Feeling Blue? (Newsweek Poll: Bush Approval drops to a new all time low of 31%)

[Pirate Smile]

Just announced on MSNBC

34% Favorable Opinion of Pelosi
20% Unfavorable Opinion of Pelosi

edit to add article - now up:

Feeling Blue?
After the Democratic sweep of Congress, President Bush's approval reaches a new low. But voters want Democrats to chart a moderate course.


Can They Work Together? Pelosi has 34 percent approval ratings, slightly better than Bush's 31 percent

WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Marcus Mabry
Newsweek
Updated: 5 minutes ago

Nov. 11, 2006 - President George W. Bush’s response was swift and decisive—if a little late. After voters gave Republicans “a thumpin’” at the polls, handing Democrats control of both houses of Congress, Bush banished his contentious defense secretary; invited the presumptive leaders of the new House and Senate to lunch (would-be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had pasta; the president ate crow, a Bush aide joked); and suffered through two pained photo-ops with Pelosi and Harry Reid, the Nevada Senator expected to become Majority Leader. And what did the president get for listening to the voice of the American people? The worst approval rating of his presidency.

President Bush’s job approval rating has fallen to just 31 percent, according to the new NEWSWEEK Poll. Bill Clinton’s lowest rating during his presidency was 36 percent; Bush’s father’s was 29 percent, and Ronald Reagan’s was 35 percent. Jimmy Carter’s and Richard Nixon’s lows were 28 and 23 percent, respectively. (Just 24 approve of outgoing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s job performance; and 31 percent approve of Vice President Dick Cheney’s.)

Worst of all, most Americans are writing off the rest of Bush’s presidency; two-thirds (66 percent) believe he will be unable to get much done, up from 56 percent in a mid-October poll; only 32 percent believe he can be effective. That’s unfortunate since 63 percent of Americans say they’re dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country; just 29 percent are satisfied, reports the poll of 1,006 adults conducted Thursday and Friday nights.

But the new poll carries sobering news for Democrats, too, still on their post-victory high. Just about everyone believes the Republicans lost the 2006 midterms more than the Democrats won it. Presented with a list of factors that may have contributed to the Democrats’ success, 85 percent of Americans said the “major reason” was disapproval of the administration’s handling of the war in Iraq, 71 percent said disapproval of Bush’s overall job performance, 67 percent cited dissatisfaction with how Republicans have handled government spending and the deficit, 63 percent said disapproval of the overall performance of Republicans in Congress, 61 percent said Democrats’ ideas and proposals for changing course in Iraq. Tellingly, just 27 percent said a major reason the Democrats won was because they had better candidates.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15667442/site/newsweek/

[roguenkatz]

1. YIKES!

Has any other president been lower at any point in their presidency?

[leftyladyfrommo]

4. Yes - I think Nixon was down to 26% n/t

[Lasher]

81. Time to haul out the old Pollkatz graph

Junior's post-election polls have not yet been plotted in this graph:



http://www.pollkatz.homestead.com/

He's got two years to chase after Tricky Dick's record if he doesn't get removed from office first.

[YOY]

2. So 46% don't know about Pelosi?

n/t

[MissWaverly]

44. I think it's about lying he would keep Rummie

and then dumping him like a wet noodle right after the election, in the press conference
he more or less said, you can't expect me to tell the truth before the election.

[Demeter]

51. I Think It's The Pollsters Stopped Lying

and the pollees, too. Reality in the form of a complete upset can be a liberating thing.

[MissWaverly]

70. People are really PO'd about Rummie

ONE that Bush clearly lied before the election and admitted it, and TWO they felt to drop
him like a stone the day after the election was a sleazy trick esp. when he kept him on
despite people begging him for years to appoint someone else, it makes it look like politics
comes first with him and the security and welfare of the country a distant second.

[Hieronymus]

57. Most Americans don't know who Pelosi is.

Those are the people who get their "news" from wingnut radio and Fox, where they'll only hear negative things about her.
Congratulations, Madam Speaker.

