Bush ratings drop to record low

[Guest Warwick Green]

Mostly a problem of his own making. He invaded Iraq, he pushed for a tax cut and he appointed a clod to run FEMA.

Bush ratings drop to record low

Falls under 30%. Since 1940s, only Carter, Nixon, Truman fared worse

Call it the incredible shrinking presidency.

President George W. Bush's approval rating yesterday slipped below 30 per cent for the first time in a major poll since he took office, putting him within reach of becoming the least popular sitting president in the era of modern-day polling...

John Zogby, president of the polling firm Zogby International, said growing unease about the war in Iraq remains the single biggest reason for Americans' unhappiness with Bush.

But the administration's handling of Hurricane Katrina, rising gas prices and a steadily increasing federal deficit are all contributing to the perception "that everything is going to hell in a handbasket and this guy's no good."...

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news...74-c0240ee546b3

[BHS]

Mostly a problem of his own making. He invaded Iraq, he pushed for a tax cut and he appointed a clod to run FEMA.

Bush ratings drop to record low

Falls under 30%. Since 1940s, only Carter, Nixon, Truman fared worse

Not mentioned: Bush's real polling headaches began when he nominated Harriet Miers, and took another hit when he came out all peevish about conservative concerns over the Dubai Ports World deal. Before that his poll numbers hovered consistently around 50% despite the issues that were mentioned above.

Nixon having low poll numbers I can understand. Carter too. It's pretty interesting though that Truman rounds out the trifecta. History certainly doesn't place him in the same league as either of the others. It doesn't really make sense, unless you believe that the American people felt the same way about Hiroshima in the later forties as they do today. Does anyone happen to know what caused his numbers to go so low?

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear BHS,

It's pretty interesting though that Truman rounds out the trifecta. History certainly doesn't place him in the same league as either of the others. It doesn't really make sense, unless you believe that the American people felt the same way about Hiroshima in the later forties as they do today. Does anyone happen to know what caused his numbers to go so low?

Traditionally, wartime leaders are not seen in the same 'glorious light' after wars are over. Just look at Churchill's immense popularity in WWII, and his defeat at the polls in the next election.

[BHS]

Traditionally, wartime leaders are not seen in the same 'glorious light' after wars are over. Just look at Churchill's immense popularity in WWII, and his defeat at the polls in the next election.

I suppose. But below 30% is awfully low.

[Liam]

Truman came to the presidency upon FDR's death and was never seen by his contemporaries as being up to the task.

Early in his life, he worked in a clothing store and even after a long career in Washington (where he oversaw quite a bit of the nuts and bolts of weapons production and requisitioning during WW2), he was often derided as "the habberdasher from Independence (Missouri)". After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it became known that he was kept in the dark regarding the Manhattan Project. To be fair, Roosevelt and the guys out in the desert kept it pretty close to the vest and almost no one knew we were building an atomic bomb, but Truman's critics used it as an example of how he was little more than a country-bumpkin. After the war, Truman faced an economy that was retooling from a war footing to a peace economy and there were massive rail strikes, coal miner strikes, etc. Truman refused to bend and played hardball to get the economy going again. Then, he pushed an already war weary country into Korea, and then fired the beloved General MacArthur who is widely credited with liberating much of the Pacific in WW2. An interesting fact: the White House had never been renovated till Truman was in office. Floors were sagging, the roof was leaking in spots, so he quietly had the entire place gutted -- literally, there was nothing between the dirt below the basement level to the roof rafters and the entire structure was rebuilt inside with steel reinforcements, modern wiring, phone lines and HVAC. There is an intersting photo of a bulldozer inside the building in David McCullough's book "Truman". The public never knew that the White House, for those months, was literally just an empty shell. Truman thought it would damage the nation's psyche if they saw the White House on the receiving end of a wrecking ball, particularly during the Korean War. So there was as little fanfare as possible, Truman simply moved across the street at Blair House while the entire structure was rebuilt from within.

