Raw Story is reporting that Newsweek’s advance-released poll shows Bush’s approval rating is at 38%.
Furthermore, 57% of Americans have lost confidence in the U.S. to
deal with disaster. Sixty-five percent believe race was a factor in the slow response, and 47% say race was a major reason for slow response.
(I know I have lost faith in the federal government. I realize when the earthquake hits, or Mt. Rainier blows, I’m on my own entirely. How about you? And what measures are you taking to ensure you, your loved ones, and your animals can survive?)
Sixty-six percent are dissatisfied with the country’s direction.
New York-President George W. Bush’s approval ratings have fallen across the board in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and a seemingly flawed government response to the disaster, according to the latest Newsweek Poll. Bush’s job-approval rating dropped to 38 percent, the lowest ever in the Newsweek Poll. Sixty-six percent of those polled say they are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the United States at this time; just 28 percent are satisfied, another record low in the poll.
MORE BELOW:
A 52-percent majority of Americans say they do not trust President
Bush to make the right decisions during a domestic crisis, 45 percent
do. The same number-52 percent-do not trust him to make the right
decisions during an international crisis, again, 45 percent do. In
addition, 57 percent of Americans say the slow response in New Orleans has caused them to lose confidence in the government to deal with another major natural disaster, 41 percent say it has not; 47 percent say it has made them lose confidence in government to prevent another 9/11-type attack; half (50%) say it has not, the poll shows. Raw Story
How low can he go.
I am amazed at speed his numbers have dropped. Almost 1-year after re-election, it appears most people who voted for him are having serious doubts or are outright sorry about their decision.
It seems like yesterday Bush was proclaiming he had the will of the people and he was going to act accordingly.
Schiavo, Social Security and now Katrina have devastated his numbers. I’m starting to think 2006 is going to be a slap in the Republican’s electorate face.
Hi, Bonddad! So good to see you!
Being the ass that Bush is, he’ll still proclaim he has the will of the people and has a mandate, even if his poll numbers are in single digits.
Hubris, thy name is Bush.
The average american seems to have a rather short attention span… which explains the volitility of ratings.
What is disturbing is that his political agenda is thus far mostly unhindered by his dismal popularity (and his personal agenda to take as much vacation time as possible). This is unusual (cf. a nation article on this topic a few weeks ago — typically presidential approval ratings are correlated with political influence). ’06 could be interesting, but I think things will have to get a fair bit worse before the pendulum really swings the other way. Memory of pain lacks immediacy. The prehistoric brain must be stung many times before the accumulated effect has enough coherency to change the nature of action.
Maybe people don’t realize how important it is for Americans to feel like they can cope with natural disasters. The spectacle of America not being able to cope with Katrina has been deeply unsettling and embarrassing for the people, and woe to the administration presiding over such failure.
In 1998, my region was hit with two natural disasters: a devastating ice storm (which also hit Canada), and a big derecho (with winds of almost Category 2 hurricane strength for about 15 minutes). In both cases, Niagara Mohawk power had to be step up and be efficient in coping with huge regional power losses that went on for days and days.
For the 1998 NY State Fair, NiMo produced a highly self-congratulatory video presentation about the ice storm and their heroic response. The video was shown in a little theater on the fairgrounds and was a huge attraction. Lines out the door. For the 1999 Fair, NiMo produced a wildly popular “sequel” which focused on their response to the even more devastating derecho (which ironically occurred during the ’98 Fair).
The truth is that Americans eat this up. They love the drama of natural disasters, but that’s only because they’re confident their government and utilities can cope with disaster. For the Bush Administration to be presiding over this absolutely colossal failure with Hurricane Katrina is disastrous. It is unforgivable to the American psyche. Yes, there will be a subset of Americans who will cling to their tribal loyalties toward Bush, but many more Americans are finding it deeply offensive.
i agree with all you say except the reason you give for why people eat up diaster coverage.
Sadly the public has a huge appetite for other people’s tragedy, and a big reason who our so-called mainstream media is so lame is because they exploit, encourage and feed this ugly appetite. They turn tragedy into entertainment, providing people with the chance to feel good about themselves by demonstrating compassion from the safety of their armchairs.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see little “teddy bear- sympathy card-balloons-candle memorial displays being set up by citizens remote from the disaster and the cable TV media giving them coverage.
Even many of the wingers I work with don’t trust government now – AND THEY ARE IN THIS GOVERNMENT.
I had a conversation with a civilian friend who works in the government. He said that some of the middle tier military officers he work with now expect any efforts at continuity of government to fail in the event of an attack or disaster in DC. In the wake of a Katrina, they expect many of the government civilians to go home to take care of their families first. They also expect the roads to be instantly jammed with evacuees.
The end result is that no one will be around to head off with Dick Cheney to the super secret undisclosed location. The location that John Pike at globalsecurity.org happily identifies here and here.
So don’t expect government to work again until we finally clean House, Senate, and White House of these bastards.
Dems are not pounding on the security issue as well as the obvious racism.?
I am 100% sure that race play a major part in the disaster and more and more proof is coming our each day. I will be greatful for the day when Dems learn to chew and walk at the same time…
Yes… you can go after the tax cuts
Yes… you can go after racism
But all those Dems who have been happy to sell out the party to attract those elusive “swing voters” and moderate republicans … by selling out those “Old Timey” issues like labor, womens reproductive rights, the separation of Church and state and those old negro gospels… these new fangled Security Democrats/Military Pragmatists or as Al From like to call them “Blair Democrats” are stunningly quiet on the fact that we have Bush by the balls in regards to SECURITY.
At the end of the day there is one truth:
Republicans can not keep Americans safe this is the Security Silver bullet the Dems have been looking for… Bush is weak on SECURITY... which is broader than just shooting up make-believe terrorists.
I liken it to wingnuts giving the keys to their house to Republicans for safe keeping …only to return to find that the Republicans are no where to be found and have left their backdoor wide open. They are shaken to their core…have you heard Russert?
To wake up the wingnuts we have to make this an issue of security… that is the ONLY REASON why Bush is in the Whte House… he promised to keep all Americans safe...
As much as this IS an illustration of the compassion-less-ness of this adminstration towards Blacks and the poor… it is AS MUCH an illustration that even those that could protect themselves were not insolated from this tragedy and also those no where near NOLA...as witness by the price guaging at the gas station and soon the infalted prices of foodstuff because farmers use the Mississippi to float their good to the 4 largest port in America… and now the world perception that the US can not protect its own people within its own borders …from the weather…with not a terrorist in sight.
NO ONE ESCAPED FROM KATRINA…not Blacks not whites, rich nor poor, southern or northern states…this was a national disaster.
Buffalo Bill’s defunct
who used to ride a watersmooth-silver stallion
and break onetowthreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat
Jesus
he was a handsome man and what i want to know is
how do you like your blueeyed boy
Mister Death
e e cummings
(Sorry-I just can’t get the original [highly original] spacing right)