Why Do Liberal People Somehow Think That the President Must Govern According to the Polls ?

Question

That's NOT how it works in the United States of America . We elect our officials to govern, and they do so according to their beliefs, not the polls . If some of us don't like the way they govern, then some of us don't vote for the candidate next time . Simply because there will be no 'next time for President Bush, does NOT CHANGE THE RULES .

Those are FACTS. I have 'opinions' as well, but those are the FACTS .
Why is it so hard for the Liberal Left to come to grips with that REALITY ?

Answer 1

You people have no foresight.

Do you not realize that the War in Iraq cannot be sustained with the level of public discontent it currently has?

Polls might not mean anything to you, but those polls are of the American people. And the American people are consistently saying Iraq is not worth the price. I believe this is wrong, but Bush's mismanagement has led to an impasse. I'm certain that if things do not take a turn for the better soon, the U.S. will be forced to leave (ala Vietnam). And the writing would have been on the walls for a very long time.

You can ignore the will of the people for only so long.

Answer 2

First off we do not vote for the President... and the American people did not vote Bush in for his first term.... the popular vote was for Gore.. the Electoral votes voted Bush in.... so we never elected him.... second it's not that he needs to govern by the polls however he does need to be controlled... we did elect people in the office to try and keep in under control which apparently isn't working.. there are checks and balances in our government and that is what the American people are trying to make sure happens.. Bush has repeatedly said that he does not need Congresses approval for several different things and that is NOT how it works in the United States of America... it is not just the polls that disagree with him, it's the majority of Congress also. The President works for the people not the other way around

Answer 3

Because the public at large elects a President. Which means that, if a President does his job correctly, a majority of people should still approve of the way he is doing his job.

The polls indicate where America stands with this President. If they are unhappy with a President's performance, the one WE elected in the first place, then he is obviously doing something wrong. The President is the elected leader, and should listen to the people. God knows Congress doesn't always do that. We'll see if the new one does.

Obviously, there will sometimes when dips in public opinion occur. However, this numbers this low, for this long, the President should seriously reevaluate what exactly he is doing.

Answer 4

Its hard for us to forget that we don't vote for dictator-in-chief for four years. We are supposed to have a representational government. Suppose we elect someone who has lied about their beliefs? Should we just abandon our own principles and act as if what the president was doing is what we as a nation want? The executive branch isn't given all the power. For the exact reasons you've stated. Polls are a reflection of how the country wants itself run. I know the neocons have a tough time with this since they never get the numbers they feel entitled to, I think keeping its fingers on the pulse of the average American is an excellent idea.

Answer 5

Maybe because in a democratic nation, a President should pay attention to the people he's meant to be representing. The fact hes beginning to have the self-righteous style of an Emperor is secondary.

Also, you do not have an elective tyranny. You do not vote so people can do what they want in power, the Electorate has every right to demand it is listened to. It is, after all, the spirit of freedom

Answer 6

Thank you... the President of the United States is the "EXECUTIVE OFFICER" of our government... namely he is there to formulate and execute policy. Some decisions will be unpopular... but his JOB is to "protect and defend the Constitution"... not to make us all happy.

Amazingly... the intent was similar for the Senate. The HOUSE was supposed to be the barometer of public opinion within our government.

I'm glad someone pointed out how W. J. Clinton governed by Poll... he wouldn't take any action until the polls were in and he had "guidance" as to which action would ensure him popularity... because of that Osama bin Laden is still alive.

Answer 7

He does not have to govern according to the polls.

And it is our duty as citizens, and the majority of us now agree that he is going in the wrong direction, to try and get him to change course. That is also a fact.

And if he steps too far out of line, well, he works for us and we can try to impeach him or we can try to stop him by congressional resolution (Iran/Contra scandal) or by cutting off funding for his projects (this can be done so as to allow for safe troop withdrawal). That is also a fact.

This is what has been missing for the last six years - open discourse on our nation's policy.

Answer 8

Since you claim to know how liberal people think, that is your opinion, do you think that the will of the people should influence the President, why do you think they call them Polling places, an election is merely a more direct and accurate poll.

Answer 9

Because a lot of Americans wouldn't understand what a Republic is if it jumped up and bit them in the a**. We elect officials to govern and represent the will of the people. They govern by law and by policy -- not joe blow on the street.....

Answer 10

Your question is full of opinion, especially the part about believing you know how liberals think. You don't.

Why do you people on the right disprove of democracy in action? The Bush admin. has used questionable means to usurp the divisions of power, the constitution and the will of the American people. Wake up!