« Let the Fun Begin | Main | Kay Stops the Muscial Chairs »
June 17, 2005
Down, Down, Down...
The latest CBS News/NY Times poll reveals shockingly low approval levels for President Bush and the GOP-controlled Congress.
Just 42% of those surveyed approve of Mr. Bush's overall job performance -- Clinton and Reagan were both at about 60% at this point in their second terms -- and they rate him low on issue after issue. Just 39% approve of his handling of foreign policy; 39% approve of his economic stewardship; 37% approve of his handling of Iraq; and just 25% give him a positive rating on Social Security.
Americans hold a troublingly dim view about the direction of the country, with just 33% saying it's on the right track. 60% believe things in Iraq are going badly, and 51% now say the U.S. never should have gone there in the first place.
Congress fares even worse than the president, garnering only 33% approval, and appears out of touch with the American public -- just 19% say Congress shares their priorities.
What do these numbers mean politically? 16+ months from the Congressional midterm elections, not much. As we have written, current conditions support a classic "six year itch" election next fall, where voters rebel against the party in power.
But much can happen between now and November 2006. Democratic candidates should begin now making the case for change, and offering solutions to the litany of public policy problems we face. Persuasion should start now.
Posted by houtopia at June 17, 2005 09:02 AM