By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deepening unhappiness with President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress soured the mood of Americans and sent Bush's approval rating to another record low this month, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.
The Reuters/Zogby Index, which measures the mood of the country, also fell from 98.8 to 96 -- the second consecutive month it has dropped. The number of Americans who believe the country is on the wrong track jumped four points to 66 percent.
Bush's job approval rating fell to 24 percent from last month's record low for a Zogby poll of 29 percent. A paltry 11 percent gave Congress a positive grade, tying last month's record low.
"There is a real question among Americans now about how relevant this government is to them," pollster John Zogby said. "They tell us they want action on health care, education, the war and immigration, but they don't believe they are going to get it."
The dismal assessment of the Republican president and the Democratic-controlled Congress follows another month of inconclusive political battles over a future path in Iraq and the recent Bush veto of an expansion of the program providing insurance for poor children.
The bleak mood could present problems for both parties heading into the November 2008 election campaign, Zogby said.
"Voter turnout could still be high next year, but the mood has turned against incumbents and into a 'throw the bums out' mindset," Zogby said.
5 comments:
No matter how low the polls get for Congress, people always think their congressman walks on water. That's why you get a 95% retention rate every election, despite predictions of a "Throw the bums out" mentality. However, when a President's poll numbers are in the toilet, this can depress his base and result in gains for the other party.
My Congressman is a complete idiot!
: )
And yes, the President has done irreparable damage to the Republican Party. So has the Republican Senate. Even Limbaugh said yesterday that the Repubs seem to do a better job, blocking legislation in the Minority, than running the Majority.
Even Limbaugh said yesterday that the Repubs seem to do a better job, blocking legislation in the Minority, than running the Majority.
Alan Greenspan (not to mention Pat Buchanan and Ron Paul) was dismayed that after four years of the GOP running the Executive and both sides of the Legislative (and even, some say, a majority of the Judicial), the government found it impossible to control spending.
Oh my!
Tell me something I don't know!
3 years ago I called G.W. an International Socialist Spend-thrift and my Republican "buddies" said I was insane and just had 'BDS'.
Now, they all agree - if you don't have BDS you have no brain!
Repubs are very slow to see the obvious - that's why I re-registered as an Independent.
Tiger: Repubs are very slow to see the obvious - that's why I re-registered as an Independent.
I voted for Gore in 2000, but I switched and started rooting for Bush when Gore tried to steal the election. Then I became a full-bore conservative on 9-11-01. I voted for Bush in 2004, but then three things happened that woke me up: Harriet Miers was nominated to the Supreme Court, the President choked on the response to Katrina, and the al-Aksa "golden" mosque was blown up in Iraq, marking the start of the civil war.
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