[leftyladyfrommo]

3. Do you think he will go below 30%?

If he just keeps acting like he has a mandate even tho everyone hates what he is doing to the country he may go the lowest of any sitting president.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

5. I'm not going to be happy with our country

until it is in the single digits.

[Demit]

9. Hopefully the drop won't be as a result of new horrors perpetrated by him.

I don't think that would be very happy-making.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

20. No, I was thinking more in terms

of because of all the outstanding criminal cases pending against him.

[Cha]

66. I saw words coming out of their mouths in

cartoon bubbles recently on that picture and it said..

rummy: "Is it me or has this been a shitty week?"

sadamn: "Don't even get me started!" }(

[Lasher]

82. I think sub-30% is entirely possible

This is the first post-election poll I've seen. The Decider has been this low before. CBS News/NY Times and USA Today/Gallup both put him at 31% in May this year.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/archive/index.php?poll_id=19&page=1

To get below 30% Junior will have to lose some of the people who press their foreheads to the ground each day before Saint Ronnie of Reagan's image. But that might just happen on account of the November 7 slaughter. The rationalization has already begun (Junior's not a real Republican, we need to get back to our conservative roots, I wish it was 1994 again, boo hoo, etc.) Do I hear flapping and oinking?

[rodeodance]

6. many do not KNOW Pelosi name yet.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Bush's legacy is in the toilet

Whether he's impeached or not, he is the president who sent US troops to Iraq for no good reason, who approved torture, tho slept while America was attacked, who spied on Anerican citizens en masse, whose power rested on a fraudulant election, who appointed unqualified cronies to public office and who, through it all, claimed to be beyond accountability.

[minnesota_liberal]

43. That just about covers it. Nicely done. (n/t)

[Canuckistanian]

49. Good summation

This description should be in any future short summary of presidential records.

[Demeter]

52. And Trashed the Economy and Our World Standing

the environment, and probably Public Health, if anyone ever looked into it.

[Jack Rabbit]

67. I wrote that this morning while having my first cup of coffee

Even fully alert, it's hard for an old man to remember everything Bush has done wrong, even in broad strokes.

Thank you reminding me of that

[Stardust]

72. Let's not forget Katrina.

[Nedsdag]

73. Don't forget::

Asleep at the wheel while New Orleans and Mississippi literally drowned due to Hurricane Katrina.

[BootinUp]

8. Pelosis Unfavorable number is very low.

Nice try Pukes! :rofl:

Look at Chimpy, his numbers are worse than someone who was at a gay pride march in SF and is a woman to boot! Who would have believed.

[Bucky]

83. Remember, there are three catagories: approve, disapprove, don't know

The facts that she's not even held office yet, half the country doesn't even know who she is, and she's taking over a Congress with something like a 15% approval rating makes her mid-30s approval rating a small miracle. You're right. It's a laughable attempt at spin.

[brook]

10. Shrunk and screwn.

Watching the wreath laying at Arlington, I'm struck by the fact that * is a head shorter than his military escort. He's never looked short to me before - though we know he's a 'small' man.

I dislike seeing him participating in events like this - and wonder if it galls him - an AWOL POS mixing with real heroes?

[JoFerret]

29. "real heroes"?

Maybe. People in uniform and serving in the military certainly. And of course - in comparison with W almost anyone has heroic stature.

[brook]

42. Yes. Real Heroes.

There are scores of ordinary men and women there who didn't run from serving their country. They. Are. Heroes.

[Dr.Phool]

11. He's rapidly catching up with Cheney's numbers.

Dead-eye Dick says he has no intentions of running for president in 2008.

It's not like he has a 18% approval rating or anything!

[ixion]

12. this article contains all repube talking points

- repubes lost to dems win

- dems should be 'moderate', as opposed to repube 'mandate'.

- 'worst' of all, which implies that it's a bad thing that American's have written off *.

and on and on.

