Why do people harp on Bush's low approval ratings?

Question

Every president in a time of war suffered low approval ratings. Bush hasn't even gotten as low as some presidents that liberals and conservatives alike now revere as great. Low approval ratings in a time of war are commonplace.

I hate hearing the non-argument that because Bush has low ratings, only "idiots" and "right-wing conservative baby-killer rich oilmen" still support him. I find that odd, because with a nation of nearly 300 million people in it, and his recent approval rating of 44%, that would mean there are 132,000,000 "right-wing conservative baby-killer rich oilmen" in this country, which I have to say, is a bit of an extreme demographic. I constantly hear communists harping on about 5% of the nation holding 95% of the wealth. I guess Bush's economy is doing better than anyone thought, seeing as rich oil tycoons now make up nearly half the nation.

All kidding aside, whether you're pro-Bush or not, shut up about his ratings. Form a cogent argument based on ideas.

And for you people who don't bother to read, the very first line was a question. In fact, it was THE question that I would like discussed and possibly answered.

Drgoodhi: That's the weakest answer you could come up with, apparently. They have a right to be ignorant and void of ideas, apparently. Fine, so be it. Let them use their right to be an idiot.

smudge: how about the 6 years of whining like a little baby that you lost, and the pathetic tendency you have of claiming intellectual superiority over the people who defeated you, while not offering instances where your rhetoric is more sound or logical. Your reasoning abilities are sorely lacking.

OK CASSIE I WILL BE FAIR

FIRST OF ALL YOU DONT HAVE TO SHOUT. SECOND OF ALL AS SOON AS HIS APPROVAL RATING DROPS, YOU LIBERAL HARPIES HARP ON IT. THEREFORE, WE HAVE A RIGHT TO SHOW YOU WHEN HIS RATING GOES UP, EVEN IF WE DID NOT VOTE FOR HIM, (like me, who voted for Kerry).

WHAT BOTHERS ME IS THAT YOUR ONE NIT PICK IN THIS DISCUSSION IS COMPLETELY BASELESS. "not enough time has passed, and before, he had a low rating for a long time. Boo hoo."

YOU WANT TO PLAY FAIR? OK. BUT FIRST YOU HAVE TO STOP SAYING THAT BUSH LIED ABOUT THE INTELLIGENCE, BECAUSE IT WASN'T HIS INTEL, AND ALL YOUR DEMOCRAT BUDDIES SAW THAT SAME INTEL. SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO STOP SAYING BUSH LIED PEOPLE DIED. BUSH DID NOT LIE AS I JUST EXPLAINED! FINALLY, STOP SAYING IT'S A WAR FOR OIL, BECAUSE THE UNITED STATES HAS YET TO RECIEVE ONE DROP OF FREE OIL, WHICH WE GAVE DIRECTLY TO THE IRAQI PEOPLE AFTER WE SECURED IT. STOP LYING ABOUT THE PRESIDENT IF YOU ARE SOOOOOO SMART!

The above tirade may seem harsh, but I needed to point out that no one will listen to you if you

TYPE IN ALL CAPS THE ENTIRE TIME LIKE A MORON.

Neurotic:

I am perfectly willing to listen. However, if you contradict me, you must cite your sources, or else your entire argument is completly bullsh*t.

Find the numbers, then get back to me. I believe you are incorrect. See: World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Korea, every major war of the 20th century.

Patricia-

I cordially invite you to do as I have suggested to so many other liberal phonies, which is cite your sources. When did Bush lie? You might say Cheney lied. I agree with that. Cheney did say they knew for a fact that Saddam had weapons, when he should have said "we think to a high degree of probability". The intelligence he "lied" about, again, was the same independent-source information that Clinton, Kerry, and ALL YOUR DEMOCRAT BUDDIES agreed showed Saddam was a threat. It wasn't until recently that they concocted a bullsh*t story about how it was all Bush's fault, especially since the intelligence we are talking about came pre-Bush and during the Clinton "administration". I could answer your other "points", but I feel you need to justify your slanderous propaganda first.

Finally, I have manipulated no statistics. Those are the numbers. It's just too bad.

