Republicans abandoning Bush
What issues do you think have hurt Bush the most? How bad will it be for the GOP in 08 if they do not get back to Goldwater-style conservative roots? What GOP candidate for the White House comes closest to Barry Goldwater?
WASHINGTON – As President Bush attempts to revive the controversial immigration reform bill he supports, the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that Republicans are abandoning the president, which has dropped his job-approval rating below 30 percent — his lowest mark ever in the survey.
But he isn’t the only one whose support is on the decline in the poll. Congress’ approval rating has plummeted eight points, bringing it below even Bush’s. And just one in five believe the country is on the right track, which is the lowest number on this question in nearly 15 years.
Republican pollster Neil Newhouse, who conducted the survey with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, argues that these numbers have crossed below the political “Mendoza line,” referring to the feeble .200 batting-average mark in baseball. “With the mood of the country dropping below 20, and the president’s approval below 30, both are candidates for a sort of political Mendoza line,” he says.
Headline should be: Americans abandon congress; poll numbers drop below president’s.
23% approval for Pelosi, Reid non-binding congress. That is the story.
And if it keeps up, we will sooner or later see a new party rise to replace one of the current ones. Voters are so mad at both parties that many would now jump on any party led by a charismatic leader who takes the popular stances of both parties, dumps the most rejected and runs with those changes.
That doesn’t mean it would be a better choice or make the nation better off necessarily but, it would leap to the forefront of power.
Having said that, I see no 3rd party capable of doing that at this time. Most of them have just as much “unpopular” baggage as the two major parties. Also, none have a charismatic leadership that people want to be aligned with.
But, the potential is definitely there.
Jan,
You are absolutely correct. If ever there was an opportunity for a charismatic third party person to jump in, the time is now.
Bloomberg is going to do it, but he lacks charisma and political savvy. But he has mega$$$$$$$ (note to eeevil, even more important for a 3rd party candidate to have $$$$$$$$ even though you think it means nothing). His candidacy will take from both sides and possibly throw the race to the House of Representatives (imagine NY and CA going for Bloomberg leaving GOP and jackasses with less than 270 electoral votes).
The candidate who most reflects Goldwater’s conservatism is Rudy. But with the powerful money grubbers like Bauer, Dobson and Perkins in opposition based solely on social issues, it will be difficult for him to maintain his lead.
Quite frankly, I would like to see the American Constitution Party rise up. Their platform is as close to the intent of the Founding Fathers as you can get in this day and age.
http://www.constitutionparty.com/party_platform.php
I was a Republican until 2000, when I began to see that, ensconced in power in Congress, they began to lose their convictions. It seems now that this turn is complete.
Bloomberg is a disaster – he’s another one of these wealthy, “I’m better than you and I know what’s better for you that you do” busy bodies.
Mars Ultor
I would like to see the American Constitution Party rise up.
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The problem they have is some of the states have left the national party over platform issues.
Also, they have things in the Platform that don’t belong in a national platform but rather in a State Platform.
The national political parties are not to be the “fix all” for America’s social and moral issues. Those were to be left to the states so each state could be as liberal or as conservative as they wanted to be without forcing other states to be like them. Then people were free to live in the state that suited them best.
Only as a Republic of States with some common needs were we to centralize power and force states and the people in those states to be like some State six states away. That occurs when that state has a Court or other states to form a majority in Congress that then infringes on the rights of each state to be different.
Just like Nevada was able to legalize prostitution in some counties, while other states banned it, each state could be different. Just like some states had “dry counties” and others didn’t they could decide in each state what was “morally acceptable.”
The Constitution party is great if you are a Conservative but, it doesn’t allow for a “liberal” state if you force all states to follow their platform from a centralized power like the Federal Government.
The libertarian are closer to what the founders intended for the Federal Government but, most don’t like that they also want state government too liberal to suit the majority in each state even in some states that are fairly liberal.
Too much and too little. Millions of Americans waiting for a party that is “just right.” Limited federal government and still freedom to be anything from liberal to conservative in each state.
Most independents, which far outnumber the Republicans and conservatives wouldn’t support the Constitution party with the current platform it has for the national party.