34%

[U2DMfan]

From the outside it certainly looks like a complete and total lack of strategy is precisely why the Democrats are so far in the minority.

Lack of strategy, yes, lack of ideas, yes, lack of backbone, yes, lack of quality candidates, yes.

The Republicans are merely defaulting as the choice of the American people in a system that only gives you A or B.

No real choices.

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

I agree with most of your post, but lets not kid ourselves here, that's just not accurate. If you mean by "more recent Presidential elections", the 2000 election by itself, then fine.

1980 Reagan won by 440 electoral votes
1984 Reagan won by 512 electoral votes
1988 Bush won by 315 electoral votes
1992 Clinton won by 202 electoral votes
1996 Clinton won by 220 electoral votes
2000 Bush won by 5 electoral votes
2004 Bush won by 35 electoral votes

in fact 2004 was the 2nd closest electoral college in almost 100 years (1916). Second only to 2000. It's also the 5th closest of all time.

In America, this is how we choose Presidents, forget the popular vote. That's like arguing who had more rushing yards in a football game, the (electoral) scoreboard is all that matters. In terms of the popular vote, 2004 is even the 2nd closest in recent memory as well.

35 electoral vote margin basically means any state with at least 18 electoral votes going to Kerry's side, wins him the election. So, that alone to me, all numbers aside, means it was about as thin of a margin as you could expect. Essentially one large state decided it.

I was refering to the 2000 election. In any event, all that might comfort someone at night, but it does not change the fact that the Republicans have the White House, Senate, and House. Its their policies and agenda's that have been advanced the past 5 years and will likely be continued for the next 3 years.

 

[U2DMfan]

Well, McCain is pro-life, and while he did not win in 2000 against Bush, it was a lot closer than people remember.
Also if the Democrats do well in the fall elections, the Republican Party will be more obsessed in insuring a win in 2008, that benefits McCain because he polls so well in national elections. In fact, the Presidents current troubles in the polls make it more likely the Republicans will pick a candidate in 2008 who is the most electible as opposed to one who agrees with all their views.

Yes, McCain was clearly ahead at one point until he got Roved in South Carolina. He never recovered.

I think both the Dems and Reps are obsessed with winning, so that's really neither here or there, concerning 2006.

I think McCain will need to move right to get the nomination, and his appeal is to the centrist/non-partisans, if you believe there are many of them left. When in fact, he's much more of a conservative than many believe, I think the public just likes his demeanor and his credentials, people don't really know his politics in general, they just know he goes on Leno, Letterman and SNL and everyone seems to like him.

If he doesn't move right, the wingers will tear him a new one, again.

I think the Republicans will defintely choose someone who is electable, but they also have a large base that needs to be appeased, just like the Dems. Kerry was a war vet that made him seemingly electable in a wartime, and yet he is an environmental stalwart, which appeased the lefties. The Reps will likely choose a true conservative, no matter what, they have a pool to choose from, the most electable of all those conservatives will get it. So I revert to what i said earlier, McCain, to win it, needs to move right. Rudy has ZERO chance.

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

Lack of strategy, yes, lack of ideas, yes, lack of backbone, yes, lack of quality candidates, yes.

The Republicans are merely defaulting as the choice of the American people in a system that only gives you A or B.

No real choices.

But thats nothing new, that is the way the system has always been.

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

Yes, McCain was clearly ahead at one point until he got Roved in South Carolina. He never recovered.

I think both the Dems and Reps are obsessed with winning, so that's really neither here or there, concerning 2006.

I think McCain will need to move right to get the nomination, and his appeal is to the centrist/non-partisans, if you believe there are many of them left. When in fact, he's much more of a conservative than many believe, I think the public just likes his demeanor and his credentials, people don't really know his politics in general, they just know he goes on Leno, Letterman and SNL and everyone seems to like him.

If he doesn't move right, the wingers will tear him a new one, again.

I think the Republicans will defintely choose someone who is electable, but they also have a large base that needs to be appeased, just like the Dems. Kerry was a war vet that made him seemingly electable in a wartime, and yet he is an environmental stalwart, which appeased the lefties. The Reps will likely choose a true conservative, no matter what, they have a pool to choose from, the most electable of all those conservatives will get it. So I revert to what i said earlier, McCain, to win it, needs to move right. Rudy has ZERO chance.

Does McCain really have to move to the right though? He is arguably a bigger supporter of the War than Bush and he is a pro-life Christian although he is not an evangelical. Hell, he just had people write in Bush's name instead of his own in that straw poll they just had.

 

[VertigoGal]

When in fact, he's much more of a conservative than many believe, I think the public just likes his demeanor and his credentials, people don't really know his politics in general, they just know he goes on Leno, Letterman and SNL and everyone seems to like him.

