Isn't it clear to everyone that the #1 reason Bush continues to drop to record low approval levels and Congress, as a whole, continues to drop to very very low approval levels is that both of them continue to support the failed Iraq Occupation? Bush has low ratings on almost every facet of his miserable tenure, but it is certain that the main driving factor in the Congressional disapproval is the fact that they will not confront Bush and start the withdrawal from Iraq. Something's gotta give. Once the campaign primaries begin, somthing has got to give. The disconnect between the government and the governed is really wide. Hard to believe we elected a "Uniter not a Divider" isn't it.
Posted by T2 at June 21, 2007 01:03 PMWill things change in September with the GOP senators if they are seen supporting the policies of a president with Nixonian approval ratings, driven largely by his Iraq war?
No. Nothing will change. Republicans in congress are trapped like rats, unable to make a break for it. I suspect they're more terrified than the democrats at this point.
Interesting that it was just last week that Mitch McConnell lashed out against talk radio. They're desperate for maneuvering room, and Rush and BillO and the rest of them are giving them nothing.
Posted by merciless at June 21, 2007 01:22 PMIn 19 months, George W. Bush will leave the White House for the last time.
Well, he could leave sooner, but..., oh yeah. There aren't enough votes.
Posted by Christopher at June 21, 2007 02:28 PMIt should be noted that watershed transformation periods tend to extend beyond the national cult of personality prism that drives much of our speculation and discourse.
We are in a time similar to that one Yeats described where the worst were full of bluster and leading idiot banzai charges while the best sat on their hands and bit nails while dithering.
But I look to the broader signs of this transformation, no less than a collapse of the entire neo robber baron model that has been running since Reagan.
These greed explosions come in cycles and then phase back to fear cycles.
So beyond whatever predictably ridiculous, vile and useless stuff Cheneybush flail through are era ending forces gathering like a super cell prairie storm fixin to toss out some tornados.
1. Global Economy.Maxxed out, dominated by the EU and China while fat moron america sinks into torpor of exhaustion from all the speculation frenzy and crippling stupidity in the Equities market.
2. Likely short term carbon load problems. All predictors of the Global warming model harp on increased volitility in the formation of things like hurricanes and blizzard, to say little of the slow drain of drought as formerly viable ag regions dry up.
3. Increased resource squeeze plays. By handing the chinese the baton to be manufacturer to the world and handing India ever more clout in infotech we have hollowed out our own capabilities while putting former rivals in direct intense competition for raw stuff we still need like oil and non ferrous metals.
All these are huge transformative factors an odd situation where the greed crazed elite of a nation basically looted it empty to the point where they have signed their own doom warrant.
Greed cycles implode when the hubris hits a certain level and the spasmodic fear reflex usually accelerates decline.
So I ask you, why spend huge amounts speculating on the Kibuki of a handful of compromised mediocrities in a lather to make the presidential selection ordeal even longer and more preposterous than it usually is.
The problem facing all candidates in both parties is that they run the risk of making us incredibly sick of all of them by the time a real campaign would have begun in less frenzied and harrowing times. They also expose themselves to media glare far longer and nearly all are compromised jittery wrecks.
And given the long track wreckord we have from Caligula Inc., there is no reason to suppose these vampire bunglers will do anything but make any macro factor disasters from the above headings orders of magnitude worse until the havoc finally stimulates the rise of real leadership.
And I leave you with this thought. A long view of this time might suggest our real mission is to move beyond the happy fluke Oil Model and revel in our ability to bridge out of it.
Imagine what might have been done if the problem was framed around the strategic imperative to move beyond oil with all due haste?
Imagine what we could have done with all the money burned in the air of Iraq to keep oil instead of having a ball finding ways to outgrow it.
Posted by Chris Rich at June 21, 2007 03:05 PMMore optimism from Chris I see. Well that sure says my side will win the WH next year. Americans want winners not whiners. ALL successful Democratic presidents have won with an optimistic message. Your side is losing it each and every day. 5 polls in a row have Congress lower than the president. Gallup has them at 30 year lows, even lower than last years when the people threw Republicans out. This Congress better get with it. Those margins aren't that far apart.
