In recent months, when it has come out that the majority of Americans now disapprove of Bush's overall job performance as well as his handling of virtually every issue, his supporters here have been left with little to say in response except "scoreboard." Uprising, a poster I like a lot, even has a signature reading "W04 - the people have spoken." Let's take a look at what the people are saying now. http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2006/50StateBushApproval060216State.htm The 2004 election depicted a nation divided. The good news is we're not divided anymore. The bad news is we're stuck with the guy we're united against. In Survey USA's fifty state poll, one state shows a 49/49 split, nine states show Bush's approval above the median and forty states disapprove of his performance. I guess he is a uniter after all. Not one single state that voted against Bush in 04 approves of him now. Conversely, twenty-one of the states that voted for him now disapproves of his performance. One state that supported him in 04, Alaska, is evenly divided at 49% Here are the states that voted Bush in 04 and still support him, along with net approval numbers: Alabama +9 Idaho +12 Kansas +2 Montana +3 Nebraska +8 Oklahoma +7 Texas +3 Utah +19 Wyoming +9 Every other state that voted Bush in 04 rates him negatively now. Here they are along with the net approval: Arizona -8 Arkansas -15 Colorado -19 Florida -13 Georgia -6 Indiana -5 Iowa -19 Kentucky -2 Louisiana -4 Mississippi -3 Missouri -18 Nevada -16 New Mexico -11 North Carolina -10 North Dakota -3 Ohio -23 South Carolina -1 South Dakota -10 Tennessee -6 Virginia -7 West Virginia -7 Now bear in mind, the states above are only the ones that actually voted for Bush. Maybe while he's lost an incredible amount of support in the states he won, he made up some ground in the states he lost. Or maybe not. Here are the ones that voted against him, with net approval: California -38 Connecticut -34 Delaware -28 Hawaii -17 Illinois -31 Maine -30 Maryland -27 Massachusetts -39 Michigan -28 Minnesota -16 New Hampshire -21 New Jersey -23 New York -29 Oregon -21 Pennsylvania -24 Rhode Island -47 Vermont -37 Washington -22 Wisconsin -21 The American people don't only speak once every four years. They never stop speaking. What they're saying these days amounts to quite possibly the greatest example of buyer's remorse in our nation's history. But let's look for the silver lining. At least we're finally united.
Texas, where you would expect his support ot be rock-solid, supports him by a margin of only 3%? Wow. What will remain to be seen is how Bush's unpopularity translates into Democratic victories in '06. Here's an interesting story that may reflect what is to come: Howard wins House race Democrats pick up a seat in GOP-controlled House. By Jason Embry AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Wednesday, February 15, 2006 Democrat Donna Howard defeated Republican Ben Bentzin handily Tuesday to win the District 48 seat in the Texas House for the rest of the year. Howard picked up 58 percent of the vote to Bentzin's 42 percent, according to unofficial returns. Howard will finish the term of Republican Todd Baxter, who resigned in November. She will serve in an expected special legislative session this spring on school finance. "Certainly, people were receptive to the idea that someone was willing to talk about going into the Legislature and actually making the hard decisions rather than following in lock step with the failed leadership," Howard said. District 48 includes parts of West Austin and western Travis County. Howard and Bentzin advanced to Tuesday's runoff from a four-candidate special election in January. Tuesday's turnout was higher than in January, with 21,971 people voting, compared with 13,621 last month. Three of the 10 precincts that Bentzin won in January went for Howard in the runoff. Bentzin, who was considered the early favorite after Baxter resigned, said he was disappointed with the results but proud that turnout increased. "We knew from the special election that this was really a matter of base turnout, and Donna Howard's Democratic base was more energized and turned out in larger numbers," Bentzin said. Bentzin is the only Republican on the ballot for a new two-year term that will be decided in November and begin in January 2007, and Howard is almost assured of being the Democratic nominee. Asked how actively he would campaign for that race, Bentzin said he was focused on the runoff Tuesday, "and in the coming days, we'll plan our next steps." With Howard's win, there will be 85 Republicans and 64 Democrats in the House. One formerly Republican seat is vacant but will be up for grabs in a special election this month. Travis County's House delegation now has five Democrats and one Republican, a sharp change from the 3-3 split of two years ago. Some Democratic operatives have said they will focus more on picking up House seats this year than on