Answer 1

I think that people that are too inarticulate to make a reasonable arguement against Bush just go with harping on the low approval ratings because it makes them feel better. If you can't make an arguement based on facts then it makes you feel better to go, well "no one else likes him" why should I?

The lowest approval ratings in presidential history were of FDR, presumably as punishment for entering into an unpopular war. Yet he saved us from the fascists and has a funky monument in DC.

Now as a devout Democrat I love the fact that Bush has increased entitlements more than any other president in history after FDR but even though I never voted for him I think there will be a monument to him some day in DC because he will be remembered as the president that kept us safe from the islamofascists.

Answer 2

This democratic congress has an approval rating of 9%... that's the lowest approval rating for congress in HISTORY. Yes, a lot of what Bush is blamed for is not something he has control over. He can't do much without congress.

Answer 3

I agree with you 100%! All of the ones who are now complaining will "shut up" once one of their people is again elected to the oval office. Hopefully, they won't find any of Bill's old worn out cigars hidden anywhere at the white house either! There still is only a few "past" presidents lucky enough to be impeached, and Mr. Bill Clinton was the latest one to go on that list. We Republicans did the honorable thing, when they wanted to impeach Richard M. Nixon. He gave up the presidency, and saved the whole nation from embarrassment. More than what can be said of a person who didn't know the definition of what sex is!

Answer 4

I have always thought that it was in response to the 2000 elections - Bush got fewer votes than Gore but won in the electoral college, this was a way to help everyone remember that Bush was not real popular.

And as for every president in time of war having low approval ratings--have you not noticed the manipulation of ratings, how they scare scare scare us to bump the ratings, then when the ratings would slump they would scare scare scare us again, but now it isn't working and we are of course talking about the fact that his ratings are consistently low. Because the scaring isn't working any more and we want everyone to notice it.

Answer 5

My question is - who is it that these polls ask? I never get asked whether or not I approve of the President. Approval ratings are a monitor for the press. The press hates Bush anyway, so they justify their hatred by quoting their liberal polls. I'm sure Bush could care less what his approval rating is. He still has a job to do and I'm sure he's doing it the best he can under the circumstances.

Answer 6

Well this country has been divided down the middle since the 2000 "selection." And harping on his low approval rating is kind of silly since there are other bigger issues for not liking him, such as he's a idiot, and who appoints idiots and whom messes things up. For example Katrina (Brown), Iraq, Afghan (Rumsfeld). Or his double handed way of signing a bill into office, then signing an executive order which states he WOULDN'T enforce the law he just signed! Then why sign it? Fishy?
He makes up words during his speeches, and he says the dumbest things, look on Youtube.com. If you want to blindly follow a pied piper that's your choice, but I'm not.

Answer 7

I beg to differ a Presidents approval rating usually rises during war time especially if he goes into it for the right reasons and he accomplishes the mission and withdraws at some point. Dear old daddy Bush had a high approval rating during Desert Storm/Shield.
Furthermore it is our right to complain so why are you trying to stomp all over our rights.

Answer 8

If the best you can do is to defend a lout who has attacked the Constitution, lied to Congress, embroiled us in a pointless war against the wrong enemy at the cost of lives and billions of dollars, who has destroyed America's honor and identity as an honoarble nation, who brags about not reading anything and who cannot be bothered to use literate English, why would anyone think you merit a "cogent argument"?

Your deceptive and dishonest abuse of statistics and assumptions shows why you are so attached to Bush. You truly are not interested in ideas that coflict with your own bias.

Some "harp" on the numbers oddly enough because they are justified in questioning behaviors that resulted in a sea change of publuic opinion.

Answer 9

Like you said it happens every time there is a war.
Or if some liberal has their panti in a wad. Barbara Boxer, Hilary Clinton, etc..
You sound just like my hubby. Cool.

Answer 10

you can't please everyone. Every presidency and president has had their pros and cons. People just pick and choose what aspects they pay attention.

Clinton was a perv, Bush Jr. is a bit of a doof, and the next president that comes along will have his/her share of criticism - war time or not.