Job Approval Rating

[crossride]

I agree with Bolverk about the 50% measure. Anything over maybe 45% approval is going to be decent. Again, even that measure is hardly met. More telling than which party was in control of congress may be what was coming out of congres at the time. We know how hard it is for even the party with the majority to get party line legislation through. Of course if the majority was conservatives, the legislation was likely more conservative than liberal, but passing a popular, obvious, bi-partisan bill is going to win approval across the board and not really be a reflection of the party in power. What if the higher approval after the Contract with America legislation passed wasn't because of the conservative majority, but simply because it actually passed and therefore the people felt congress was actually doing something? I just don't give the country as a whole the credit to be so thoughful as to care about the underlying reasons. I think they are far more simplistic. Take 9/11. If you really think about it, approval should have been at its lowest point ever. We just got attacked by a foreign (terrorist) entity. Instead of low approval because the government is supposed to protect us and failed, we got a feeling that we need to come together and show national pride to the degree that an overwhelming majority actually said, "We like our government and what they are doing!".

I'd be curious to see what else may have been going on when the approvals were higher.

All that being said, a trend is hard to ignore, but if "high" approvals are so few and far between, is that a trend? Or can it be chalked up to some other outside force, like after 9/11?

[saunterelle]

I think they are far more simplistic. Take 9/11. If you really think about it, approval should have been at its lowest point ever. We just got attacked by a foreign (terrorist) entity. Instead of low approval because the government is supposed to protect us and failed, we got a feeling that we need to come together and show national pride to the degree that an overwhelming majority actually said, "We like our government and what they are doing!".

I agree crossride. War and fear-mongering is what Republicans are good at and that's why they've had spikes in approval. If you think about it, their economic policies don't benefit the majority, their environmental policies are disastrous, and their policies on education are a joke. They have to scare people into voting for them.

[subdjoe]

Fear mongering? Look to the Dems for that - fear of guns, fear of organized religion, fear of free exercise of religion, fear of freedom of thought, fear of freedom of speech, fear of business, fear of individuality. And how do they figth these fears? By legislating all our most presious freedoms away - banning public displays of religion, banning guns, inventing hate crimes, etc. All while chanting their mantra of Diversity Tolerance and Inclusivness. Orwell would be so proud of the dems.

I love the lefts environmental policy - it boils down to two words, either DON'T or STOP. And if they try to go beyond that, everything they do turns around and bites us in the ass. The lefts supposed policy of the left would make sense if we were neolithic gatherers (can't have any hunting, don't you know). But I personally don't want to be grubbing for roots and berries.

You want a joke of an education policy, take a look at what the libs have done to CAs education system in the past 30 years. Taken the best system in the world and run it into the ground with pc, relativistic, feel good crap. They have turned the schools from being centers of learning into re-education and indoctrination centers.

[harpman1]

Such a wailing and moaning come Nov.

Garments will be rent, teeth gnashed & hair pulled.

And we'll all be racists.

I can't wait!

[bolverk]

Aug 21, 2008 16:30:35 GMT -5 subdjoe said:

Fear mongering? Look to the Dems for that - fear of guns, fear of organized religion, fear of free exercise of religion, fear of freedom of thought, fear of freedom of speech, fear of business, fear of individuality. And how do they figth these fears? By legislating all our most presious freedoms away - banning public displays of religion, banning guns, inventing hate crimes, etc. All while chanting their mantra of Diversity Tolerance and Inclusivness. Orwell would be so proud of the dems.

I love the lefts environmental policy - it boils down to two words, either DON'T or STOP. And if they try to go beyond that, everything they do turns around and bites us in the ass. The lefts supposed policy of the left would make sense if we were neolithic gatherers (can't have any hunting, don't you know). But I personally don't want to be grubbing for roots and berries.

You want a joke of an education policy, take a look at what the libs have done to CAs education system in the past 30 years. Taken the best system in the world and run it into the ground with pc, relativistic, feel good crap. They have turned the schools from being centers of learning into re-education and indoctrination centers.

I am not sure if I should exalt you or smite saunterelle. You are both so deserving. The funny thing is my daughter graduated from the same high school I did, 30 years later. And my son just started there yesterday. Reading over the class room rules and guidelines was hilarious, I should have saved a copy and posted it. Totalitarian kept running through my mind.

Oh well. We see the results of what the politicians have done to the greatest state in the Union. We even lost some of the oldest businesses we had, which started in this state, due to the cost of doing business here. The funny thing is, they are huge companies and really would have preferred staying in the state they started in. It would be a different story if they had to move because of competition, but that is not the case.

Anyway, I have drug this topic far enough off. Congress sucks, they don't know how to identify with the people, more so now then two years ago.

[bolverk]

I decided to exalt subdjoe. His clear cut way of putting it deserves the recognition.

[bolverk]

Aug 21, 2008 15:02:08 GMT -5 saunterelle said:

I agree crossride. War and fear-mongering is what Republicans are good at and that's why they've had spikes in approval. If you think about it, their economic policies don't benefit the majority, their environmental policies are disastrous, and their policies on education are a joke. They have to scare people into voting for them.

