Congressional approval rating lower than Bush's
 

Ap Poll

This is really not intended to say neener, it's an observation about what happens when politicians try to move to the middle.

Dem support came largely (but not only) from an anti war sentiment during this last election. They aren't making progress on stopping it, and are getting opposition from many of their most ardent supporters (for example Cindy Sheehan says she may run against Pelosi).

Similarly, Bush has such low ratings because he isn't satisfying his base in many ways.

It is rare that moving to the middle satisfies anyone. I believe that compromise on many issues simply doesn't work and that it should be one way or the other, either of which has a better opportunity to succeed than a combination of the two.

I don't really know where I am going with this....there isn't a politician out there who is a great uniter, and I don't even know if it is possible.

Compromise may not positively efffect poll numbers ... but "one way or the other" is not something likely to happen in Congress. Even when Republicans or Democrats have had "control" of one house or the other, they have rarely had veto-proof or fillibuster-proof levels of control.

So the American people may poll one way ... but they vote another. They vote to keep compromise the only likely way of passing legislation. Even as one who'd like things one way rather than the other, I have to applaud the result of not letting either "side" run tyrannical over large swarths of the American population - - even that swarth that I disagree vehemently with.



The president is a different story. His administration does not have to compromise on matter of foreign policy. The Bush administration not only can, but HAS run tryannical - in both foreign policy and domestic security policy.

As we will see in the next presidential election, his nasty poll numbers will more match up with the way people vote than do the poll numbers for Congress.


So, um ... neener. :p

Congressional poll ratings often run to the low end - I have rarely, if ever, seen a Congress with over 50% approval, and they are frequently down in the thirties. It's not really a surprise. Everyone dislikes Congress. Though, when asked, most people also say that their particular Congressman does a good job and deserves to be reelected.

Someone once said that you don't want to know too much about how your sausages are made or how your laws are passed (or something to that effect).

You won't hear me say that about my congressman. Heh.

Nor mine....

Deservingly so ...

We need politicians who are not afraid of polls, like Bush!

If Congress were to follow Bush's lead and just act, even if it means being unpopular, so long as its for the common good, the polls will eventually come around.

Such is the nature of a representative republic. We do not live in a democracy.

Since when has Bush acted for the common good?

WRONG! The United States is a Democratic Republic. Our representatives are elected democratically. The terms "democracy" and "republic" are not mutualy exclusive.

From Merriam-Webster:

This "America is not a democracy" sound bite is relatively recent rhetoric - put forward by the right to further their own agenda. None of our Founding Fathers would have stood still for such rubbish.