Bush's Approval Ratings

[extermin8r]

32%

Link

So, what do you all think. Especially the people who have been supporting Bush all along. I am not necessarily trying to start a flame war. I just want honest opinions; do those who have supported Bush all along really think he is still doing a good job? His own support base is degrading, **** the Republican party in general is trying to detach themselves from him due to fears for the November elections.

[Skiusa2005]

It's very tough for me, as I'm a big fan of the republican party....I however, am not necessarily a fan of Bush. The president has done things I disagree with, thats given with every President though. Based on information available it can easily be concluded that the general masses have been lied to not just by Bush, not just by his administration, but by our government in general. Often times, it is best for the people to not know the full extent of situations...to cover items up if you will for the good of the nation...I agree with that. But this has gone a bit further...its a blatant lie in one direction, and when we're all looking that way, a fake to the other side....I will be satisfied when his term is over, and hope we still have a country left at that time....I will vote republican though, unless, heaven forbid....Arnold somehow manages to run

[extermin8r]

Good points

[Duncan]

It's very tough for me, as I'm a big fan of the republican party....I however, am not necessarily a fan of Bush. The president has done things I disagree with, thats given with every President though. Based on information available it can easily be concluded that the general masses have been lied to not just by Bush, not just by his administration, but by our government in general. Often times, it is best for the people to not know the full extent of situations...to cover items up if you will for the good of the nation...I agree with that. But this has gone a bit further...its a blatant lie in one direction, and when we're all looking that way, a fake to the other side....I will be satisfied when his term is over, and hope we still have a country left at that time....I will vote republican though, unless, heaven forbid....Arnold somehow manages to run
[/b]

First, re: Ah-nold. Congress would have to repeal the law requiring presidential candidates to be born as US citizens. I don't see that happening, especially given the current debate (or diversion?) over immigration rights.

Second, re: the Republican Party. If real, honest-to-god CONSERVATIVES were actually running the Republican Party, Bush would never have gotten elected. Real conservatives, you see, would have been attacking the ill-conceived Patriot Act to the death, or making sure that out-of-bounds wiretapping and security leaks by White House officials were properly punished. You have to realize that NOTHING the Bush White House does is in any way relevant to actual conservative thought processes - the ones that are in favor of limiting government power and keeping the citizens' rights at the forefront of the legislative process.

As you can tell, I have no problem with REAL CONSERVATIVES who THINK CONSERVATIVELY - ****, I'm even guilty of doing it from time to time. The Bushies and their ilk (that is, many of his fans and friends in Congress), however, strike me more as a knee-jerk reactionary bunch whose most pressing goal is to acquire and retain power by any means necessary - witness such things as questionable redistricting, copious amounts of kickback money and influence-peddling, or the stifling of any viewpoint that might in any way be seen as contrary to the goals and opinions of the White House. These actions do not strike me as particularly conservative by any means.

Yes, I'm what you'd probably call a progressive or a liberal. But I'm a RATIONAL progressive liberal who realizes the wisdom in some of the arguments of the other side and is willing to listen. Most RATIONAL, REAL CONSERVATIVES follow the same logic. And it's that fundamental agreement that should bind our two sides together to bring effective government back to this nation. If it takes a split in the party, or a split in both parties (say, a new Moderate Party?) to do it, then maybe that's what must happen.

Obviously, the general public of either political persuasion (or no persuasion, for that matter) has no faith in Bush's methods either, so maybe there's a grain of truth to my words, eh?

[millyowner]

I'm still registered as a republican (because I'm lazy and haven't changed it). My affinity for the Republican Party has dwindled to the point of disgust over the years. I can support rational conservative viewpoints as much as well thought out liberal ones, but recently, mainstream conservativism is getting too myopic and extreme; allying itself with business practices and tax breaks that help no one than the richest of the rich, while at the same time, Bush visits impoverished farm towns in the mid-west and listens to his followers thank him for being such a great president. It makes no fucking sense. Bush is screwing them, but they vote for him anyway...mainly because the Baptist preacher they listened to on Sunday morning endorses the president's actions and encourages the "flock" to vote "pro-life, anti-gay, anti-stem cells” which is probably the only reason he won the last election. It's too bad Christians, the least educated of the whole population in the US just below illegal immigrants; essentially make the decisions for all of us.

[extermin8r]

I'm still registered as a republican (because I'm lazy and haven't changed it). My affinity for the Republican Party has dwindled to the point of disgust over the years. I can support rational conservative viewpoints as much as well thought out liberal ones, but recently, mainstream conservativism is getting too myopic and extreme; allying itself with business practices and tax breaks that help no one than the richest of the rich, while at the same time, Bush visits impoverished farm towns in the mid-west and listens to his followers thank him for being such a great president. It makes no fucking sense. Bush is screwing them, but they vote for him anyway...mainly because the Baptist preacher they listened to on Sunday morning endorses the president's actions and encourages the "flock" to vote "pro-life, anti-gay, anti-stem cells” which is probably the only reason he won the last election. It's too bad Christians, the least educated of the whole population in the US just below illegal immigrants; essentially make the decisions for all of us.
[/b]

no truer words than those right there.

[Duncan]

I won't say "I told you so", but the proof is right there in MO's and Ski's replies - the Republican Party, such as it is today, no longer stands for real conservative ideals.

Sadly, MO is also right when he says that the uneducated masses have no idea how badly they're being screwed by the supposed "compassionate conservative" who holds the highest office in the land. Look at the drop in the value of our dollar, the laughably mismanaged "war on terror", the big lie of "No Child Left Behind", the bungled disaster relief efforts (which are STILL being bungled as we speak, by the way), and on and on.

However, they managed to swap one talking head (Scott McClellan) for another, supposedly better one (Tony Snow) yesterday. So that's something to look forward to...

[extermin8r]

However, they managed to swap one talking head (Scott McClellan) for another, supposedly better one (Tony Snow) yesterday. So that's something to look forward to...
[/b]

Yea, a Fox News anchor... ack.

[Pingdum]

Thank God the masses are just starting to wake up. If not too little, too late. He's an evil, evil man who thinks nothing of running his own country into the ground for the gain of a few. I'm not to optimistic for the future, even if the Dems take over again.

[Skiusa2005]

I'm finding I feel better throughout the day if I ignore the media and worry about myself...cover my face until his term is over