Presidential Approval (In Handy Graphic Format)

[Lemur]

Stumbled onto a great site recently. Lots of analysis, lots of mathematic analysis of polls. I recommend it to the poll junkies on the Org.

Here's a couple of interesting graphics. The first charts Presidential mid-term approval ratings from 1950. Behold:

Another charts George W.'s approval from January 2005 to April 2006. Ta-da:

I strongly recommend you check out the site. There are lots of graphs like these, and all of them are if not informative, at least fun.

Question: Given these dismal statistics, is there anything that W. is likely to do that will pull him out of this hole? Obviously there are many things he could do, but would he do them? INothing short of a conviction will dispose of Turd Blossom (a.k.a. Karl Rove), so don't even go there. But is there anything on the horizon? Do you believe that his re-shuffling of cabinet will have the desired effect? Will a Close Encounter with Iran boost his standing? Will he pounce on Democrat fumbling (through proxies, of course) and build a bigger loser than himself?

Ideas, please. He can't just be twiddling his thumbs, happy with things as they are. There has to be something cooking.

[Kanamori]

I don't think there is anything he can do to make himself stand out as a great president, now. Lately, though, he has been digging himself out I think, at least in my mind but probably not in the minds of others.

Although I wish that more people would come over legally, and provisions should be enacted that strongly encourage it, I think that Bush's handling on the worker's bill will bring far more good than it will bring bad. I also like how he has seemed to distance himself from some of the people that nearly everyone dislikes, Rove et al, and has seemed to be handling Iraq in a more diplomatic way than, "Our way, or shut the heck up and just give us occupation troops!"

His handling of Iran has seemed to be the best way that it can be dealt with. He let the UN gives its disapproval the way it wanted to after we gave our disapproval the way we wanted to, and then they all went back to joint a effort. Unfortunately though, I don't think that there is much of a chance it will be resolved in a way that could be described as 'well'. Perhaps, this is where his chance to awe me lies.

Edit: Also, I liked his stance on the port deals. It was very firm, even though it was unpopular, and I think that it was very right. I think that is how I would characterize what I have like about him most: that he was firm, even when unpopular, but also very right.

[Devastatin Dave]

Question: Given these dismal statistics, is there anything that W. is likely to do that will pull him out of this hole? Obviously there are many things he could do, but would he do them? INothing short of a conviction will dispose of Turd Blossom (a.k.a. Karl Rove), so don't even go there. But is there anything on the horizon? Do you believe that his re-shuffling of cabinet will have the desired effect? Will a Close Encounter with Iran boost his standing? Will he pounce on Democrat fumbling (through proxies, of course) and build a bigger loser than himself?

Ideas, please. He can't just be twiddling his thumbs, happy with things as they are. There has to be something cooking.

Nope, he abandoned his base trying to make the people who would never accept him accept him. The media and the anyone just left of moderate hated him from the word go after 2000. He's lost the rest of us since his BS illegal immagration crap and his socialist medical program. Now is just swaying in the wind. He could have been great if he'd been strong on conservative issues and stopped trying to satisfy those who would never accept him.

(Language - Beirut)

[Devastatin Dave]

Here's a good article. I think it backs up my points...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060505/...cans_ap_poll_8

[Major Robert Dump]

At least he has a hot daughter. I'd do Barbara Jr. Old Barbara is hot for an old chic, i bet she makes some mean cookies and Malt-O-Meal

[yesdachi]

George W might be screwed in the popularity test. He would have to do something really great in order to boost the numbers up. But they don’t mean much in the middle of a term; especially his last term. Having better numbers would however help his party.

[Lemur]

The President hit a new low, 31% approval. Can he go as low as Nixon?

[Joker85]

The President hit a new low, 31% approval. Can he go as low as Nixon?

An interesting observation is that this once again is lowering expectations on the eve of an election.

This has been happening since 2000 and oddly enough it does put pressure on the democrats as well. With Bush being so unpopular expecations are about as low as possible for him in the upcoming midterms, while the exact opposite is true with the democrats. Anything short of a full sweep of congress by them will be seen as a massive defeat. I mean, if you can't even get control of congress with a 28-35% popular president, you never will and your party is pretty much dead.

[Lemur]

If you can't even get control of congress with a 28-35% popular president, you never will and your party is pretty much dead.

Hmmm, that might not be a bad thing. I would love for a viable alternative to the Democrats and Republicans. (For the record, I dislike the former and loathe the latter.) A viable Libertarian party would be really great. If you can't tell, I'm gazing into the blue sky wistfully ...

[Joker85]

Hmmm, that might not be a bad thing. I would love for a viable alternative to the Democrats and Republicans. (For the record, I dislike the former and loathe the latter.) A viable Libertarian party would be really great. If you can't tell, I'm gazing into the blue sky wistfully ...

Yeah but the eternal problem is you'll never convince someone they won't be wasting their vote going that route.

In a situation where one party fizzles out all it does is give the other party a monopoly on power. Any 3rd party that did come into play would most likely be made up of refugees and the disillusioned from the recently weakened party. All that would do is serve to further divide the vote of that party and make monopoly of the power in control even stronger.

