Are we really the lesser of two evils?

[cosmik debris]

I've been considering the implications of the recent poll showing Bush at 24% and the Congress at 11% approval.

It seems to me that this indicates that the people who were polled don't see the Dems as the lesser of two evils, but rather, the greater of two evils.

And if we can't stop the war and can't stop apologizing, I might agree with them.

Comments?

[John Q. Citizen]

1. Did the poll on Congress differentiate betwen Repos and Dems in that body?

[Virginia Dare]

7. Yes, and the Dems polled higher...

http://www.pollingreport.com/congress.htm

[John Q. Citizen]

22. Thanks for the info. It puts things into perspective

[BridgeTheGap]

2. How much of the 89% are hardcore Dems pissed at the

inaction of Congress?

[Hondadriver]

4. My guess

is that voters of both parties are pissed at the inaction of congress. I dont think this is a party line issue, but a general feeling countrywide.

[Perry Logan]

5. That would be sad, since Congress was anything but inactive.

The Democrats showed the highest Democratic unity score in 51 years and backed the majority position of their caucus 91 percent of the time.

this 110th Congress has had more roll call votes this year than any other Congress in history, almost doubling the number under the previous Congress overseen by Boehner and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL):
The House last week held its 943rd roll call vote of the year, breaking the previous record of 942 votes, a mark set in 1978. The vote was on a procedural motion related to a mortgage foreclosure bill. When the House adjourned on Oct. 4 for the long weekend, the chamber had reached 948 roll call votes, putting Democrats on pace to easily eclipse 1,000
votes on the House floor in 2007.

Last year, the Republican controlled House held 543 votes, and for historical comparison, the last time there was a shift in power in Congress, Republicans held 885 roll call votes in 1995. The Senate, which has held 363 votes this year, isn’t on pace to break any records, but has already surpassed the 2006 Senate mark of 279 votes.

Much of the lack of progress can be traced back to obstructionism by conservatives. Approximately “1 in 6 roll-call votes in the Senate this year have been cloture votes,” noted a JulyMcClatchy report. “If this pace of blocking legislation continues, this 110th Congress will be on track to roughly triple the previous record number of cloture votes.”

It’s interesting that Boehner is criticizing the 110th Congress as doing nothing. After all, the House, under
his leadership, met for just 101 days during the second session of the 109th Congress, setting the record
“for the fewest days in session in one year since the end ofWorld War II.”

[unpossibles]

3. congressional approval has never been high has it?

I see that as more of a general malaise about "big government" and bureaucracy, and even more so a general ignorance about how government works. I'd be willing to bet most people don't know what Congress even does - but they've been told they are a bunch of fat cats.

What was the approval rating in the past under various majorities?

[BridgeTheGap]

I don't think it has. But a paradox here is incumbancy

With only an 11% approval rating WHY DO VOTERS KEEP SENDING THE SAME ONES BACK?
I vaguely recall a poll that demonstrated while people's overall estimation of Congress was low, their estimation of their own congress person / Senators was high.

[unpossibles]

9. exactly.

it's everyone else's problem I guess. Frankly, as a Cincinnatian, I don't care for my reps....

[BeFree]

10. Why? Possible answer.

Do voters keep sending them back, or is it that elections have been stolen?

With over 80% of the votes counted by the computers of just 3 republican owned companies, That answers the question of why we have so many crooked pols in office. Don't you think?

[2rth2pwr]

12. Stolen elections and a Dem majority

seems counterintuitive.

[BeFree]

13. Seems, eh?

Well, Rove was quoted as saying something like this: Change 77,000 votes and the pukes hold both the house and senate.

What seems to be the case is that the numbers of voters who turned out was more than they figured. So the machines weren't fixed quite enough in 2006.

The experts have described how, once again, all independent polling showed a much higher turnout for dems in all of the last 3 elections. Elections wherein the 80% counted by Deibold et al took place.

Of course, if you think America voted for bushco, you are free to do so. But if you think you know that for a fact, you are dead wrong.

[2rth2pwr]

15. Why aren't Clinton, Obama, Edwards et al

Raising this issue? If it was so obvious they would be smart to bring it up, no?

[BeFree]

16. Smart? Nah

Since there is hardly any backing from the party - look at how the party deserted Kerry in 2004, and Gore in 2000 - they are smart not to bring it up. I'm afraid it it is up to the grassroots to make sure the votes are counted correctly.

Afterall, didn't everyone one of them get elected? It is well beyond their egos to suggest that their own election was wrong, and that's part two of why not.

[2rth2pwr]

17. Oh, they are in on it.

ok, hey I think I've got casserole that might be burning. (steps back very slowly)

[Virginia Dare]

6. The 11% is Congress overall..

Dems and repubs. The Dems are still polling higher than repubs, but not great. They're not in the 11% by themselves. I think the source of that figure goes back to Fred Thompson by the way.

http://www.pollingreport.com/congress.htm

[nightrider767]

8. Congress is also under attack

Read the news, bashing Congress is a new favorite pass-time. So tally that with disenfranchised Demo's and lookey here, 10% approval rating!

[Didereaux]

11. ah but the difference is.......

The Democratic Party is a spineless evil devil, whereas the Republican Party is an insane evil devil. Now which is the lesser of two evils? heheh Viva la Difference!

[mmonk]

14. Lesser.

There are good dems but I'm not too sure there are good republicans or at least too few to count.

[Horse with no Name]

18. It is very simple WHY the numbers look like this

The republicans are unhappy because it is a Democratic controlled Congress AND the progressives are unhappy because Congress has their thumbs planted square up their asses. That leads 11%. Those are the DLC supporters.

[mmonk]

19. The reason for the low numbers is that republicans

don't like dems and we expect more than they have shown.

[iamthebandfanman]

20. well if it upsets u then

maybe u should call all the republicans and tell them to stop being whiney cry babies about almost EVERY BILL we try to get thru... and then maybe you can call the president n tell him to stop being an asshole and stop veto'ing things that the PEOPLE of this country ASKED FOR!

[WI_DEM]

21. but Congress as an institution has both Dems and Reps

and I'm sure you do see the Dems as a "greater evil" than Reps.