Wrong track

The notion that eighty-two percent of Americans think the nation is on the "wrong track" is, to me, pretty stunning. Not to say I disagree. I just find the near-unanimity amazing.

If McCain is somehow elected (I almost wrote "re-elected" -- haha, there's a Freudian slip the Democrats would love) in this sort of environment, it'll be nothing short of a miracle. Of course, it would be his second political miracle of this election cycle...

Comments

[Tom Soppe]

Well if the pundit hacks can make Kerry out to be the traitor and successfully get Bush RE-elected after the craziness that was his first term, I guess anything can happen and McCain has a shot.

But Kerry was a less exciting candidate than Obama.

[The Decider]

Phewy! Polls don't mean a gosh-dang thing. Like I said in my radio address on May 3rd:

"My Administration has been clear and candid on the state of the economy. We saw the economic slowdown coming, we were up front about these concerns with the American people, and we've been taking decisive action."

Those 82%ers can stick in their ear!

[DBrooks]

These wrong-track polls are often misread, and misunderstood. While you are undoubtedly correct that it doesn't bode well for Republicans in November, it's important to remember that some of those responding may be worried about the possibility of a Democrat winning the White House, or dissatisfied with the choices available, or unhappy with what they see as "moral deterioration," etc. It's dangerous to assume what these polls indicate for all respondents.

[copndor]

I think the political campaigns do their part in contributing to this high number. Kennedy said that when he arrived in the White House he was amazed to find out that things were in as bad of shape as he had been saying they were.

[JO]

I am curious as to what extent the current Congress contributes in that 82% figure. We saw this "Democrat revolution" back in 2006 and as far as I can tell, they've really done nothing.

While people may frown at the President and decide that it's all the Republicans who are at fault, I'm sure there are many others who look at the Democrats in Congress with equal scorn.

Don't get me wrong. When 82% of people polled give that opinion, there's obviously an issue that needs to be seriously addressed.

[Sandy Underpants]

The democrats never fail to dissapoint their supporters, but realistically, what can a 1 seat majority in the Senate and a dozen majority in Congress really do other than slow down Bush's continuing destruction of this country via the Republican rubber stamp that existed in the House and Senate for 75% of his presidency? A few incompetent (read: Corrupt) Republicans are out of office because of the Democratic congress like Rumsfeld and Gonzalez, but for the most part the Democrats have been pussies and deserve their pathetic approval rating. But when 82% of the people say the country is going in the wrong direction they're talking about continuing the War in Iraq, more than 1 soldier dies every day, and 1.5 Billion tax dollars are wasted every week. That's not success, and that's not the right direction. Of course 17% inflation, the price of gas going up 500% with this president, the value of the dollar becoming nill and the value of people's homes declining like crazy, are probably the wrong direction for some as well.

McSame/Dole '08

[David K.]

JO, the fact that George W Bush is still "The Decider" and the fact that the Dems only have a slim lead in the Senate and a small lead in the House makes it difficult for them to affect major change at this point, especially when the administration is not willing to compromise.

On top of that people are typically satisified with their OWN congress person and think its the fault of everyone elses. Since they can't change everyone elses congressperson and they CAN change the President, the President is who they will change when they can. Now if the Dem's gain a larger majority in the house and senate AND have a Democratic president and things don't improve then you will see a swing back the other way, but right now the policies are largely the result of the GOP President and the previous GOP controlled congress

[David K.]

JO, the fact that George W Bush is still "The Decider" and the fact that the Dems only have a slim lead in the Senate and a small lead in the House makes it difficult for them to affect major change at this point, especially when the administration is not willing to compromise.

On top of that people are typically satisified with their OWN congress person and think its the fault of everyone elses. Since they can't change everyone elses congressperson and they CAN change the President, the President is who they will change when they can. Now if the Dem's gain a larger majority in the house and senate AND have a Democratic president and things don't improve then you will see a swing back the other way, but right now the policies are largely the result of the GOP President and the previous GOP controlled congress

[Alasdair]

Hmmm ... "It's all Bush's fault !" ... I wonder who posted the prior two posts ? Some BDSer, it sure sounds like !

[Alasdair]

David - you might as well admit it ... the current Congress has earned its dismal approval ratings all on its own merits (well, on thier lack thereof) ...

It took the Democrats taking control of both House and Senate and then being themselves to take already not-very-good approval ratings and plummet 'em to way below even Bush's dismal approval ratings ...

[Duck]

I am in the percent of Americans who believe America is on the wrong track so long as 82 percent of Americans think we are on the wrong track and those Americans constitute a voting majority believing that liberals are going to help America correct course.

[Andrew]

I know I said this in a comment on this blog a long, long time ago, but right-track/wrong-track and approval/disapproval ratings very closely correlate with the price of gas. So we are supposed to be shocked that Congress and Bush have record-low approval ratings while 80%+ feel we are on the "wrong track"? I mean, gas is only approaching $4 a gallon.

In any case, right-track/wrong-track polls tell of general dissatisfaction, but they don't indicate what people think the right track is. Obviously conservatives, liberals, and independents are all pretty miffed at the direction our country is headed right now, but that doesn't mean there is any broad consensus on who therefore to elect. That is why you still see McCain running even with Obama and HRC in the polls even though all of these general indicators would typically suggest the incumbent party is going to get hammered big time come November.

[David K.]

Alasdair, so when IS it actually George W. Bush's fault in your bizzaro world? I mean really. In a previous thread you wanted to blame the poor situation in Iraq on the American public, rather than the Commander in Chief, how desperate to avoid blaming the obvious and most likely responsible person can you get?

George W. Bush has been President for 7 years and had a rubber stamp congress for most of that, in that time things have gone from good to bad, and yet you would have us blame one or more of the following rather than admit that *GASP* Dubya has screwed up and people think he screwed up big:

Liberals
The American Public
Bill Clinton
Hillary Clinton
George Clinton
Howard Dean
Howard the Duck
Movies
Video Games
Hollywood
Islam
Sadaam Hussein
The French
Jon Stewart
Al Gore
Al Sharpton
Al Franken
Al Borland
The D-List
The Defense
Brendan's baby
Brendan's dog
Brendan's cats
Brendan's fish
Tonya Harding
Canada
Barry Bonds
O.J. Simpson
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Public Universities
Puplic Broadcasting
Teletubbies
Gays
Gay marriage
The Dixie Chicks
Harry Reid
Cindy Sheehan
Simon Cowell
Randy Jackson
Paula Abdul