[Editor’s Note: I have been out of town the last several days caring for an elderly relative with some serious health problems. For that reason, today’s posting will be shorter than usual.]
Most leading pollsters ask respondents whether they believe the country is headed in the right direction versus the wrong direction. It may not come as a surprise to my readers but the latest right direction/wrong direction polls are eye-popping. The Associated Press reported this week that 78% of respondents said the country is on the wrong track, while only 22% said it’s on the right track.
Meanwhile, Rasmussen reported that 76% believe the country is on the wrong track, while only 17% said they believe we’re on the right track. Reuters had it at 68% wrong track versus only 15% right track. The chart below from RealClearPolitics.com shows the average of five well-known pollsters. We are rapidly approaching the numbers seen in the last budget/debt ceiling battle back in 2011, thanks to the bozos in Washington.
As long as we’re on the subject of polls, President Obama’s overall job approval numbers plunged in the latest Associated Press poll to only 37% who approve versus 53% who disapprove. Only one other time since he has been in office has his approval rating fallen this low.
As for his handling of the economy, specifically, the president’s numbers are even worse. Only 25% approve of his handling of the economy, whereas 50% disapprove in the latest Associated Press poll (Oct. 3-7). That’s a 2-1 margin and is a new low for Obama in the AP poll.
How about Obamacare? Two recent polls taken at the beginning of this month by Fox News and CBS News put public opposition at 52% and 51% respectively. A CNN poll at the end of September found that 57% oppose Obamacare. These results polls are only expected to worsen as Americans learn more about the healthcare insurance exchanges.
Finally, how about the latest congressional approval rating? The latest Associated Press poll over the weekend found only a 5% approval rating versus 83% who disapprove. The 5% number is the lowest ever, as it should be!
Two Very Interesting Articles This Week
Newt Gingrich is not my favorite politician (not that I have one anyway), but he is a smart guy. He wrote a very interesting piece this week on the current political dilemma the Republicans find themselves in. He compares today’s falling approval ratings for Republicans to those back in his day as House Speaker during similar budget/debt ceiling battles. You may be interested to know how they compare:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/08/opinion/gingrich-poll-shutdown-blame/
Next, by now even the mainstream media is admitting that the Obama administration is using the government shutdown to inconvenience and punish as many Americans as possible by closing down national parks and other national facilities, including many where there are no federal workers involved. This is appalling! I hope most Americans understand this:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/360591/vindictive-shutdown-theater-editors
Finally, here’s a parody on the government shutdown and Obama that will make you laugh:
Well of course everyone thinks congress is going in the wrong direction. The problem is, there’s a big divide on what direction it’s supposed to be going in. A large group wants the government to attempt stimulus measures (some by tax breaks, others by direct jobs programs), another that thinks it should be attempting to cut back spending in order to address the national debt.
Personally, I’d rather they look at all their market manipulations (farm subsidies, home loan guarantees, the mortgage deduction, student loans, etc) one by one, and figure out which ones could be phased out. It’d also be nice to look at all regulations to see if they could assign both rewards and responsibilities to the ones making the decisions. Not more regulation; not less regulation; but more intelligent rules that attempt to stop problems at their root. Such ideas, however, don’t get much play.