Speaker of the whole House made some very optimistic remarks upon hearing the people's voice through the vote. This Congress hasn't delivered on any of them.
Posted by peter at June 21, 2007 04:41 PMGallup has them at 30 year lows, even lower than last years when the people threw Republicans out. This Congress better get with it.
You're absolutely correct, Peter.
GALLUP has the Congress at 14% approval. 14%.
Pelosi and Reid have driven the 110th Congress into the ground and they've managed to accomplish it in less than a year.
Posted by Christopher at June 21, 2007 04:56 PM "Well that sure says my side will win the WH next year. Americans want winners not whiners."
Mr. Winner: Bring $5,000 to Sky Harbor airport. I will match it and give the $10,000 to my trusted repo men to hold till after the election.
The upstanding South Phoenix repo men will then escort you safely to your plane.
Here is your chance to participate in a sure thing.
Posted by TIKI AL at June 21, 2007 05:05 PMI've never bet on my chess game through school. That was as close to a sure thing then that I could come by. Why would I make this bet? 2004 was a sure thing, never made the bet. Been through South Pheonix several times. Don't know about repo men. There's not a whole lot of reasons to make this type of wager. I'd probably decline for now. But, Lord willing (and Soto too), I will be here the Wednesday after the election like I was last November. I don't run away, I wont run away...And I will be around here in the interim (Steve Soto willing).
Rudi has it right. Security, not Iraq, will carry the vote. Democrats will move us to defense. That's not good enough. The example of these 14% Democrats has been providing Americans a good reason not to trust our security to those running on your side of the isle. HC, your presumptive candidate for the presidency can not even pull in all the Democratic vote. Your allies at Moveon and Mydd and Kos will not support her. Rudi has won in NYC, a Democrat's bastion. Bloomberg has won in the same city. Where are the Democrats, where are the candidates? They keep losing there...why?
These Republicans seem to appeal to those Democrats. A red or green NY, CA, NJ, MI, and PA, plus all of the Bush red states. Get ready for President Guliani.
Posted by peter at June 21, 2007 05:55 PMScince Katrina, Bush has been losing about two points every three months. If this continues, he will be at about 18% a year from now. And all of the major GOP candidates for president offer more of the same, except possibly on the immigration bill, which is dead for the forseable future.
Simply put, the Republicans are not going to win the presidentcy next year. The '50/50 nation' touted in the period from 2000 to 2005 has become 65/35 scince Katrina. And demographics are only going to accelerate the erosion of the Republican base.
Futher, anyone who thinks the GOP is going to win next year doesn't know American political history. Who are the 20% presidents? They are Truman in 1951, Nixon in 1974, Carter in 1979 and Bush I in 1990. And noe of them were in the twenties for as long as Bush II has been. The record for the party in power winning under similar but slightly more favorable conditions I mentioned: 0-4.
The Republicans are not going to win next year.
Posted by herbal tee at June 21, 2007 08:27 PM..., oh yeah. There aren't enough votes.
Not said with enough swoonieness.
The Republicans are not going to win next year.
Unless Pelosi and Reid snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by doing something stupid like caving on Iraq fund....ing.... Crap!!!!
Posted by phidipides at June 21, 2007 08:40 PMWhat if Richard M. Nixon could reach out and talk to George W. Bush? Oh wait, he did...(view video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSuhuopoLiI
Posted by mgarthoff at June 21, 2007 11:08 PMIt's still a 50/50 nation. Only on one topic has it moved off that. One needs to remember that or you'll lose next year thinking otherwise. Democratic leadership...what leadership...will let you down case after case, bill after bill. These leaders in DC do not know how to lead. They're amateurs in this arena. The minority is eating their lunch.
Posted by peter at June 22, 2007 03:45 AM