With the GOP, the disaffection with Bush pretty much ends with him. His own base is what is driving his numbers down, but they are not ready to ditch the gop when he'll be gone in 2 years.

[Lemur]

Why does this line of reasoning remind me of an old Simpsons episode ...

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

MRD hits the nail on the head.

[Strike For The South]

Ok he sucks we get it. Its not like anyone is doing anything to rectify the sutiation. The dems seem happy with saying "look at how incomptent this man is" and yet do nothing. Poltics is sprilaing in this country. Instead of foucsing on the economy or immagration flag burning or drunk in bar laws are on the top of the docket. Polticians suck always have always will once in a blue moon a good one may come but its the peoples job to simply ignore the fat cats and make america beeter by themselves

[PanzerJaeger]

Its funny to note the 2nd and 3rd lowest approval ratings were of Truman and Reagan, now considered two of America's best presidents.

History will be kind to W.

[Lemur]

The dems seem happy with saying "look at how incomptent this man is" and yet do nothing.

Strike buddy, the Democrats have no power. If the Republican majority wanted to make a law enforcing funny glasses and fake goatees for all Democrat Senators, it would pass. All the Dems can do is stand on the sidelines and issue impotent statements. Remember two years ago when the ubercons were crowing about how they had taken every lever of power? That was because they had taken every lever of power. We received, for the short term, a one-party government.

Like it or hate it, that's the way things are. It's the Republicans' game to win or lose. (Which doesn't stop them from trying to shift all blame -- did anybody catch DeLay blaming Clinton for the oil crisis on ABC -- six years after the fact? Priceless.)

What I was asking was whether anybody saw a coherent strategy for W. to dig himself out of the hole. Sounds like a few people see some glimmers on the horizon.

[Ironside]

What I was asking was whether anybody saw a coherent strategy for W. to dig himself out of the hole. Sounds like a few people see some glimmers on the horizon.

With the appointment of Michael Hayden, I'm guessing he's trying to get a negative approvement.
As you cannot have a negative number on your approval score, it's obvious that he'll end up with almost 100% approval

[Samurai Waki]

And thats why this year I vote Communism:

[Xiahou]

Question: Given these dismal statistics, is there anything that W. is likely to do that will pull him out of this hole?

Until he finds a way to magically lower gasoline prices, no.

[yesdachi]

Strike buddy, the Democrats have no power. If the Republican majority wanted to make a law enforcing funny glasses and fake goatees for all Democrat Senators, it would pass. All the Dems can do is stand on the sidelines and issue impotent statements. Remember two years ago when the ubercons were crowing about how they had taken every lever of power? That was because they had taken every lever of power. We received, for the short term, a one-party government.

Like it or hate it, that's the way things are. It's the Republicans' game to win or lose. (Which doesn't stop them from trying to shift all blame -- did anybody catch DeLay blaming Clinton for the oil crisis on ABC -- six years after the fact? Priceless.)

What I was asking was whether anybody saw a coherent strategy for W. to dig himself out of the hole. Sounds like a few people see some glimmers on the horizon.

You make a good point Lemur but they still have enough power to try and do something good but they would rather throw stones at George W. and other easy targets rather than try and pass some legislation that would help the country. Can you guess how many people would vote for someone that would fix even a little piece of social security? Or any other topics that really bug average Joe American. I think the fact is that they are not powerless but that is the card they choose to play because it is easier.

I would really like to see a funny glasses and fake goatees bill.

[Xiahou]

You make a good point Lemur but they still have enough power to try and do something good but they would rather throw stones at George W. and other easy targets rather than try and pass some legislation that would help the country. Can you guess how many people would vote for someone that would fix even a little piece of social security? Or any other topics that really bug average Joe American. I think the fact is that they are not powerless but that is the card they choose to play because it is easier.

Exactly, being in the minority is no excuse for being content to sit on your hands while only criticizing. It wasnt nagging that put Republicans in control of Congress, it was a platform of clear goals and objectives. (That they didnt live up to much of it is a seperate matter.)

[Divinus Arma]

Nope, he abandoned his base trying to make the people who would never accept him accept him. The media and the anyone just left of moderate hated him from the word go after 2000. He's lost the rest of us since his BS illegal immagration crap and his socialist medical program. Now is just swaying in the wind. He could have been great if he'd been strong on conservative issues and stopped trying to satisfy those who would never accept him.

Exactly. I mean exactly. The proverbial nail on the head, etc, etc.

[Lemur]

Best summation I've read on how W. and the Republican Congressional looters will retain their majority:

If you can remain the party of victory when your policies lead to defeat, if you can remain the party of fiscal restraint when you run up staggering deficits, if you can remain the party of moral rectitude when your leadership is mired in corruption and has indelibly stained the country's honor, then certainly you ought to be able to retain control of the government when your approval rating is under 30%. Hell, if you can do all that you ought to be able to fly to Mars on a hang glider.