statewide offices. The party's chairman painted Howard's win Tuesday as a sign of Democratic momentum. "As Democrats are working to earn the trust of Texas voters, we will offer more candidates like Donna Howard, whose abilities and independent leadership allow them to serve all the voters they represent," said Charles Soechting, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party. Baxter won the District 48 seat in 2002 by almost 3,400 votes, but Democrats have been picking up steam since. Baxter beat Democrat Kelly White by just 147 votes in 2004, and Democrats were planning a strong push for the seat even before he resigned. Howard, 54, is a former Eanes school board member and nurse. She stressed her Austin roots, which trace back to childhood, and her work with various organizations on education issues. Howard showed a keen interest in school finance questions by twice sitting through Senate hearings on the issue in the height of the runoff. She played up her opposition to vouchers that would send students to private schools with public dollars. She also called on the state to pick up a larger share of the burden of paying for public schools, specifically through an expanded business tax. Bentzin, 40, a former Dell Inc. executive, stressed his technology background and community service. He categorically ruled out support for a personal income tax and criticized the share-the-wealth nature of the state's school finance system. http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/02/15hd48.html I know this may be of little interest to those outside of Travis County, and Texas, but this seat was "designed" to elect a Republican, and 2 years ago, the area was split 3-3 between the two parties because of redistricting. Today, Travis County has a 5-1 Democratic edge in the Texas Legislature. Small steps, but I wonder if the same thing is happening nationally? Keep D&D Civil.
Yeah, I found the +3 in Texas to be telling. I was also gratified that Florida, the state that decided 2000 and was a battleground last time around, was at -13 and that Ohio, the state that ultimately decided the election in 04 was at -23. Most telling of all though, given the site we're talking on, was that Bush's best numbers by far came from Utah. Maybe we finally have an explanation for the cadre of backslapping liberals on a Houston Rockets fansite. Bush is dying on the vine all over the country and he's barely hanging on to his home state but he's huge in Jazz country.
What a bunch of irrelevant data. They mean nothing, folks. These polls and $1.50 will buy you a tall house blend at Starbucks. Just another pathetic attempt by Batman Jones and company to pull the "I told you so" card. Failed again. If the American people were so united against Bush, why are the Republicans predicted to retain control of the house and senate in 2006? Hmm. Let's put on our thinking caps and disprove Batman Jones yet again.
If they aren't united against him, why are they lying to the pollsters? And the next time you disprove anything I've said here it will be the first. I'm really not that bright and I don't expect to be right all the time, but I've yet to be proven wrong in this forum by you or your comedian brother. Think different? Link. tia. Brah.
Futures contracts, which accurately predicted George W Bush's success in the 2004 POTUS election, have the republicans handily retaining control of both the house and senate during the midterm elections. These have proven to be more accurate than polls in predicting elections. www.tradesports.com - go check out the contracts. The American public is still staunchly Republican. Sorry, brah, the democrats are going to lose yet another election. Tears, brah, tears.
Right, so even though I was polite enough to thank you in advance you couldn't come up with a single instance of "disproving me" even after promising to "disprove me yet again." Man, I thanked you in advance! I'll never get that thanks back! It's just as well. Let's not derail this good news thread. America's united, texxx. At long last. If you were a true patriot, you'd be celebrating that fact. But since you don't seem too happy about it, I hear the weather's nice in Utah this time of year.
Bats, you're right. America is in fact united. The Republicans will retain control of the house and senate in 2006. This means the American public supports the Republicans more than the Democrats. Thanks to Kos and other liberal left wing kooks, mainstream America rejects the democrats' candidates and will elect a Republican majority in both the house and senate. Sorry, brah
i've always thought that if the canadians did one thing right, it was to allow a vote of no confidence. granted we have impeachment, but he hasn't done anything (dispite what some say) to warrant impeaching. a vote of no confidence on the other hand? maybe a good idea. i do agree with bigtexx though, i think the republican party will hold the house and maybe the senate after this nov.
