How Low Can Approval Ratings Go, And So What?

[Cary]

I'm astonished that Bush's approval ratings are as low as they are. Of course they could be bottoming out or they could get lower.

Looking at that which is on the horizon, indictments can't help. A positive development in Iraq could help. A terror attack--who knows?

Some rightists suggest that public opinion doesn't matter, and even oddly proclaim that the bad ratings are a good thing. Isn't it a good thing that Bush doesn't pander to polls, they ask? Better he should use those polls in a 1984-ish way to try to manipulate us? I ask, but get no reply.

And what happened to Social Security, the alleged centerpiece of Bush's second term? If public opinion doesn't matter why wasn't that rammed down our throats?

I sure hope the polls indicate a throw the bums out mentality for 2006 and 2008, but somehow I'm not as confident as I'd like to be.

Looking just a bit past the horizon I see a possible reversal of Roe v. Wade and this would just have to be one huge kick in the pants for the Republicans. Picture a prohibition on abortion. Has any prohibition of anything actually ever resulted in decreased access to it? Now you've criminalized anyone involved in an abortion. What is the expense of policing, prosecuting, and punishing these people? Where does the money come from? And how do they survive the certain ripping apart of the social fabric that such a development would have to create?

Who would have thought that it would ever come to this?

[flamin lib]

1. Roe v Wade is here to stay.

The right wing can't do without it. It's too valuable to energize the base.

Under Roe v Wade the state has a compelling interest in controlling last trimester abortion, however, every bill proposed has the same fatal flaw--no provision for the life of the mother. Add that one provision and anti abortion legislation is constitutional.

[Cary]

2. You're assuming they know what they're doing.

I'm not so sure they do.

[mtnester]

3. Well, our sitting governor is at an astonishing 15% approval rating

so I guess they can go pretty low. And he says he ain't going nowhere, no matter what the state party wants him to do (resign, now)

Ohio - SO ripe for the pickin cause Taft will carry that stain along with the entire Ohio Repub party into the 2006 elections. I cannot wait!