Monday, July 24, 2006
The Reality Of The American Voice
It's been a while since we last checked in on recent poll numbers, but as the Congressional election nears, we thought it was time to once again take the pulse of the American people.
There was a time when President Bush had the highest approval rating of any American President in recent history. Higher than Reagan. Higher than Clinton. Bush hit near 90 at the beginning of the war in Afghanistan.
How the mighty have fallen.
Bush has dropped from historic highs to historic lows, a majority of Americans disapprove of his policies, our image around the world is not only tarnished, but according to a recent Harris poll, we are viewed in the world as a bigger threat to global stability than Iran or even China.
So, as support for the Bush Administration continues to erode and November creeps up on us, what have Republicans facing election decided?
Run away. Quickly. The Congressional Republican goose-step is starting to fall out of sync with the Bush Administration.
Could it be that Congressional Republicans are beginning to hear the faint whisper of "reality" catching up with them? What is it that could possibly be spooking them?
Could it be that Americans are paying closer attention this year to the upcoming elections? Seven in ten are motivated and energized to vote in this upcoming election. The last time this type of attention began so early was 1994 - the year of Newt Gingrich's Republican Revolution.
Combine that with the fact that more Americans self-identify themselves as Democrats - 55%, where only 38% idetify themselves as Republicans.
I wonder how it'll feel for Republicans to be on the receiving end of a wave like that?
Do you think the Congressional Republicans in the House of Representatives have seen any of the SIXTY polls taken in the last year that have them losing on a generic ballot?
Maybe those Congressional Republicans have noticed that in the past year alone, ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY polls taken, all showing President Bush with a negative approval rating - meaning that more people disapprove than those who approve. This gap often times swings to a margin of over 30 points.
Maybe it's something that hits a little closer to home - and the wallet. Maybe they heard that Democrats have closed the fundraising gap with the GOP - which is traditionally one of the Republican strengths. When the Republicans couldn't win on ideals, they could usually count on winning with money. That might not be the case this year.
In a recent Los Angeles Times/ Bloomberg Poll, Americans were asked the following question: "Would you say the country is better off because of George W. Bush's policies and should proceed in the direction he set out, or do you think the country is not better off and needs to move in a new direction?"
Of ALL respondents, 61% believed we are not better off, and we need to move in a new direction. This included 22% of those labeling themselves as Republicans, or one in every five. Most importantly, possibly, is the fact that 63% of those who classify themselves as Independents - ther ever-important "swing voters," were swinging against Bush policies.
Of course, Apologists for the Administration will continue to sit with their fingers in their ears, stating that none of this matters.
But how much of a mountain of information does it take to convince them that a majority of Americans DISAPPROVE of the Republican control of this country?
Maybe it'll take a chilly November to convince them.
Tags: elections, fundraising, campaign, finance, money, Democrat, DNC, Republican, RNC, Bush, approval ratings, poll, politics, Congress
Posted by FleshPresser at 10:34 PM /
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It's been a while since we last checked in on recent poll numbers, but as the Congressional election nears, we thought it was time to once again take the pulse of the American people.
Could it be that Congressional Republicans are beginning to hear the faint whisper of "reality" catching up with them? What is it that could possibly be spooking them?
In a recent Los Angeles Times/ Bloomberg Poll, Americans were asked the following question: 
