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June 03, 2006
There's Always Utah
It is hardly a secret that President George W. Bush's poll numbers have been sinking like a stone nationally since his reelection in 2004. With an overall approval rating consistently in the mid to low 30s over the last several months, it is clear most Americans have abandoned him -- perhaps finally waking up to the litany of obfuscation and incompetence that has defined this administration.
Utah to the rescue. In Sunday's New York Times, Timothy Egan reports that the home of HBO's "Big Love" is standing by its man -- sort of. This state, known for its fantastic skiing, stunning mountainous desert, and racially and religiously homogenous population still gives the President a 51% approval rating, according to a recent Survey USA poll.
While Utah remains one of only three states still rating the President at or above 50% (neighboring Wyoming and Idaho are the others), perhaps more surprising is that even 46% of Utahans now disapprove of Mr. Bush's job performance. A bit of context helps understand the significance of the high disapproval number.
The vast majority of Utah's residents (and nearly everyone outside of its capitol and sole major urban area Salt Lake City) are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -- Mormons. The Mormon church demands of its members unflinching obendience to its rather unusual (and very socially conservative) tenets, and its followers willingly oblige. In short, Mormons are sheep. They do what they are told and don't ask questions. Just read several of the Utahans quoted in the Times piece, and you get the idea.
So, that Mr. Bush maintains a slim majority of support in a state where nearly everyone is white, conservative and belongs to the same church, can hardly be heartening news to those at the White House, but these days we suspect they will take what they can get.
And given President Bush's decidedly tepid home state numbers in that same Survey USA poll, it may be time to relocate the "Western White House" from Crawford to Provo.
Posted by houtopia at June 3, 2006 10:43 PM