I think this is definitely true...I like him a lot, who doesn't. But some of his stances socially are a bit too much for me.

 

[melon]

I like him a lot, who doesn't.

I don't.

Melon

 

[U2DMfan]

Does McCain really have to move to the right though? He is arguably a bigger supporter of the War than Bush and he is a pro-life Christian although he is not an evangelical. Hell, he just had people write in Bush's name instead of his own in that straw poll they just had.

McCain has kept off of certain issues in public, unless he's forced to vote in the Senate. Wait until the primaries and POSSIBLY
1-he will be more right than maybe the average moderate thinks he is
2-he will not be socially conservative enough for the right wingers.
I think both issues could effect his candidacy, will he get it?

Well, he seems to be a shoe-in. I'm saying if his social politics are, what I think they are, that it won't be good enough for the right wing. And that some moderates, even left-leaners will get a rude awakening when they find out that he is more conservative than he lets on.

Remember that the base dumped him in favor of Bush in 2000.
Why was this? Was it all because of the Rove sludge machine, or was it because Rove pointed out that this guy "ain't as conservative as you think he is....or want".

The base in the Rep party wants a social conservatism that IMO, McCain will not offer. That's what I'm saying. He's gonna have to go against gay marriage, stem cell research, support prayer inb schools or they will start tearing him apart in the primaries and it might work, again. That's all I'm saying.

 

[VertigoGal]

I don't.

Melon

There goes my theory.

Perhaps I should clarify, the whole Vietnam thing makes it harder for me to vehemently despise him.

 

[U2democrat]

Dangit I just had a really good point as I was going through this thread...then it left me......



It'll come back to me at 2 in the morning.


George Allen vs. Mark Warner in 2008...that's almost orgasmic A Virginia Democrat's dream

 

[verte76]

What about the recent poll that claimed that Giuliani is the most popular politician in the U.S. now? I thought that was interesting considering that Giuliani is pro-choice on abortion. Abortion is one issue I don't discuss in public it's so hot-button.

 

[Irvine511]

What about the recent poll that claimed that Giuliani is the most popular politician in the U.S. now? I thought that was interesting considering that Giuliani is pro-choice on abortion. Abortion is one issue I don't discuss in public it's so hot-button.

and rudy is very pro-gay, one has to be to win in new york. after his wife kicked his ass out, he moved in with, and i quote, "two gay guys and a shi-tzu."

the pics of Rudy at the gay pride parades will kill him dead with the religious fringe of the republican party.

 

[verte76]

and rudy is very pro-gay, one has to be to win in new york. after his wife kicked his ass out, he moved in with, and i quote, "two gay guys and a shi-tzu."

the pics of Rudy at the gay pride parades will kill him dead with the religious fringe of the republican party.

Yeah, I rather like Rudy. I do like the moderate Republicans enough to be able to vote for them to keep the extremists out. It's unfortunate that he has to deal with that damn religious fringe.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

huffingtonpost.com

I can't believe he makes comments like that, even after all these years I am still taken aback


After getting frustrated at the length of the Q&A session of his speech in Cleveland today, Bush blurted out, "Anybody work here in this town?"

Bush inadvertantly hit upon a subject he otherwise ignored - unemployment in Cleveland. Economic conditions in the city have worsened considerably during Bush's presidency. Some facts:

- 5.8 percent: Cleveland unemployment rate, Jan. 2006

- 4.5 percent: Cleveland unemployment rate, Jan. 2001

- 5.3 percent: Ohio unemployment rate, Jan. 2006

- 4.0 percent: Ohio unemployment rate, Jan. 2001


- 31.3 percent: Cleveland poverty rate, 2003

- 24.3 percent: Cleveland poverty rate, 2001

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

By John Whitesides, Reuters Political Correspondent Thu Mar 16

Deep doubts about the Iraq war and pessimism about America's future have shattered public confidence in President George W. Bush and helped drive his approval ratings to their lowest level ever, pollsters say.

As Bush launched a series of speeches to drum up support for the war, a new round of opinion polls found growing skepticism about Iraq and distrust of Bush. His image declined sharply, with one poll finding "incompetent" to be the most frequent description of his leadership.

Bush's approval rating dipped as low as 33 percent in one recent poll after a string of bad news for the White House, including uproars over a now-dead Arab port deal, a secret eavesdropping program, a series of ethics scandals involving high-profile Republicans and a bungled response to Hurricane Katrina.

The political storm has left Bush's second-term legislative agenda in tatters, threatened Republican control of the U.S. Congress in November's elections and shredded his personal image as an effective leader.