Cheney at 31%? Give me a break. :eyes:

[Elidor]

18. Yes, there's quite a bit of conventional wisdom regurgitated here

And no mention of how impeachment has been polling very high lately. This is the Kool Kids telling the Democrats, "You've got to be moderate, and by the way, you still suck."

"The good news for Democrats is that voters believe they know their mandate is limited." This article is typical of the garbage fobbed off on us these days.

[EFerrari]

74. "The good news for Bush is an intern could raise his numbers

five points."

:rofl:

[Bjorn Against]

32. Here is the quote that really stuck out for me...

"Worst of all, most Americans are writing off the rest of Bush’s presidency; two-thirds (66 percent) believe he will be unable to get much done, up from 56 percent in a mid-October poll; only 32 percent believe he can be effective. That’s unfortunate since 63 percent of Americans say they’re dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country."

They come straight out and say it is "unfortunate" that people are writing off Bush, because according to them if people are dissatisfied with the way things are going we need Bush to come in and fix the problem. Well I for one am glad Bush is no longer taken seriously, because I don't want him to have any power to influence the direction of this country anymore. I find I find VERY FORTUNATE that the people are waking up.

Yes, this article was obviously written by a Republican.

[Straight Shooter]

36. Yes it's unfortunate that right away bush is still being obstinate and obstructionist.

Still wants Bolton. Still wants his domestic spying program. I'm sure we'll hear more as the days go on.

Good thing Dems control both houses, or there would be absolute gridlock due to the little man in the Oval Office.

By the way, how anyone could watch and listen to Pelosi and not approve, is beyond me. Can anyone show me a female Repub politician woman with that much class? Ha!

[PretzelzRule]

48. Here's another doozy:

"Just about everyone believes the Republicans lost the 2006 midterms more than the Democrats won it."

That has about as much weight as the oft-heard, "Some people say..." :eyes: Well, WHO, exactly? Did the author go out and ask every fucking American what we think?? :grr:

THIS American KNOWS WE WON IT more than the pukes lost it.

[Starlight]

63. Marcus Mabry is obviously a bitter right winger.

[54anickel]

76. But that's such a "loser mentality". So I've been told elsewhere in this

thread.

I agree that the repubs will be making these their talking points. Seems they are throwing "stuff" against the wall to see what sticks. But hey, what do I know. I've got a "loser mentality". :eyes:

The sky is falling, ya know. :sarcasm:

[pissedoffprogressive]

13. I'm waiting for the 20% rating. What is Cheney's?

[European Socialist]

14. Don't worry Smirk--Democrats see you as an equal and will work with you.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. Cheney at 31?

:rofl:

Somebody has their thumb on the scale.

[LetsGoMurphys]

30. Thats 31 people not percent n/t

[yorkiemommie1]

45. LOL!

:rofl:

[jmowreader]

50. Even that's a bit high

Let's see...Lynne Cheney probably still likes him, his daughter may still like him, the waiter at Jack Abramoff's restaurant who always makes sure to park the defibrillator next to Dead-Eye's table when he orders anything cooked in butter likes him because he tips big...then there's Shrub, Condi...Rummy still likes him but since he's gonna be in jail next week he doesn't count...

That 31-person approval rating? You haven't been Diebolding it, have you?

[LetsGoMurphys]

59. You apparently forgot the Halliburton Board of Directors n/t

[jmowreader]

65. You apparently forgot CorpGovActivist

This man, the bravest of DUers, is currently tearing Halliburton a new asshole. I don't think those people are real happy with ANYONE in the current administration.

[Pirate Smile]

16. more from the article

"That means the new Congressional majority may be kept on a short leash. A majority of Americans, 51 percent, believe it’s a good thing that the Democrats regained control of Congress, including 18 percent of Republicans, while only 17 percent think it is a bad thing. (When the Republicans won the 2002 midterms, 30 percent thought it was a good thing that the GOP kept control, while 34 percent thought it was a bad thing.)

