Gas Up, Bush Down: 32% in CNN Poll

by DemFromCT

From the sublime (Mimikatz and empywheel on our democracy) to the ridiculous: Bush hits a new low in the CNN poll and hits the low 30s this week (Pew at 35%, Fox at 33%) in other polls. Gas prices are clearly driving low numbers lower: those that are severely affected by gas prices vote Dem in 2006 2:1 (60 to 31).

There numbers are taken off of CNN's the Situation Room; [update: link is here]. But these Carteresque numbers (on their way down to Nixonesque) are more evidence of a failed Presidency.

The thing is, there's no answer to this from the WH. Bush needs to 'stay the course' to look strong, but 'the course' is taking the GOP right over the cliff. Watch how GOP Congress critters, already skittish, run as far from the President as they can get. "I want your money, Mr. President, but please phone it in. And no pictures, please."

As always with the GOP, don't listen to what they say. Watch what they do. And let's talk about never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity. The pundits keep waiting for signs the Bush WH is 'turning things around', but they haven't had a good week since the 2004 election. And, guess what? They're not going to have one. The wheels haven't just fallen off, the motor's lying in pieces in the road, like an old Max Fleisher cartoon. If it's not Abramoff, it's Iraq  and if not that, Plame and Libby. Or gas prices. Or the phone fixing scandal in NH (Mehlman to testify?) Or all of the above. That's what happens when you're not very good at governing, and the press reports the facts about how you campaign.

I'm sure replacing Scott McClellan will fix all of that.  Not.

Comments

[emptywheel]

But these Carteresque numbers (on their way down to Nixonesque) are more evidence of a failed Presidency.

We are reliving the 1970s--in reverse. Maybe we'll get lucky and we'll hit 1974 soon and get rid of the joker before he does get into those teens, because he'll be even more dangerous at that point.

[DemFromCT]

Where else it matters: immigration

Mr. Bush has shown little appetite for the give and take of negotiations, preferring to outline his goals and leave details to his Congressional allies. But those allies are now feuding bitterly among themselves.

How does a weak president knock heads? bush supports the senate version, conservatives support the House version. Buh-bye, party unity.

[Mimikatz]

Is it too soon to talk about forming a consensus on who should be appointed to take Cheney's place so that Bush can then be induced to resign a la Nixon?

[DemFromCT]

No... see Froomkin today. it's Condi.

[Mimikatz]

But...but...but...I mean the Gerald Ford analogue. The person who would take over after Bush resigns. That's not Condi, who couldn't manage the egos at the NSC and sees her job as interpreting the world to GW Bush and vice versa. I mean the person who fills the last two years of Bush's term and then loses in "08 to Al Gore (or Mark Warner).

Bob Dole?

[ab initio]

What I am most concerned about these low poll numbers is that Bush and Cheney and Rove will do something even more insane with the expectation those numbers could be revived.

This would be a golden opportunity for the Dems to really get aggressive and press their advantage home. Time to make the calls for change persistent and loud. Frame the issues now in a chorus. Unite around Dean's 5 point messaging plan. Unite around Murtha on Iraq and Reid on Iran and Feingold on abuse of power. Get the fork-tounged one's off the air and I mean folks like Hillary and Biden and Pelosi. Line up hard nosed partisan Dems on the talking head list. And fully expect sleaze tactics from Rove and not be surprised.

[emptywheel]

Oooh. Bob Dole would be delicious in so many ironic ways.

No. Not delciious that way, you perverts!

[Eric Blair]

Pollkatz has had a graph showing Boosh Approvals tracking perfectly in an inverse relationship to rising gas prices. But, here we have Josh Bolton, the new Andrew Card, stating that among other things, blustering and threatening war with Iran is a "proven winner" with the public, as they "identify" with Repub "national security" posture. Well, even a beaten-down, jaded public understands that if they're pissed off with Boosh when gas is $3+/gal., they will be paying $4,$5,$6/gal - providing they can even find gasoline - if the First Moron carries out his war-mongering threats and seriously rattles Iran's cage, and that these simplistic formulae for "boosts in the polls" are toast when it comes to people's ever-shrinking disposable income.

[Jon]

Perhaps George H.W. Bush could take over for Cheney. That'd be another first for the history books for the Bushes. A "two-fer" of firsts for the history books would happen when a former President becomes a Vice-President and he is none other than the father of the sitting President. Then we could go for the home run when G.W. is forced to resign and his father takes over to finish out the term of his disgraced son. Oy! Now I have a headache just comtemplating the possibilities. No wonder the founders were so against "rule by birth".

So who would then be Bush's (H.W.) VP? Jeb? ;-)

I think I have a migraine now.

[undeniable liberal]

Please, please, stay the course, decider. Will the proles finally wake up?

[demtom]

It's taken me (obviously) over a day to realize this is the first CNN poll released since their "divorce" from Gallup. On the one hand, that was disappointing: I'd been thinking, whee, if Gallup and its over-GOPed-sampling stands at 32, we're going to see the 20s before long -- that immediate hope is gone. But, secondarily, it's nice to see CNN's replacement appears to fall in the normal range of poll results. I think Bush has been gaining a small, largely-cosmetic-but-sometimes-not advantage from having the Republican-favoring Gallup referenced on CNN. This was especially true in the Crossfire/Capitol Gang years, where the panelists would always reference the top-range Gallup number as if it were solid-gold fact, inflating Bush's position ever so slightly (and, given, how tight Bush's two "wins" have been, that slight edge may have been decisive). It's nice to have the reporting now centered around a more real-world number -- especially with the real world yielding such Dem-delighting figures.

[Jay]

We have an idiot as our leader. That is why other countries hate us.