"His strong points as a president were being seen as personally credible, as a strong leader. That has all but disappeared," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center, whose latest independent poll found a dramatic decline in Bush's credibility.

A majority of Americans, 56 percent, believe Bush is "out of touch," the poll found. When asked for a one-word description of Bush, the most frequent response was "incompetent," followed by "good," "idiot" and "liar." In February 2005, the most frequent reply was "honest."

"The transformation from being seen as honest to being seen as incompetent is an extraordinary indicator of how far he has fallen," Kohut said.

Bush's slump is deep enough to put Republican majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives at risk, pollsters said. Democrats must gain 15 House seats and six Senate seats to regain power in each chamber.

"It's not the environment that we want to be running in," Republican pollster David Winston said. "Republicans can still hold the House and the Senate, but it's becoming increasingly more complicated."

In a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, 61 percent said the Iraq war would be a very important or the most important issue in deciding their vote for Congress. As the third anniversary of the invasion approaches, they preferred Democrats over Republicans in handling Iraq by 48 to 40 percent.

WAR 'A BIG ISSUE'

"I think it is a big issue," House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said. "When the country is at war there is a certain unsettling that occurs with people around the country, as you might expect."

Boehner said the anxiety over Iraq was coloring the public's view on other issues like the economy, which he said is performing well.

"People don't look at the president's handling of the economy very well, and frankly I think it is a result of this anxiety over the fact that we are at war," he said.

A recent CBS poll found 66 percent of the public believed the country was headed down the wrong track, while a Harris Interactive poll put the number at 60 percent.

Views on Iraq and the war on terrorism were equally pessimistic, with 67 percent of respondents in the CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll saying Bush did not have a clear plan for handling Iraq.

Independent pollster Dick Bennett of American Research Group said Bush's failure to acknowledge public anxieties added to his troubles.

"The biggest problem the White House faces is reconnecting with people. People simply aren't buying it anymore," Bennett said. "People can see for themselves that things actually are not fine."

Bush's ratings are still above historical lows recorded since Gallup started presidential polling after World War Two.

The approval ratings for Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon and the first George Bush, the current president's father, all dropped into the 20s.

 

[verte76]

Oh, my goodness, I can't believe he said that about people out of work. No wonder he has such low approval ratings.

 

[nbcrusader]

huffingtonpost.com

I can't believe he makes comments like that, even after all these years I am still taken aback


After getting frustrated at the length of the Q&A session of his speech in Cleveland today, Bush blurted out, "Anybody work here in this town?"

Bush inadvertantly hit upon a subject he otherwise ignored - unemployment in Cleveland. Economic conditions in the city have worsened considerably during Bush's presidency. Some facts:

- 5.8 percent: Cleveland unemployment rate, Jan. 2006

- 4.5 percent: Cleveland unemployment rate, Jan. 2001

- 5.3 percent: Ohio unemployment rate, Jan. 2006

- 4.0 percent: Ohio unemployment rate, Jan. 2001


- 31.3 percent: Cleveland poverty rate, 2003

- 24.3 percent: Cleveland poverty rate, 2001

When the unemployment rate goes down nation-wide, yet increases in one municipality, are the municipality's hardships due to national policy, state policy or local policy?

 

[Irvine511]

When the unemployment rate goes down nation-wide, yet increases in one municipality, are the municipality's hardships due to national policy, state policy or local policy?

or does this merely show ignorance on Mr. Bush's part (certainly something we've come to expect from this particular president)?

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Washington Post



Sunday, March 5, 2006

These must be sobering days for Vice President Cheney as he reflects on recent events from his secret Fortress of Solitude.

Iraq teeters on the brink of civil war. The Bush agenda is in tatters. And one of his friends is recovering from an accidental gunshot wound inflicted by Cheney on a hunting trip. A particularly unfortunate mishap, as we learned last week, because Cheney wounded one of the rarest birds in America: someone who actually likes the vice president.

The latest CBS News poll found that only 18 percent of the public has a favorable view of Cheney. How bad is a rating of 18 percent? According to a quick review of polling archives, it arguably makes Cheney:

· Less popular than singer Michael Jackson , bedmate of little boys and world-class screwball. One in four Americans -- 25 percent -- told Gallup polltakers last June they were still Jackson fans after the onetime King of Pop was found not guilty of child molesting.

· Less popular than former football star O.J. Simpson was after his arrest and trial for murdering his estranged wife and her companion. Three in 10 -- 29 percent -- of all Americans had a favorable view of Simpson in an October, 1995 Gallup poll.

· Less popular with Americans than Joseph Stalin is with Russians. In 2003, fully 20 percent said Stalin, blamed for millions of deaths in the former Soviet Union during the 1930s and 1940s, was a "wise and humane" leader. Thirty-one percent also said they wouldn't object if Uncle Joe came back to rule again, according to surveys conducted by Russian pollsters.