-snip-
The good news for Democrats is that voters believe they know their mandate is limited. Half of all Americans, 50 percent, say Democrats will take a moderate approach, compared to 34 percent who believe they will try to take the country in a more liberal direction. Not surprisingly, Republicans are most skeptical: 52 percent believe the Democrats will try to push America to the left while 37 percent believe they will be more moderate.

And there’s massive support for much of the Democratic Congress’s presumed agenda. For instance, 75 percent of Americans say allowing the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices for seniors should be a “top priority,” including 67 percent of Republicans. Increasing the minimum wage comes next (68 percent) on the public’s list, followed by investigating government contracts in Iraq (60 percent).

-snip-
With just two years before the next presidential election, the Republicans have some rebuilding to do. Today 48 percent of registered voters would generally like to see a Democrat elected in ’08 (including 10 percent of Republicans and 37 percent of independents); compared to 28 percent who want a Republican (including just 3 percent of Democrats and 20 percent of independents). Twenty percent say they don’t know."

[Peace Patriot]

77. There is a BIG difference between asking if the "Democrats WILL TAKE a

moderate approach" (what people were asked in the poll--how will the Dems behave?), and what the Newsweek subtitle says: "...voters WANT Democrats to chart a moderate course."

Do I think the Democrats WILL TAKE a moderate course? Yes.

Do I WANT the Democrats to take a moderate course? Hell, no! I'm a leftist!

THEY HAVE CHANGED THE MEANING OF THE POLL QUESTION IN THE SUBTITLE! The subtitle LIES!

People were not asked what they want. They were asked what they think will happen.

So this 50% means nothing, as to what people WANT.

[54anickel]

17. Notice what will become the new meme - snippets

"Just about everyone believes the Republicans lost the 2006 midterms more than the Democrats won it."

"Tellingly, just 27 percent said a major reason the Democrats won was because they had better candidates."

"The good news for Democrats is that voters believe they know their mandate is limited. Half of all Americans, 50 percent, say Democrats will take a moderate approach, compared to 34 percent who believe they will try to take the country in a more liberal direction."


And :wtf: is that last line about?

"And therein lies some good news for President Bush as he faces the final two years of his Presidency. At least he’s not John Kerry."

[flowomo]

22. hmmm... and why isn't THIS this the "new meme":

And there’s massive support for much of the Democratic Congress’s presumed agenda. For instance, 75 percent of Americans say allowing the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices for seniors should be a “top priority,” including 67 percent of Republicans. Increasing the minimum wage comes next (68 percent) on the public’s list, followed by investigating government contracts in Iraq (60 percent).


why pick the negative as the "meme" (and some of those points are valid) and ignore the positive? It's more "loser mentality" at work -- always overreacting to criticism rather than building on strengths.

[54anickel]

24. Probably because I don't yet trust the media and the lobbyists they

tend to represent. Call it being negative if you like, I prefer to "stay on my toes" with regards to how the PTB might try to shape and remold public opinion. I think those PTB are pretty happy with the following results and will try to "steer" public opinion further in this direction - and that's what I'll be watching for.

There’s less support for rolling back Bush’s tax cuts: 40 percent say that should be a top priority and 24 percent say it shouldn’t be done at all. And since the election, Americans have become slightly less interested in investigating impropriety and wrongdoing by members of Congress. The number of Americans who think this should be a top priority has dropped from 62 to 55 percent.

Overall, however, the public wants Congress and the president to put Iraq and national security before domestic issues like the economy and health care, by a margin of 51 to 33 percent. Fifteen percent say they should be equal priorities. But the public is not overly optimistic: 54 percent of Americans say partisan bickering will likely prevent important work from getting done, while 40 percent say the two sides will be able to work together.

[flowomo]

27. no problem with staying on toes...

let's just just not get into sky-is-falling mode everytime someone says something we don't like.

[54anickel]

40. I didn't mean to suggest "the sky-is-falling", nor did I appreciate being

told I have a "loser mentality".

It's early in the game and there's a PR race to set the public's mindset as to what the "agenda" should be. It's a pre-emptive move to attempt to "protect" the most important issues to the PTB by moving them to a back-burner.