Truman also set himself apart from the Washington scene in that his wife was often not in DC. She spent a lot of her time back at their modest home in Missouri, and he didn't move in the social circles expected of presidents.

Truman retired in 1953 when Eisenhower was sworn in. He moved back to the same house he and Bess owned their whole lives and he only rarely ever stepped back into the spotlight. In hindsight, he was a remarkable president, one of the greatest, even.

[Guest Warwick Green]

Truman came to the presidency upon FDR's death and was never seen by his contemporaries as being up to the task....

Truman retired in 1953 when Eisenhower was sworn in. He moved back to the same house he and Bess owned their whole lives and he only rarely ever stepped back into the spotlight. In hindsight, he was a remarkable president, one of the greatest, even.

So little was expected of him and he performed well - I think everyone agrees with that - so he went beyond expectations.

Meanwhile..back in the 21st century, the Libs will elect Ignatieff as leader, expecting great things and he will fall flat on his face.

[shoop]

Nixon having low poll numbers I can understand. Carter too. It's pretty interesting though that Truman rounds out the trifecta. History certainly doesn't place him in the same league as either of the others. It doesn't really make sense, unless you believe that the American people felt the same way about Hiroshima in the later forties as they do today. Does anyone happen to know what caused his numbers to go so low?

In 1951, when the U.S. had almost won the Korean War, Douglas MacArthur recommended that the U.S. should cross the Yalu River into China and use nukes if necessary.

Truman overruled him. MacArthur went public with his recommendations (definitely about going into China, not sure about the nukes), very inappropriate and unprofessional. Truman fired him.

That's what lead to Truman's low poll numbers.

Truman took the blame for making the right decision.

[BHS]

There was a short period of time, before the 2004 election, that I thought Bush might win a similar place in history for himself - a President who made judgement calls that were unpopular or even reviled during his term in office, but whom history would regard as making the right call. Not anymore. His second term has been one dropped ball after another, starting with his long term response after Katrina. He basically said, "Natural disaster? Oh, here's 130 billion dollars to throw around." You first response to problems like that shouldn't be throwing stacks of money at them without a plan, especially if you call yourself a conservative. Clinton wouldn't have done that. Ditto fixing medicare by radically increasing entitlements. Nominating Harriet Miers made him look absolutely clueless about the gravity of Constitution. Getting all huffy about Dubai Ports World and proposing leniency for illegals made him look like he was putting his own pet interests ahead of national security. It's hard to see how any of these things are going to be fondly remembered thirty years from now.

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear BHS,

Not anymore. His second term has been one dropped ball after another,

That's what happens when you come in playing a game that is over your head. You aren't calling plays, you're 'reacting after the fact'. Like Texas football..."run it up the middle, we got four downs (or is that years?)".

[KrustyKidd]

That's what happens when you come in playing a game that is over your head.

I disagree. Things are working pretty good under the table. Iran having to compromise thirty years of non contact in order to eat ass so they can continue in a post non Saddam world. Iraq settled pretty much (albeit it cost them dearly) but the momentum is there now. China about to come to the west and the middle east as a trading partner rather than foe. However, I'm not leaving the table yet, there are still quite a few hands left to play but, main thing is, all is not what it seems.

[Michael Hardner]

GW Bush parachuted onto the scene mostly as a product of the political machine. When you look at this qualifications, most of it came down to marketing appeal. ( The 'Compassionate Conservative' brand name. )

It's true that Truman didn't come from great beginnings either, but being a successful small businessman and country administrator turned out to be adequte preparation for the Senate and the presidency.

China about to come to the west and the middle east as a trading partner rather than foe.

China is about to become a trading partner ? I have a feeling that this has been happening since before GWB took office, and I don't really see what major affect he's had on that continuing relationship.

[KrustyKidd]

China is about to become a trading partner ? I have a feeling that this has been happening since before GWB took office, and I don't really see what major affect he's had on that continuing relationship.