· Much less popular than former Vice President Spiro Agnew in his final days in office. Forty-five percent approved of the job that Agnew was doing as President Richard Nixon's veep in a Gallup Poll conducted in August 1973, little more than a month before Agnew resigned and pleaded no contest to a criminal tax evasion charge arising from a bribery investigation.

· Far less popular than former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey days after he announced in August 2004 that he had engaged in an extramarital affair with a man and would resign. His job approval rating bumped from 43 to 45 percent.

But take heart, Dick. About 35 percent of those interviewed by the CBS poll didn't offer an opinion of you. Perhaps some of your supporters were shy. And other polls released later in the week pegged your popularity considerably higher.

Besides, even at 18 percent you're not the least popular public figure in America. You're slightly better liked than that fabulously blond and brainless party girl Paris Hilton. She was viewed favorably last June by
15 percent of the public, according to Gallup.

 

[Irvine511]

[q]Washington Post-ABC News Poll
The Washington Post
Monday, April 10, 2006
The following Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted by telephone April 6-9, 2006 among 1,027 randomly selected adults nationwide. Margin of sampling error for overall results is plus or minus three percentage points. Sampling error is only one of many sources of error in this or any other public opinion poll. Fieldwork by TNS of Horsham, PA.

*= less than 0.5 percent

1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president? Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat?


-------- Approve -------- ------- Disapprove ------ No
NET Strongly Somewhat NET Somewhat Strongly opin.
4/9/06 38 20 18 60 13 47 1



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postpoll_immigration_041006.htm

[/q]



before we re-tread the "oh, but other presidents have had approval ratings just as low," let's take a moment to actually examine the numbers so that we understand the present situation.

what's most important is that somewhere in the mid-to-upper 50s disapprove, and more importantly, 47% strongly disapprove. many of us here on FYM and in other places have felt this way about Bush since the beginning, but what we're seeing here is that mainstream American opinion has pretty much come over to our corner, and this is particularly remarkable in light of the relatively strong economy (however unsustainable it might be).

i think it's less that Iraq was the problem, or that Katrina is the problem, but that the massive incompetancy demonstrated by the response to Katrina has unmasked the deep ineffectualness of this president and his administration, so now bad news from Iraq is understood as a product of administration incompetence and mismanagement, as opposed to the "last throes" of the insurgency.

all very interesting.

many more numbers on that website, including a 63% disapproval of Congress.

 

[U2democrat]

I can't help but throw in a Star Wars quote in thinking about the Republican majority in Washington.

"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

 

[Irvine511]

^ yes, and to add to that, "Revenge of the Sith" is really an anti-Bush film, but that suggestion seems to make people mad in here ...

 

[U2democrat]

^ yes, and to add to that, "Revenge of the Sith" is really an anti-Bush film, but that suggestion seems to make people mad in here ...

But it's so obvious!

 

[U2democrat]

Interesting...

 

[deep]

Bush Approval Rating Hits New Low (33%) in Fox News Poll

By E&P Staff

Published: April 20, 2006 4:10 PMET

NEW YORK While some claim Fox News often looks too kindly on President Bush, its latest poll released today showed that the plunge in his popularity cannot be denied. It found his approval rating at 33%--a startling 3% drop in just two weeks and down 6% since mid-March.

Fox attributed the drop to "sinking support among Republicans."

A year ago his approval rating in the Fox poll stood at 47%.

Fox's Dana Blanton noted, "approval among Republicans is below 70% for the first time of Bush’s presidency. Two-thirds (66%) approve of Bush’s job performance today, down almost 20 percentage points from this time last year."

Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld’s job approval rating also hit a record low this week with 35% of Americans saying they approve.

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for Fox News on April 18 and April 19.

 

[U2democrat]

 

[U2DMfan]

When he's at 33% on the Fox Poll, that is saying something......

He's lost his support from the suits in DC with those numbers.
Republican suits. You can't win an election standing behind policy with that kind of a number. Wow.

 

[blueyedpoet]

I think Satan has a stronger approval rating than Bush and Cheney

 

[Irvine511]

I think Satan has a stronger approval rating than Bush and Cheney

Saddam, too.

 

[STING2]

When he's at 33% on the Fox Poll, that is saying something......

He's lost his support from the suits in DC with those numbers.
Republican suits. You can't win an election standing behind policy with that kind of a number. Wow.

He already won the only poll that was relevant, the 2004 election. You can talk about this weeks poll, next months poll or next year's poll, but he will still be President carrying out his policies. The current polls are entertaining for liberals, but thats about the extent of their significance.