Just an interesting side-note, google "democrat agenda" and check out some of the articles (and sources) vs a google of "democratic agenda".

[roguenkatz]

19. "Would-be"????

How about "will-be" or even "elected". The contortions of wording in their article are unbearable.

[niceypoo]

21. Yes, the republicans lost the election by self destructing

The democrats didnt have to "win" it. The republican party did it for us.

[kestrel91316]

23. Here's what I think we should pursue as a possible alternative

to impeachment: see just how low we can get Bush's poll numbers during the next two years!!

If we work real hard with investigations and hearings I am betting we can get it down to about 10%.

[buddysmellgood]

26. I agree. Bush will be forced to resign by his own party. They won't be able

to tolerate the albatross.

[Strelnikov_]

34. Couldn't Agree More. Unfortunately, Impeachment Is Probably Inevitable

Once the outer layers are peeled back, the Congressional investigations are probably going to uncover a trove of impeachable offenses, and the Dem Congress will have no choice but to do their duty.

Hell, I kind of expect the GOP to force the Dem's hand on impeachment, as this road apple is now a millstone around the neck of the GOP.

[rodeodance]

25. people constantly hear this from the 'liveral' media:

But the new poll carries sobering news for Democrats, too, still on their post-victory high. Just about everyone believes the Republicans lost the 2006 midterms more than the Democrats won it.

[sallyseven]

28. MSNBC

makes it up as they go along. Don't believe a word of what they say. Dems won because they have better ideas.

[Strelnikov_]

31. Do The Investigations - - Drive Em' Lower

This road apple is the best thing going for a Dem President-Elect and widened Dem majority in '08.

Every Dem, at the conclusion of each investigation, should work the meme "Why did the GOP allow this to happen?"

Burn, baby, burn.

[Elidor]

33. This article contains at least one outright falsehood

Clinton's lowest approval rating was 43%, not 36%. They love to claim that Clinton was unpopular, but even his worst polls were quite a bit better than anything Dubya has seen in years.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/poll_clintonlegacy010117.html

[ismnotwasm]

35. Good

It should be even lower, but there are still some out there who hang on to their delusional belief that he is fit to be in the White house. In any capacity.

[barb162]

37. Well it took six years to neutralize the SOB, but at least

we won;t have to look forward to 2 moire years of his crap

[Greatwildbeast]

38. Cheney's numbers should be much lower

31% in favor of Dick "Elmer Fudd" Cheney? Hardly. He's down in the teens. If that.

Pelosi's numbers indicate only what the stinking Rightwing radio sites have categorized her as being.

The people are in for a pleasant surprise.

[liberal N proud]

39. One star rising - the other is nearly burned out

[Doctor_J]

41. Regardless of what path the Dems take, MSM will paint it as left-wing

so I would go ahead and do the right thing.

[2Design]

46. We are hoping he can not do much more (damage) so if that is not

getting much done than I am all for it - now he could go along with the democratic congress and do good things instead for a change

[anotherdrew]

47. bush should resign for the good of the country n/t

[Starlight]

61. That's what my boyfriend just said.

[codjh9]

53. Yeah, but why isn't it about TWO percent?!?!?! Who in the hell, and more

importantly WHY, would anyone still support the moron? Well, of course, I know there are the mindless automatic-Republican-voting zombies, some of whom are in my own family, who couldn't be swayed even if - as someone else on DU said - Bush was caught servicing a sheep in the Oval Office. But STILL...

[Starlight]

62. Some people are totally out of touch. They only watch Fox News and listen to right wing commentators

Sad but true.

[codjh9]

54. And we have a pathetically ignorant country if only 27% think we had better candidates n/t

[Bjorn Against]

75. It is absolutely not true that "only 27% think we had better candidates"

If you read what the article actually says it says that only 27% said that the MAIN REASON that Democrats won is that they have better candidates. There were undoubtedly MANY more who believed Democrats had better candidates but did not list it as the main reason.