Spikes?

In case you were not paying attention, Bill Clinton was the one war mongering while the Republicans gained control of the congress. And if you look at the graph, they maintained an approval rating much higher then their Democrat counterparts through out their tenure.

Also, it has been liberal policies that have decimated our education system. Not the other way around. You just can not get past your Democrat talking points.

[subdjoe]

Aug 21, 2008 18:33:04 GMT -5 @bolverk said:

I decided to exalt subdjoe. His clear cut way of putting it deserves the recognition.

Thank you, Bolverk. I try to be clear and concise. And I didn't really need the exalt. I have an embarassment of riches there.

[surefire]

Aug 21, 2008 16:30:35 GMT -5 subdjoe said:

Fear mongering? Look to the Dems for that - fear of guns, fear of organized religion, fear of free exercise of religion, fear of freedom of thought, fear of freedom of speech, fear of business, fear of individuality. And how do they figth these fears?

Well said, Subjoe.

Although to be fair not all Dems should be lumped together IMO. IMO, it is the extreme liberal Dems that you describe (Pelosi, Perata, Woolsey, Feinstein, etc). The more middle of the road to blue dog Dems are typically rational.

[Mink]

Fear of religion? Fear of individuality? Who is mongering here? It seems, post 9/11, people are encouraged to fear Muslims or people of Islamic faith in our country. Unless one is of "Christian" faith, they are not American? Gays and Lesbians are individuals, but denied what we all take for granted.

Can you explain your accusations while defending your stance subdjoe?

[subdjoe]

Mink, look at the laws that have been passed in CA the last few years. Look at the actions of the ACLU over the past few years. Look at the lockstep insisted on by the Oh, so tolerant, diverse and inclusive leftists. Look at the constant attacks on individual rights by the left while glorifying the group over the individual. Look at the constant efforts of the left to break us down into little hyphenated groups instead of just being Americans. How better to keep fear of other and work the politics of division?

You have a very selective memory of history. After the cowardly attacks on the WTC and Pentagon, and the foiled attempt on another target with a 4th aircraft, Bush, his Sec. State, Sec. Def, etc were almost immediately on the tube saying that we must NOT blame muslims for the attacks and to not fear any of our neighbors who are muslim or Arab. Of course, you don't remember that because it does not fit into the leftist revision of history.


SUREFIRE;

I agree, not all Dems are like that. I think the vast silent majority of them are pretty much middle of the road. But the leadership, the movers and shakers, and the vocal and provocatifve portion of the rank and file, especailly here in CA,, fit my description.

[Mink]

Aug 22, 2008 0:18:09 GMT -5 subdjoe said:

Mink, look at the laws that have been passed in CA the last few years. Look at the actions of the ACLU over the past few years. Look at the lockstep insisted on by the Oh, so tolerant, diverse and inclusive leftists. Look at the constant attacks on individual rights by the left while glorifying the group over the individual. Look at the constant efforts of the left to break us down into little hyphenated groups instead of just being Americans. How better to keep fear of other and work the politics of division?

You have a very selective memory of history. After the cowardly attacks on the WTC and Pentagon, and the foiled attempt on another target with a 4th aircraft, Bush, his Sec. State, Sec. Def, etc were almost immediately on the tube saying that we must NOT blame muslims for the attacks and to not fear any of our neighbors who are muslim or Arab. Of course, you don't remember that because it does not fit into the leftist revision of history.


SUREFIRE;

I agree, not all Dems are like that. I think the vast silent majority of them are pretty much middle of the road. But the leadership, the movers and shakers, and the vocal and provocatifve portion of the rank and file, especailly here in CA,, fit my description.

The laws of the state of California is separate from Congress. Action from the ACLu may be questionable, but that too , is separate from what Congress' responsibilities are. You haven't addressed the rights of gays, which is individual. Exactly when were our nationalities hyphenated? Ever since I can remember, all Americans took pride in being Italian-American, Irish-American, Filipino-American, Mexican-American, German-American and on and on and on...etc.

Indeed, I have noticed the difference since 9/11 and for good reason. "Almost immediate" in the face of national danger, is not good enough! I remember, the admin. claimed we should not be fearful nor blame our Muslim neighbors during the time right after the fact.......but then, we have a president who says he will catch the perpetrator "dead or alive" and all of a sudden, we have Yee-haws in their Ford trucks with two gigantic American flags and people vandalizing Middle Eastern convenient stores, whether they were of Muslim religion or not.
Then the president says on national TV that he doesn't know where osama bin laden is.....heck, he doesn't even think about him. And why? Because the war in Iraq took precedence. We went from WMD's to spreading democracy to rebuilding to civil war to training Iraqis to protecting the oil......oh no, that came first. We are now in the throes of finally talking of getting our troops out of Iraq....wow, that will throw a big rock into McCain's 100 year stay won't it? And all this after 4000 approx. neddlessly dead, 100's of thousands injured, some for life and billions spent, a poor economy, less than stellar school scores, crime is rampant, healthcare is for the priviledged, an immigration issue and the list goes on......all this under Republican watch.