American Voters are Pissed
The basic message from an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll is: Everything sucks. Bush’s plan to “overhaul” Social Security; Congress; the nation’s economy and general direction — a big Thumbs Down to all of them.
A majority thinks the Senate should play a role in deciding judicial nominees, and not just be a rubber stamp for the White House.
Congress got a 33% approval rating, its lowest rating in eleven years.
47% of respondents would prefer to have the Democrats controlling Congress after the 2006 mid-term elections. 40% want Republicans to maintain control. Uh oh, Karl Rove needs to get his mudslinging operation in gear. So many wedge issues, so little time.
The public is upset with Congress’ priorities. “Reforming” Social Security, Tom DeLay’s slippery behavior (and his fellow sleazebags constantly rallying around him) and Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube are not the priorities of most Americans. We have a disconnect here. American voters are much more concerned with the economy and health care.
As one of the pollsters said, “there are some core day-to-day issues that they don’t see being addressed.”
One of the Democratic pollsters cautioned that it’s much too early to predict a Democratic victory in the 2006 elections. “There is a difference between dissatisfaction and being a viable [replacement]. And we have a long way to go to 2006,” he said.
Only 20% say the economy has gotten better over the past 12 months. 51% think that toppling Saddam Hussein was not worth the costs and casualties. Only 36% support Bush’s plans for obliterating, er, I mean, “reforming” Social Security.
34% think the Senate should confirm the president’s judicial choices as long as they are competent and honest. 56% think the Senate should make its own decision about each nominee. Calling Video-Doctor Cat-Torturer Senator Frist: There’s a message for you.
Overall, 52% think the country is headed in the wrong direction. 35% think we’re on the right track.
According to one of the polltakers, these are signs of an angry electorate. “If you are a member of Congress and you got the poll back, you better be looking over your shoulder. The masses are not happy.”
posted by Tom Harper @ 8:45 PM
16 Comments:
I don't believe these polls.
(1) Many people refuse to answer, especially religious conservatives who have been told by their ministers not to answer poll questions from the so-called "liberal media".
(2) Also, nearly half of voters would rather vote for a Republican they hate than any Democrat at all.
Annie (a die-hard Independent, living in Texas)
Getting to be about time for one of those high-terror alerts, isn't it?
I know what you mean, J.R.
I still wonder about that grenade from Georgia. you know, the one that was SUCH a big threat to our fair Prez. Considering how belatedly it was recovered and discovered to be "live," I'm skeptical. ;-)
What, you think a belated reference to an "assassination attempt" won't rile up the masses and rally them to riotous patriotism?
~j
OK Democrat: I don't know how accurate the polls are, but I think they serve a purpose; sort of a "snapshot." A lot of this anger is non-political. The public is pissed at everybody, as they should be. And constant lies about how much better everything is getting all the time -- straight out of 1984, where all products had the brand name "Victory" and the people were constantly bombarded with government reports of how much better everything was getting, while they were living in squalor.
Annie: Maybe that's true, but it would seem to me they'd want to take part in a poll if they had the chance. Everyone's response after a survey is "they didn't ask me." And I hope that at some point this public disgust will cross party lines. I wouldn't even care at this point if Bush and DeLay were replaced by other Republicans; anybody who isn't powerdrunk and corrupt.
Jolly Roger: Yup, any day now. Bush is slipping in the polls?!?!? Orange Alert!!!
~jay: Count on it. The Georgia "assassination" attempt, plus a few more Wag The Dog / Jessica Lynch fabrications -- the 2006 midterm elections should be a hoot.
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I think when a poll states that the Senate should make up their own minds on each candidate... that is the equivelent to asking them to give an up or down vote... (something btw that in every poll out there 75% or more of Americans want).
http://www.coldheartedtruth.com
C.H. Truth: I guess that's open to interpretation. The filibuster is part of the legislative process and has been since the 1800s. My guess is when they say they want the Senate to play a role in picking judicial nominees, they're including the right to filibuster.
I think that maybe, just maybe, the pendulum is beginning to swing the other way.
I just hope it hits some of these guys in the ass when it does.
Oh, , btw, great blog, this.
I.M. Dedd: I sure hope the pendulum is about to swing.
And your cartoon really rocks! Keep up the great work.
Dennis K: I wouldn't get too complacent if I were you (and Democrats shouldn't either).
c,h. :truth" certainly has an interesting interpretation of most polling data regarding the Senate role in Judicial nominations.
Must be one of the guys who got laid off from the "WMD Evidence Project" over at the PNAC.
Wonder where all these unhappy people were in November? If they had gotten good and pissed back in November, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Oh, most likely, we'd be having another discussion, but maybe not about events as bad as what's going on today.
Unless that pendulum swings as Dedd says, we've got 3+ years of this garbage left.
Annie has a point, too - republicans I know personally have a bad way of sticking with the party line, despite any other inclinations they may have to the contrary, simply out of party loyalty. What kills me is that for those out there who don't agree with their current party line, they still tote it. That's what I'm seeing from republicans I have to be around everyday at work, in the neighborhood, etc. loyalty is fine, until you don't get loyalty back. Maybe some of them are starting to realize that, FINALLY.
More likely, though, is Annie is also right about the polls not showing a true picture.
Jolly Roger: I guess it's open to interpretation, but I'm gonna assume that "letting the Senate decide" includes allowing the filibuster.
Bee: I also have wondered where all these dissatisfied people were last November. Now 51% think the Iraqi war wasn't worth it; what were they thinking 6 or 7 months ago? I can see how people of both parties stick to their party out of loyalty or habit, but there has to be a point where they'll realize that an honest politician from the other party is preferable to a sleazebag and would-be dictator from their own party.
The great irony I see in all of this is how the Republican'ts are the ones who used filibusters to block such "radical thinking" as civil rights. I'm not saying the Dems are any better about it, but...
It's amusing in the way of something that shouldn't really be funny to watch some of these senators having their temper tantrums over how "unconstitutional" filibustering is when they're not the ones using it....
seems as though as soon as they get a taste of it for themselves, they cry and have a fit over it being "unfair."
"Unfair?"
Unfair is shameless bigotry being enforced by our own government, gang...
Unfair is what happens when our Senators get stripped of a voice by this disturbing use of partisan manipulation...
Unfair is the hijacking of our legislators by the Executive branch in order to produce even more radical partisan policy in our judicial system.
~j
~jay: I guess it's a matter of whose ox is being gored, or the shoe being on the other foot (I'm all out of cliches). Both sides are guilty of this, but it sure is amusing to see the Repubs falling all over themselves with contradictions. They squelched Clinton's every move for 8 years with filibusters and every conceivable parliamentary maneuver. Now they're apalled that the Democrats are doing one tiny fraction of those same tactics.
"Republican'ts are the ones who used filibusters to block such "radical thinking" as civil rights."
Actually I believe it had alot more to do with Conservitives than a party. Back then it was Conservitive Democrates that held back rights legislation often. Now the Conservitives have moved over to the Republican party in an attempt to reverse some of those rights.
I surely hope most Americans are sick of this movement and regardless of basic political beleifs vote democratic to put an end to it.
Some "Republicans" like me are not biggots/racists. But until this Biggoted group loses its strength I will vote Democratic party to sustain true American values.
Now I know how Democrats felt when their party was "Hijacked" by Ultra-Liberals, though I felt badly for them back when it happened.
Jeff: It's too bad when either party gets taken over by extremists. Ultimately the pendulum will swing to the other extreme, so neither side wins.
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