Didn't mean that as a Bush accomplishment only that thngs are not going to hell in a handbasket. My opinion of Bush is that he is a average President in extraordinary circumstances. Who can tell who would have done this or that and what those repercussions would have been.

[GostHacked]

China is about to become a trading partner ? I have a feeling that this has been happening since before GWB took office, and I don't really see what major affect he's had on that continuing relationship.

Didn't mean that as a Bush accomplishment only that thngs are not going to hell in a handbasket. My opinion of Bush is that he is a average President in extraordinary circumstances. Who can tell who would have done this or that and what those repercussions would have been.

I guess that story about the goat was extraordinary, for he could not rip himself away considering the country was under a major terrorists threat.

http://www.hist.umn.edu/~ruggles/Approval.htm

[No truth]

"It's true that Truman didn't come from great beginnings either, but being a successful small businessman and country administrator turned out to be adequte preparation for the Senate and the presidency."

Compare that to Bush's extraordinary record of business failure (despite his "MBA") and you get a good idea of the reason he's in over his head.

[No truth]

"Iraq settled pretty much"

In what parallel universe is Iraq "settled pretty much". This will come as a great surprise to the twenty or so innocent civilians being killed or maimed every day by an insurgency that was allowed to happen by the incompetent planners of this bungled war. By not securing huge stores of ammunition, and by not securing the borders prior to their hardly surprising military victory, the U.S. is criminally responsible for these deaths, and for the horrible situation on the ground in "settled" Iraq.

[scribblet]

Traditionally, wartime leaders are not seen in the same 'glorious light' after wars are over. Just look at Churchill's immense popularity in WWII, and his defeat at the polls in the next election.

I suppose. But below 30% is awfully low.

Does it really matter though when he can't run again?

[GostHacked]

Traditionally, wartime leaders are not seen in the same 'glorious light' after wars are over. Just look at Churchill's immense popularity in WWII, and his defeat at the polls in the next election.

I suppose. But below 30% is awfully low.

Does it really matter though when he can't run again?

Yes it does. Eventhough this will be his last term, he still has the rest of the term to serve out. Plenty more can happen in the 2 years he has left. It can get worse. Not only that, if Bush broke stuff (which I am sure he has), it will be doubly hard for the next president to put things right.

[BHS]

Compare that to Bush's extraordinary record of business failure (despite his "MBA") and you get a good idea of the reason he's in over his head.

Why the scare quotes around MBA? Don't tell me - Harvard, the most prestigious business school in the world, "gave" an MBA to junior because senior was head of the scary CIA. Remind me to laugh out loud next time one of you guys refers to Castro as "doctor".

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear BHS,

Remind me to laugh out loud next time one of you guys refers to Castro as "doctor".

I believe Che Guevara was the doctor( a physician), and Castro studied law. Interestingly, Joseph Goebbels had a doctorate (of philosophy, I believe) and was known in the Nazi ranks as 'The Doctor'.

[BHS]

"Iraq settled pretty much"

In what parallel universe is Iraq "settled pretty much". This will come as a great surprise to the twenty or so innocent civilians being killed or maimed every day by an insurgency that was allowed to happen by the incompetent planners of this bungled war. By not securing huge stores of ammunition, and by not securing the borders prior to their hardly surprising military victory, the U.S. is criminally responsible for these deaths, and for the horrible situation on the ground in "settled" Iraq.

It won't come as a surprise to them at all. They're there. They know who's killing them from personal experience. And unlike you, they don't have the luxury of sitting back and pondering the intricacies of how American foreign policy is the real boogey behind all of the trouble in the world.

A side question: The Hells Angels and the Rock Machine were attacking each other with bombs and bullets in Quebec throughout the 90's. Is the Quebec government criminally responsible for that? It seems that under your reasoning they should be held accountable. There's no end to how far that reasoning can go. Should the Prime Minister be held criminally responsible for every murder that happens in the country?

