November 04, 2005

Teflon has worn off the Moron For the first time in his presidency, a majority of Americans questioned President George W. Bush's personal integrity as his approval ratings on key issues fell to new lows in an ABC News/Washington Post Poll published on Thursday
  • Uh oh. Does this mean another ratings-bolstering war is in the offing?
  • It means another terror alert is on the way
  • BULLETIN: Attractive young white girl missing somewhere!
  • You know what? I haven't changed my opinion of Chimpy since I saw him on the Late Show back in 1999. Strange, fickle Americans.
  • One question -- where the hell have these people been?
  • Calling Chimpy McFuckup a moron is an insult to morons everywhere.
  • I'm pretty sure Argh has called it. I'll bet we see a terror alert within the next three days.
  • I'd like to think that the majority of Americans have woken up to the fact that ShrubCo is unqualified to Preside, lead, or anything else. But I think it's a flash in the pan. Suburban housewives who f33r teh g4y, and immigrant construction workers who want to vote party-in-power aren't "waking up" to anything, YMMV. If it's an indication that the media are doing their goddamn fucking shit hell crap fuck jobs even slightly better, then it'd be good.
  • immigrant construction workers who want to vote party-in-power I have to admit that's a new one to me, Pete. I think you need to consult your "Big Book of American Sterotypes for Smug Europeans" again. Were you perhaps looking for "red state fundies" or "rich white guys"? (I keed, I keed) Here in the real USA populated by real human being, though, I think this is a sign that, yes, people are sick of Bush. Like every other country in the world, most people here are politically moderate. They don't really feel that strongly about politics, especially when it doesn't affect them that much directly. Thus, it takes them a while to get fed up with the status quo. This may seem odd to people (like most of us here) who have very strong political feelings, but it's been documented that that's the way most people in the world are.
  • No, Pete, the media are NOT doing their GFSHCF jobs any better, it's just that the dam levee is leaking so fricking bad, even if the BushCo bunch stop jacking off, they still don't have enough fingers to plug the leaks. But never fear, between the oil rape, the Waaar Effort, and various other ways these assholes are screwing (and will continue to screw*) this country, we can be assured that the future will NOT be golden for any but the rich. FEMA director steps down and still gets paid salary--How come that doesn't happen in the MCWally world?
  • No, Pete, the media are NOT doing their GFSHCF jobs any better, it's just that the dam levee is leaking so fricking bad, even if the BushCo bunch stop jacking off, they still don't have enough fingers to plug the leaks. But never fear, between the oil rape, the Waaar Effort, and various other ways these assholes are screwing (and will continue to screw*) this country, we can be assured that the future will NOT be golden for any but the rich. FEMA director steps down and still gets paid salary--How come that doesn't happen in the MCWally world?
  • Terror warning imminent? WTF, didn't y'all see the Avian Flu Pandemic trotted out almost instantaneously? Close the Borders! Fear the Birds! I too have not changed my opinion of Dubya. He would have to rise 30 points to arrive at inept.
  • Oh, yea, Right Rev. CM, I do like your Teflon/Moron lead comment.
  • immigrant construction workers who want to vote party-in-power A coarse comment I know, I should have phrased that differently, my apologies. I was thinking specifically of an NPR story near the 2004 election, which interviewed a brand new US citizen who said in a heavily accented way that this was his first time to vote, and he was voting for Bush. I just thought "Aaigh! You're voting against yourself!" He represented to me the voters who don't really know and so they go with the flow, regardless of the consequences. I'm doubtful they'd vote differently even if they're telling pollsters they're unhappy with Bush's vacations performance.
  • ... "of Republicans -- 49 percent -- strongly approve of Bush's job performance" ... emphasis added
  • Hmm. So who, in fact, is changing their answers to polls? underwater independents? marzipan republicans (ooh that rhymes)? My little chum Eric the 1/2 bee?
  • Easily Annoyed Seniors Trying to Figure Out the Social Security Prescription Plan (if my crazy old father is any indicator)
  • immigrant construction workers who want to vote party-in-power I wasnt offended and didnt find it "coarse," I just didnt know what you meant. At least where I live, the vast majority of immigrants who might work in construction are Mexican/Latin American, who tend to go Democratic in large numbers, which is a big part of why California tends to always go Democratic (except in the case of our jackass govinator). I dont know where the clown you saw on TV was from. I am an American and I am the first to admit my country has big problems right now. But I wonder why every thread, even those that contain bad news for Bush, has to devolve into "well it doesnt matter nothing will ever change because everyone in America is an ignorant redneck," in so many words. Which is odd, when the linked story is about how things ARE changing. it's not really that I'm patriotically offended by all the America-bashing- we've certainly earned it. (The "CIA secret prison" thing, for one, is disgusting.) i'd just rather see a discussion that acknowledges and discusses the facts presented in the link. Ok, that was a long comment, sorry.
