Gallup poll: Do Americans like the Democratic Party?

[Basileus Basileon]

http://www.gallup.com/poll/102745/Democratic-Partys-Image-More-Positive-Than-Republican-Partys.aspx

PRINCETON, NJ -- According to the latest USA Today/Gallup poll, Americans are much more positive in their assessments of the Democratic Party than of the Republican Party -- consistent with a trend Gallup has measured since April 2006. Over the past several months, the public's ratings of the Republican Party have grown slightly more positive. The vast majority of Republicans and Democrats rate their respective parties favorably, while independents have a more positive than negative view of the Democratic Party, and a more negative than positive view of the Republican Party.

[Atman]

1. It's all because Nancy and Harry refuse to impeach.

After all, if Dems impeached the party Americans dislike, Americans might hate us and vote for the party they dislike instead.

:crazy:

.

[Basileus Basileon]

2. I wonder what that downward spike in 1999 was. nt

[sufrommich]

3. Clinton's impeachment trial?

[Basileus Basileon]

4. Absolutely.

[Atman]

5. Could you offer a hint about what your point is?

:shrug:

.

[Basileus Basileon]

6. The public reaction to the last impeachment trial.

People seem to think that "upholding the Constitution," as the Republicans put it, while nice to talk about, was low on the to-do list next to getting shit done.

[Atman]

9. Well, I'm still not sure what you're point is, so I'll trudge forward with an assumption

My assumption is that you're trying to say that impeachment of Bill Clinton hurt the GOP, and therefore we shouldn't try it either. I'm I close?

.

[Basileus Basileon]

10. Close enough.

I'm trying to say that it is not by any means a good idea to go ahead with "impeachment to preserve the Constitution" without being firmly aware that, in all likelihood, it will severely damage public perception of our party.

[Atman]

11. Okay then...

Clinton was an extremely popular president, and his impeachment was widely seen as a farcical witch hunt by perturbed Republicans who were upset at his interruption of Poppy's reign. IOW, few Americans took it as seriously as the handful of Republicans actually doing the impeaching.

Bush, otoh, is the most reviled president in American history and is viewed by the vast majority of Americans as misleading the country into an illegal war.

Unlike Clinton, Americans actually favor the impeachment of Bush and/or Cheney for their actual criminal activity.

Just because a bullshit scam of an impeachment blew up in the Republican's faces doesn't mean an honest warranted impeachment will have the same impact on Democrats and Americans in general. Americans want this impeachment. They will not turn Democrats out for upholding the Constitution. The only people who will be upset are the people who will stand by Bush no matter what...his base and the backwash.

.

[Basileus Basileon]

13. That isn't quite true.

Most Americans believe he has committed impeachable offenses. The latest polls show support for actually impeaching Bush is only in the mid-30s, and Cheney in the 40s. You can say those numbers will rise once "his crimes come out," but frankly, they've already been out. That's the same hope the Republicans had with Clinton--that they could ram it through the House, public pressure would shift Senators to vote against party, and even a failure to convict would bloody the President's nose.

As it happened, people quickly decided it was a stupid media circus. People will believe the same again.

[sufrommich]

12. There is really no comparison,Basileus

Clintons impeachment was a farce,most Americans saw the petty politics behind it. Bush and Co. have committed real crimes.

[Basileus Basileon]

14. If you believe that independents will appreciate a two-month media circus

that leads nowhere, then by all means, support it. Or, if you believe a supermajority for conviction exists, by all means, support it.

[sufrommich]

16. I'm not arguing for impeachment proceedings.

I understand it probably wouldn't work. I just wish you wouldn't compare the farce of the Clinton trail to the very real crimes committed by Bush.

[Basileus Basileon]

17. I'm not comparing the justifications, or the situations. Only

the likely public reaction. I don't believe it will be as strong as it was in '99, but at the same time, I think that suggesting that impeachment will bring us popularity is misguided.

Edit: I also do not believe that the possible backlash is in and of itself a reason to take it "off the table." I only think that suggesting public support as a motivation for impeachment is flawed.

[sufrommich]

18. O.K. I get it now.

[Atman]

20. I'm sorry, you can't separate the two!

"I'm not comparing the justifications, or the situations. Only the likely public reaction."

That just doesn't make sense. The public knew it was being had with the Clinton impeachment. It knows it is being had NOW by Bush remaining in office. You simply cannot compare the two and say the out come will be the same. It's like saying "We shouldn't arrest the guy who stomped the kittens to death because the last guy got arrested for feeding them only dry food." People see the bullshit and the difference.

I'm astonished at the indifference and the "fear" of upholding the constitution just because you think it might make people not like us. FINE. If I'm hated for the rest of my life, I'd like to know it was because I helped put treasonous bastards like Bush and Cheney behind bars, NOT because I cowered under the blankies when confronted with a public relations issue.

.

[Basileus Basileon]

21. Well, that's fine. You can support impeachment in spite of the public reaction.

That is a principled stance.

But invoking a favorable public reaction to an impeachment trial is wishful thinking at best. Not approving of a President, believing he's committed serious crimes, and wanting an impeachment trial are three very different things, and that is why there is an approx. twenty-point gap in agreement between the first and second--and, crucially, second and third--beliefs.

[KansDem]

7. Look how GOP "favorable ratings" spiked around 2002!

"9/11, anyone?"

[sufrommich]

8. Peaked and never recovered.

[Basileus Basileon]

15. Came close in '04. Seems that swiftboating/fear/smear tactics can

give you a short boost, but that when they wear off, things look even worse for you.

[sufrommich]

19. You have to admit, a lot of bad shit had to happen

to wear that Teflon off.Scary.