The United States will never have as many civilians die under it's watch as have died under the watchful, tear-flecked eyes of the UN because unlike the latter they are actually doing everything they can to prevent the murderous scum from winning. The worst possible scenario for the world would be an isolationist America that leaves solving global security concerns up to the UN. I ask you to name one crisis where UN participation made the situation better, where the actual heavy lifting wasn't done by the US. (And even then, the US pays 25% of the UN's operating budget.)

Furthermore, you've set the bar pretty low for what constitutes "horrible". True, there are the inevitable disgruntled soldiers crying "quagmire" on returning home, but they are vastly outnumbered by troops who believe in the cause and and re-enlisting to prove it. It's not the safest place in the world. It's not North America. But it's safer than a dozen places you would never worry about, and it surely is growing safer still on a daily basis. Casualty numbers and the frequency of insurgent attacks are falling. Citizens, including Sunnis, are turning against foreign insurgents. Ask me in five years where all the insurgents went. The answer will be either "back to where they came from" or "into the ground".

[BHS]

Yes it does. Eventhough this will be his last term, he still has the rest of the term to serve out. Plenty more can happen in the 2 years he has left. It can get worse. Not only that, if Bush broke stuff (which I am sure he has), it will be doubly hard for the next president to put things right.

Oh, come on. Have some faith in Hillary. Reagan was able to fix all of the stuff that nincompoop Carter broke in his first term, and I'm sure a smart lawyer lady like her can do just as well.

[BHS]

Dear BHS,

Remind me to laugh out loud next time one of you guys refers to Castro as "doctor".

I believe Che Guevara was the doctor( a physician), and Castro studied law. Interestingly, Joseph Goebbels had a doctorate (of philosophy, I believe) and was known in the Nazi ranks as 'The Doctor'.

I'm refering to his many honorary doctorates here. The point being that GWB actually earned his MBA, but it still counts for naught among those who idolize The Mighty Beard.

[GostHacked]

Oh, come on. Have some faith in Hillary. Reagan was able to fix all of the stuff that nincompoop Carter broke in his first term, and I'm sure a smart lawyer lady like her can do just as well.

I would not mind to see her in the whitehouse.

'm refering to his many honorary doctorates here. The point being that GWB actually earned his MBA, but it still counts for naught among those who idolize The Mighty Beard.

http://www.famoustexans.com/georgewbush.htm

Profession: In the West Texas energy business, George W. Bush started out researching who owned mineral rights. He later traded mineral and royalty interests and invested in drilling prospects. He had started his own oil and gas company by 1978, taking $17,000 from his education trust fund to set up Arbusto Energy (arbusto means Bush in Spanish). The company fell on hard times when oil prices fell. He made several attempts to revive the business, first by changing the company's name and later by merging with other companies. In 1983, Bush’s company was rescued from failure when Spectrum 7 Energy Corporation, a small oil firm owned by William DeWitt and Mercer Reynolds, bought it. Bush became chief executive officer. Harken Energy Corporation acquired Spectrum 7 in 1986, after Spectrum had lost $400,000. In the buyout deal, Bush and his partners were given more than $2 million worth of Harken stock for the 180-well operation. Bush became a director and was hired as a "consultant" to Harken. He received another $600,000 of Harken stock, and has been paid between $42,000 and $120,000 a year. By the spring of 1987, Harken was in need of cash. So Bush and his fellow Harken officials met with Jackson Stephens, head of Stephens, Inc., an investment bank in Little Rock, Arkansas (Stephens contributed $100,000 to the Reagan-Bush campaign in 1980 and gave another $100,000 to the Bush dinner committee in 1990.) Stephens arranged for Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) to provide $25 million to Bush’s company in return for a stock interest in Harken. As part of the deal, Sheikh Abdullah Bakhsh, a Saudi real estate tycoon and financier, joined Harken's board as a major investor. Stephens, UBS, and Bakhsh each had ties to the infamous, scandal-ridden Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI). In 1990, Bush sold his remaining stock options and left the oil business. Writer Jack Colhoun revealed some details of that stock sale, referring to Bush by his childhood nickname “Junior”:

Yeah, I'd say he earned his MBA.