The exit polls also had Kerry winning by a landslide... as Bigtexxx says, polls such as these, hell all polls are worthless. Now, to the point. I voted for Bush twice and I'd vote for him again because of the following. He has strong moral standing. He never waivers because of the latest poll numbers, he is a man of great resolve and convication which is something you rarely see in politicians. He doesn't try to hide the fact that he isn't perfect, yet another thing most politicians wouldn't do, and I can relate to him because of it. I know for a fact that he will do what he believes is in the best interest of the country regardless of how much pressure he gets to change his stance. With all of the negativity that is thrown at him day after day after day he keeps his gloves up and never swings below the belt (for example, the dispicable showing by Jimmy Carter at Loretta King's funeral and Bush never said a word about it). I am far from a blind supporter of GW, there are many things I disagree with him on with the main points being his big spending as of late... but the biggest burden for me is the total lack of support and protection for our borders. No politician is perfect, I think we all know that but I vote for my morals over anything else... I know most of you find that ignorant but with my faith there are just somethings that aren't up for discussion. I praise him for the picks he made for the US Supreme court and also the fact that he has assigned more minorites in his administrations then any other president before him... and when they are called "uncle Toms" by other minorities they still keep their heads up and do their jobs. And the main reason I love the guy, his response to 9/11 was masterful, heartfelt and inspiring... and most importantly WE HAVEN'T BEEN ATTACKED SINCE! If Al Gore or John Kerry were in office, I highly doubt I could say the same for them... and that is why Republicans will continue to win.
I would freaking love a vote of no confidence. I'm all with you there. He won't be impeached if the D's don't retake Congress, but I guess we disagree on whether it's warranted. I'd say misleading to the American people to garner support for a pre-emptive war and violating the law in order to spy on Americans without judicial oversight both easily merit impeachment hearings. That's not even to mention the Plame affair. But this thread isn't about convincing people to oppose Bush, it's about celebrating how many have already come around.
I disagree entirely with your assessment of Bush's morality, but I won't argue it with you. I know there are many people (even majorities in nine states) that agree with you. And I won't fault you that. I'm too happy that so many more are finally seeing the light.
LOL...so many that the Republicans will retain control of both the house and the senate. At least you've lowered your standards, Batman Jones.
I'll be saying that no matter what happens in 06. Here's what will happen in 06 though: the Democrats will pick up seats in the House and in the Senate. We're pretty well behind in both houses though so even the kind of sea change that's taken place in this country is far from a guarantee we'd take back either house. texxx's odds site is right that either would be a long shot but the House is possible and, if things get a lot worse for Bush et al, there's even an outside chance at the Senate. It's disingenuous to suggest that the bar be set at a retake of either house -- that would be a huge thing given the numbers -- but you can bet we'll pick up seats. Further, given Bush's plummeting numbers, you can bet a lot of R's up for re-election will be running away from him. Some already are.
Why not talk about actually buying something and then having remorse over it? What is this? Until the Democrats gain control in (Congress or) the White House, zip it. POTUS Last 25+ years Reagan 1980 Reagan 1984 Bush 1988 Clinton 1992 Clinton 1996 Bush 2000 Bush 2004 2 out of 7 ain't good. And the future ain't lookin' so hot either. Another Clinton in the oval office? Puh-leeeease!
Well, that's what I am doing. It's funny to me that my original premise was that in the face of plummeting support for Bush all you guys can say is scoreboard and that your response, after I post polls showing 21 states that voted for Bush abandoning him is... drum roll... "scoreboard." Laugh it up. That's cool. 31 states voted Bush in 04. 9 are still with him. That's not nothing. We still have more championships than Phoenix too. Does that mean we're a better team? I'd love to see you, texxx and Svpernaut at the Phoenix arena after the game last night. Phoenix fans would be celebrating and you'd be laughing at them, telling them they sucked since we took them out in 95. And then, of course, after I and most other Rockets fans pointed out that Phoenix kicked our asses and we need to play better, you'd call us unpatriotic.
