R or D) that touts a lot of new government programs like Obama and Clinton have.
On other issues, McCain is more moderate to liberal than Bush like campaign finance and torture. As far as I know, McCain has been against and still is against waterboarding. I think the reason McCain flip flopped on some issues recently is to secure the base of the party. Overall, I don’t think he has changed that much.
If you are a fiscal conservative, why would you be against the Bush tax cuts? Middle income families with children have reaped the most benefits from his plan:
His plan lowered rates for all income brackets.
His plan doubled the child tax credit to $1,000 per child
His plan greatly reduced the marriage penalty
His plan eliminated the death tax
Those all look like great ideas to me. Obama and Clinton want to get rid of these cuts. This means I would get a tax increase.
I don’t consider Catholics EC’s. I thought EC’s were all protestant braches like Baptists, Methodists etc…That’s why I was confused. I put Hagee and Robertson in the televangelists category. They are probably the far right fringe of the EC’s. I don’t know enough about Hagee to comment on him; however, if he is a racist, biggot…McCain should disavow him much like Obama should do with Reverend Wright.
I hope none of my post leaves the impression I’m licking my chops to vote for McCain though. As I’ve said in the past, he is the lesser of three soon to be two candidates for President.
I don’t have any cents to share because I just filled up my SUV.
supercynic said
I’m for tax cuts that help folks who could use the money. The majority of the Bush tax cuts helped out the rich folks. I’m certainly not for any tax cuts if we’re going to engage in a gazillion dollar war; thus, leaving all that debt to our children and grandchildren (like Dennis Miller, I did give a crap about my great-grandchidren b/c I probably won’t live to see them).
Here’s my fiscal bottom line b/c I don’t have time to write a book here: I want the government to take in enough money in an equitable manner (vis-a-vis personal income tax brackets and corporations) to provide for the common defense and welfare of our nation, provide solid infrastructure, all the basics, etc. In other words, I don’t want to pay a dollar more in taxes than is necessary to keep us safe and help those who can’t (not won’t) help themselves. I don’t like the idea of budget surpluses b/c that means the government took more from me than it needed, and I certainly don’t like the idea of budget deficits b/c that means the government is spending more than it brings in — and I do enough of that at my house; don’t need the government jumping on the bandwagon.
FYI, Obama’s economic advisers are all U. of Chicago folks, which is one of the most, if not the most, conservative school of economics out there. He is a free market guy; maybe not enough for some people, but he’s not a socialist or other such term that folks put on anyone who is not Rush Limbaugh. For example, he called for less government intervention in the subprime mortgage implosion that the Republicans did. Point being, the world has gotten so complex and multi-faceted that I think we have to really talk “politics” on an issue-by-issue basis. The old conservatives vs. liberals labels just don’t work anymore.
Yack said
Your second paragraph could have easily been me writing it. The first and third paragraph…well…we’ll just have to agree to disagree.
supercynic said
I’m tired of agreeing to disagree. I want to disagree to agree.
For example, I know you like Ole Miss, but I’m going to have to disagree with you and just say it like it is, I like Ole Miss. I guess we’ll just have to disagree to agree on Ole Miss.
lullabybabies said
It’s just as bad here in the UK, with Brown acting as a kind of backwards Robin Hood by abolishing the 10p income tax rate to effectively rob from the poor and give to the rich! At a time of economic crisis this went down exceptionally well with the public!!
Supercynic for president!
supercynic said
I was listening to BBC Radio yesterday and there was an interesting political commentator on there talking about how he never thought he would say it, but he wishes Blair were back if for no other reason than Brown bores the crap out of him.
He said Blair would simply, but compassionately, say, “We’re here and we’ll take care of you.” Brown dryly says, “We’re here and we’ll take care of you with this 17-point plan. No. 1………”
Thanks for the presidential endorsement. In Mississippi, where I live, I can assure you it’s the only one I’ll ever receive. Thus, I’ll save it forever.
FYI, I enjoy reading your advice on babies’ sleep. I only wish I’d known about it 5 years ago. Take care.
Jonny said
I will remove your link. Sorry.
supercynic said
You don’t need to remove your link. I just would have liked to have known about it — especially when you’re questioning my intelligence. I don’t mind an honest debate. I just like to know when I’m in one. Take care.
Jonny said
Its cool, I’ll just remove it. Not worth it. Good read btw on some of your other blogs.
supercynic said
I appreciate it. Funny thing is, I actually agree with you to a point about the statistical meaning, or lack thereof, of approval ratings. That really is the point of my post. Perhaps it just didn’t come across as clearly in writing as it was in my head.