  • ps pete: as to who is changing their opinion, part of the answer is right in the article: Even in his own party, just under half of Republicans -- 49 percent -- now strongly approve of Bush's job performance, a 22-point drop from the start of the year when Republicans gave Bush a 71 percent job approval rating, ABC said.
  • hmm . . . so is the story then that moderate Republicans are now starting to suspect that Bush is incompetent / evil / surrounded by goons / bought & paid for by big business / etc.? I just think it's curious that almost six years after the fact, some Republicans would change their mind. Or, to my original theory that this is just a flash in the pan, say they have.
  • A year too late to matter. Ho hum.
  • They only change their overt opinions when public and corporate support starts to wither. Politicians, whatever their stripe, have no convictions; only a nose for their own career longevity.
  • As a contrarian, I'm now preparing to shift my allegiance to Bush and the neo-cons. Isn't he just so manly? And it's cute when he makes fun of himself for misspeakulating.
  • getting back to petebest's immigrant construction workers who want to vote party-in-power comment, I will say that after the '88, '00 and '04 elections, I have more than once had the following exchange with various people from Venezuela, Panama, Brazil and/or Ecuador: them: Who did you vote for in the election? me (depending on the year): (Dukakis)/(Gore)/(Kerry) them: Oh, so you wasted your vote. Too bad! me: No, I didn't waste my vote. I voted. Not voting would be wasting my vote. I've had this conversation now so many times that I have to conclude that some people really just want to bet on the winning horse.
  • CNN is now reporting that a terrorist plot ot blow up Washington DC landmarks has been uncovered. Surprise surprise.
  • CNN is now reporting that a terrorist plot ot blow up Washington DC landmarks has been uncovered. It might be more effective if I still believed somebody in the administration gave a damn about what those landmarks stood for.
  • Meowww! Typical scenario, however. Where's the megaphone?
  • I've noticed that, while people of Latin decent tend to traditionally vote Democrat, many are beginning to swing Republican because of abortion. Many Latins are still Catholic and feel strongly about voting anti-abortion candidates in (regardless of any of their other policies), and many priests have begun telling parishoners that they cannot receive communion (and will thus go to hell) if they vote for a pro-choice candidate. This is obviously a gross generalization, but it is what I have noticed happening amongst my friends who are Latin and Catholic.
  • CNN is now reporting that a terrorist plot ot blow up Washington DC landmarks has been uncovered. Bush isn't exactly a landmark, mainly because even if he stood still long enough I imagine no self-respecting pigeon would want to shit on him. There's probably not a bomb big enough to blow up everything that needs eradicated in Washington.
  • Ooooh, snap!
  • Late update: cute white woman missing in georgia this was carried on our Michigan stations yesterday. I mean, I sure hope everything turns out ok, but perhaps we could focus on news?
  • pew research center toward the end of the page are "one word descriptions" of the u.s. president: The single word most frequently associated with George W. Bush today is "incompetent,"and close behind are two other increasingly mentioned descriptors: "idiot" and "liar." All three are mentioned far more often today than a year ago.
  • In this regard, a significantly higher percentage of Americans believe that Bush is "out of touch" with what is going on with the government than said that about former President Reagan during his second term, in August 1987. Fully 56% say that about Bush now, compared with 47% who expressed that view of Reagan nearly 20 years ago. Wow. More out of touch than fuckin' "Well, . . I don't remember" Reagan. That's . . . wow.
  • sorry ralph. *beats self with small stick*
  • Bush approval by state Woo! Idaho! #1 baby! (Sorry GramMa! :)
  • I suppose that's why it's called I-da-ho. /lame joke
  • I'd a hoe?
  • What did Ida Hoe? She hoed her merry land.
  • Yeah, y'know ShrubCo supporters are looking for a reason to bail. They don't have one and probably won't get one, but they want one. They're tired of looking like they might be idiots for having voted for him.
  • Thanks for the chuckle, Seňor H!