This is one method the media uses to deceive people with polling data, if you ask a question looking for the "main reason" on any issues you are likely to get a large number of responses making the numbers for certain particular responses seem very low. You can then do what this "journalist" did and frame that data to look bad for Democrats.

[codjh9]

79. OK, point taken - as they say, you can prove anything with statistics, and/or

it always depends on exactly how you read them or how the poll question was worded.

[timtom]

55. It seems that everytime a new low in Bush's numbers

is revealed, it's 31%. I thought it sank to 31% 2 years ago...,

[eppur_se_muova]

56. Hold still a second ... mustard on your tie ... Oh, sorry, that IS your tie. nt

[truthisfreedom]

58. Look, the psychology of this is pretty simple. We feared bush before, which

caused some of us to have the slightest smidgen of respect for him. Now he's neutered, and those people who had fear-based respect for him have no use for him at all anymore.

bush is pretty much toast unless he turns into a really, really good boy who does exactly what the Democratic Party tells him to do.

[Black Adder]

60. Jeez, what happened to all that "Political Capital" he had in 2004

[mvd]

64. Lame duck!

The people have spoken. :bounce:

[hasssan1]

68. IT'S TIME TO IMPEACH THIS RAT

WE ALL MUST CONTACT OUR STATE OFFICIAL AND DEMAND THEM TO IMPEACH THIS ASS HOLE FUCK.


http://www.impeachbush.org/site/PageServer

[depakid]

69. The Dems didn't nationalize the elections

That much is obvious- and who knows how much more of a margin we might have had not only on the national- but on the state level had we done something bold like had a mid-term convention and put a package out there, like Walter Cronkite suggested.

I suppose it remains to be seen how the leadership behaves next year. There's a lot of opportunity- for either solidifying a majority- or losing it altogether. If they behave like last year, it won't portend well for 2008.

[ecstatic]

71. he insulted the voters: "To our enemies, do not be joyful"

Then you have his minions on FOX and MSNBC who are continuing where Bush left off in insulting the integrity and patriotism of the voters.

[RedCloud]

78. His only claim to fame was his 9/11 screw up

And if 20% have an unfavorable opinion of Pelosi, I say screw 'em. You have to go her a decent chance.

This is just spin news. When the thugs stole the White house with less than the majority vote, they had their hard right agenda ready to go!!!

Wait 'til the crap comes out publicly, then see how the public likes the Bushevicks.

[BenDavid]

80. Got to give a lot of credit to President Bill

Clinton and his unending campaigning for Dem candidates. Clinton's last-minute stumping in San Joaquin County came because new polls suggest McNerney's once-longshot bid against Pombo, a seven-term incumbent and chairman of the House Resources Committee, has unexpectedly turned into a toss-up in the campaign's final days. Pombo lost. Clinton campaigned in Virginia on November 6th. Webb won...Clinton campaigned in Rhode Island November 6th. Whitehouse wins....Clinton campaigned in Pa. for retired Admiral Joe Sestak and Sestak defeated Weldon...Clinton traveled to Missouri...McCaskill won....Many other places that he went too and campaigned, but one must give credit for this man which by all accounts has become more popular with the American people to the dismay by republicans....
One other thing, if Hillary decides to run, I would bet she would win because there is Bill and it makes no difference whether it be McCain or Rudy...Hillary will win.....

[BootinUp]

84. I think he did make a difference, but in the end

we have to realize that Bush was his own worst enemy and the country soundly rejected the Bush direction. It is up to the new Dems to show America that we are the party looking out for the average joe the average family the ones who can';t help themselves. And Bill is a good example. I think trade policy is going to change from the Clinton years. THat is one area that Democrats cite as where he did some damage in the nineties. Personally I think it is a much more complex issue than people realize. If we try to maintain the status quo with protectionist policies it may just be delaying the inevitable decline of strength in certain manufacturing segments. Better to think about it like Clinton did and look to invest in new technologies and train Americans to take advantage of them.

[lonestarnot]

85. Less than a turd! OMG

:rofl: