(Note: I really don’t have any conclusions here, just a collection of thoughts. Feel free to discuss things among yourselves.)
On the radio the other day, I heard a commentator discussing how President Bush’s approval ratings have fallen even lower. The number I heard was 31%, but that is being challenged — it seems the pollsters once again over-sampled Democrats.
But the particulars aren’t overly important. The commentator said that Bush’s numbers are lower than Clinton’s ever were — and that Clinton would never let his numbers get that bad. Clinton lived and died by polls, by people’s approval, and would have found some way to reverse things. Bush, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to care much for polls; he has his own beliefs and principles, and he stands by them solidly.
A long time ago, I was heavily involved in campus politics. A friend of mine and I were discussing the merits. I backed one candidate as a true believer, a sincere and decent guy. Walter, though, backed a guy who I described as a pure political animal, one who was interested in power and self-aggrandizement. He was lining himself up for a post-college political career, and saw student government as a mere stepping-stone on the way.
Walter’s argument was simple: his guy was someone you could depend on, you could work with. You could get him on your side just by making sure he understood how it would be to his benefit. It was a cold, pragmatic approach, and it repulsed me.
In the end, my guy won and Walter’s lost. And my guy was a disaster.
That’s the problem with the true believers — they rarely end up mediocre. They are either great successes, or great failures. My guy flopped. (It’s so bad that I don’t even remember who the hell he was, but I still remember Walter and his guy, James.)
So, Bush is a true believer, as opposed to Clinton the pragmatist. Reagan and FDR were true believers, but so was Carter. Nixon was, at his core, a pragmatist.
The other element of the polling that struck me is that politics is not a zero-sum game, especially when it comes to polls. Bush’s falling approval do not necessarily mean that his opponents are rising — because they aren’t. There is no ascending star on the Democratic side, just a bunch of retreads, has-beens, and never-weres who think they can capitalize on the numbers to boost themselves — and they can’t.
There’s an old saying in politics that you can’t beat someone with no one. It’s the principle that’s kept Ted and Patrick Kennedy (alias Old Pint and Half Pint) in office. And even though Bush can’t run again, he’s still somebody, and his designated successor will have that going for him (or her). The Democrats need to find someone that people can vote for, for a change — running as “I’m not George W. Bush” hasn’t worked for them yet.
(Update: Iowa Liberal whines that his trackback excoriating me (well, kicking sand on my shoes and stamping his feet) was blocked. Here you go, jb. Sorry to ruin your paranoid persecution complex.)
Over two-thirds of the American public now believes that the country was much better off in 2000 when Clinton left office than it is now. After 8 straight years of lowering poverty levels, poverty has been rising steadily since Bush took over. After 8 straight years of declining abortion rates to a 25-year low in 2000, abortion rates have risen every year under Bush. After 5 years of Bush, we have the largest debt and deficit in history and the largest divide between rich and working class since the beginning of the 20th century…
And most of you Bush supporting morons are still angry about blow jobs. I think maybe you guys need to get a blow job.
Aren’t there now like 3 polls with him at 31%?
Ah Gil give him a break! Hes still getting over the fact that Clinton was sush a liar for 8 years, thats enough to traumatize a lot of people in this country
Ah bluedog , i believe Bush is against abortion! so if the numbers are higher? its because of the choices you lefties make.
Maybe You should ask His wife about the blowjob thing? as thats where He should have enjoyed them.
I did a poll amongst the people in my town and Lo and Behold 88% of respondents think the media lie and bush got 60% approval on the economy! so there
I did a poll amongst the people in my town and Lo and Behold 88% of respondents think the media lie and bush got 60% approval on the economy! so there
Posted by: Dick Morrass at May 10, 2006 01:22 PM
What town is that? Stepford?
Your fist sentence perfectly describes your failed impeached BJ Clinton the rapist. The same maggot that knowingly sold taited blood I believe it was to Canada while Gov. of Arkansas. As far as the Coward part of your drivel, you got your head up your ass. President Bush flew a plane in the National Guard more dangerous than inhaling Marijuana. Clinton the draft dodger too stupid to even know how to smoke pot correctly. Now that’s a lame excuse for a President. Besides sounding like a complete Bi$ch care to make ass of yourself with anymore of your childish statements?
Posted by: Rob in LA Ca. at May 9, 2006 06:15 PM
Rob in LA Ca. – you’re not doing the conservatives on this site much of a favor. You come across as an illiterate moron. Are you a product of Bush’s famous (and failed) “No Child Left Behind”?
He sure has Clinton pegged though!
He sure has Clinton pegged though!
Posted by: Al Shopton at May 10, 2006 03:38 PM
You think so? He sounds like a typical whining conservative to me. Bill Clinton hasn’t been president for 6 years. Rob needs new material – he’s as stale as Henny Youngman.
And it’s too bad he doesn’t turn that insightful (your opinion) eye on George Bush and enlighten us with his critique of this failed presidency.
Chimichunga: “Ah bluedog , i believe Bush is against abortion! so if the numbers are higher? its because of the choices you lefties make.”
Chimi, that Bush is “against” abortion is irrelevant. The more important question is why have abortion rates risen every year for the last five years after falling to a 25-year low in 2000 after 8 years of declining abortion rates. The answer is that abortion rates follow poverty rates. The more poverty, the more abortions. Bush’s policies have led to more poverty and so there are more abortions.
But, blaming democrats when republicans control all three branches plus a broad swath of the media is just plain pathetic.
Dick Morrass: “I did a poll in my own town…”
God, that’s so pathetic. Listen, I could win every argument if I were allowed to make up facts. The world just doesn’t work that way, Dick. I hate to break it to you.
Bluedog
Oh really? tell it to the MSM and democratic party ! because youve just desribed them to a T…
chimangaconquistador.
Clinton was beeing blown by interns for 8 years?.
Now I know what Rob’s problem is …. ENVY.
Bush (and you) should know by now now that it takes more than straight sex to run a country.
I just don’t understand what its gonna take for you conservatives to stop drinking the kool-aid. We lost two towers, Iraq, the surplus and the city of New Orleans on account of the Decider. How many more blunders do u need before it because apparant to the 31% of u that still support Bush that the guy ain’t up to snuff.
Boring, Boring.
Apparently tonight all Republicans out there are in “talking points” class.
What gives oh mighty defenders of the great Decider?.
GOP, please take my advice. Whenever a messenger delivers bad news, blame the messenger. Attack the messenger. Destroy the messenger. Whatever you do, ignore the message at all costs. After all, acknowledgement of bad news might entice a leader to ajust his strategy, thereby showing weakness. Always stick with the original strategy, no matter how the game unfolds. Stay the course, no matter what. Please, don’t ever change.
I see the bed wetters are still at it. I see there are a couple new masterbaters , friends of Gilberto and Perro Azul no doubt.
Let’s see what lies pendejo #1 has brought to us to laugh at.
“We lost two towers, Iraq, the surplus and the city of New Orleans on account of the Decider”.
All this translates to is stupid little loser crying his ass off and throwing a tantrum.
You are really showing your imaturity as well as stupidity. Excuse me a moment as I laugh at you. Oh and I could care less about BJ getting a BJ so long as it’s not in the Oval Office, take it to the basement of something. Can’t blame him for straying given that he’s married to wide assed Communist pig, ugh!
I’ll say this as fast as I can cause you lying idiots are a waste of time. Twin Towers destroyed by terrorists thanks to the Clintons blowjobs . President Bush did the job that democrat President are incapable of doing , Regime Change. Surplus ? what surplus? Was Bubba making Lewinski spit into collection viles when she was done? Fact is The Clintons didn’t leave a surplus or anything for that matter agter they looted the White House.
And New Orleans? Exactly what could the President have done with the 1000 dead citizens killed by Mayor Nagin and Gov. Blanco? Their fricken dead. The levies Broke because stupid criminal democrats in the most corrupt city in our Country used the money for levy repair like it was their own piggy bank. They built themselves some Casinos instead and a nice big water fountain.
Now what ever you bozos do from here on out , please use a condom , you are aware of the consequences of inbreeding, right ? Just say no.
Hi Rob!
Did you know that something like 2% of adults still wet their beds? And a similar percentage have trouble staying dry during the daytime? This isn’t geriatrics I’m talking about either. I wonder how many Republicans have this trouble. Why, your local GOP party membership probably includes at least one bed-wetter.
I don’t have the inbreeding statistics handy, but it’s well-known that virtually everyone masturbates. Again, must be plenty of Republicans in that collection.
So it’s instructive that while trying to insult your idealogical opponents you continue to inadvertently insult your own. Republican policies are like that — designed to hurt the opposition while hurting its own.
Now, on the Uncontrollable Mouth-Frothing front, the statistic seems to skew heavily Republican, with an especially high concentration among GOP males living in L. A….
Ha Ha Ha
Davel ,time to change your Depends again?
Actually, it’s my girlfriend, and Depends don’t cut it.
Heh. Just a joke, really. Hoping for a nice response from Ron from his outlying planet.
It is a well-known fact here in the conservative blogosphere that Clinton’s all-powerful penis is the most powerful force in the universe and must be stopped at all costs.
Ha Ha close very close, actually its the Dark Side of Clintons Wanton shaft that must be vanquished at all costs..
Another poll came out today, with Bush at, you guessed it, 31%.
Keep living in your fantasy world where the “liberal” CIA and the “liberal” Wall Stree Journal are conspiring to bring down our Great Heroic Leader.
Jimbo
31% huh? Darn I had My hopes all set on voting for Frat boy again? now you went and ruined everything..