Reformers with results
Today, Ann Althouse discusses the lowest-ever approval rating of Congress: 18 percent.
She reasons that congressional approval is bound to be low these days considering that it was these very people who — as candidates running for office — taught us to hate Washington politicians.
It's a good point.
5 comments:
Congressional approval rating is an irrelevant piece of datum. No one votes for Congress, one votes for (or against) a Congressman/woman/Inhofe.
Historically, Presidential approval ratings are a FAR better predictor of Congressional outcomes.
Today, if voters in Newton, Massachusetts, have a negative view of Congress, that means something ENTIRELY different than if voters in Topeka, Kansas, do. And those two numbers would mean something different two years ago.
Some Republican in Indiana can run against Congress ("Liberal! Taxes! Gays! San Francisco!!!"). The thing is, a Democrat in the Philadelphia suburb can run against Congress, too ("I'll end the war, and this Republican incumbent won't.")
Republicans who thing that Congress's low approval rating will somehow save them -- when many people are saying they're mad Congress isn't challenging Bush enough -- are deluding themselves. Or reading the Washington Times. But I repeat myself.
I think a strong argument can be made that a significant factor is that Democratic voters want their new Democratic majority to be more aggressive to end the war in Iraq and otherwise make life miserable for the White House. The disapproval numbers are almost identical across the board -- Dems, Republicans, independents.
Thank you, Glen Greenwald.
Yeah, I read Glen on occasion (good stuff). But this one's been obvious for a while now. The Gallup report even points out that the drop over the last month was due to declines among Democrats and independents.
"it was these very people who — as candidates running for office — taught us to hate Washington politicians."
Really, b/c I remember my Grandfather hating Washington politicians almost three decades ago.
He was always ahead of the times I guess.
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