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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Brumar89 who wrote (366422)	1/11/2008 11:57:00 AM
From: tejek	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1571911

GOP banking on Bush getting more popular Posted January 11th, 2008 at 10:07 am The president’s abysmal poll numbers aren’t worth noting anymore; there’s just no point. He’s extraordinarily unpopular; he’s reviled around the world; and his would-be Republican successors are embarrassed to say his name in public. It’s hardly worth mentioning anymore. But U.S. News noted this week, however, that the White House is eyeing a Bush comeback. He’s a poll cellar-dweller whom even GOP presidential candidates sneer at, but George W. Bush and some congressional backers see happy days for the prez this year. His fans have dubbed it his “legacy year,” when they hope to lock in his achievements on the domestic front. Among the items Bush’s GOP congressional allies want to work on this month: continuing his tax cuts and extending the controversial No Child Left Behind Act. As for the war, they say, the news has been good, and Bushies believe that their guy will eventually get credit for opening the war on terrorism. But more immediately, they are predicting a remarkable poll shift to about 45 percent favorable by the time he leaves office next year. “Legacy year”? It seems unlikely. He’s the lamest of lame-ducks — rock-bottom public support, Democratic Congress, and the absence of a policy agenda. I was especially amused by the notion that the White House is anxious to work with his “GOP congressional allies” on “continuing his tax cuts.” They do know the Dems are in the majority in both chambers, don’t they? As for the notion of a “remarkable poll shift” to 45%, I suppose anything’s possible, but this seems like wishful thinking gone horribly awry. First, TP posted a chart showing the stability of Bush’s disapproval. He’s been in the low 30s for over a year, and it’s hard to imagine where this “remarkable” bump is going to come from, especially given the fact that most Americans are ready to shift their attention to electing the next president and putting this painful chapter in our history behind us. Second, let’s say the White House’s optimism is not ridiculous, and that Bush really can work his way back up to 45%. At that point, he’ll be the eighth least popular president of the last four decades, instead of the ninth. End-of-presidency job approval ratings: Bill Clinton (2001) — 65% Ronald Reagan (1989) — 64% John F. Kennedy (1963) — 63 Dwight Eisenhower (1961) — 59% George H.W. Bush (1993) — 56% Gerald Ford (1977) — 53% Lyndon Johnson (1969) — 49% Jimmy Carter (1981) — 34% Richard Nixon (1974) — 24% As of now, George W. Bush is on track to finish below Carter. Even with a “remarkable” turn around, the Bush gang is still aiming pretty low.