First:
A slap in the face to Hillary — which is perhaps why she ain’t The Beloved One as she’s so regimented. Don’t you wonder what kind of conversations may occur between Bill & Hill over the phone (considering they likely haven’t slept together since 1998)?
From The NY Times:
The poll found that former President Bill Clinton could be an effective campaign weapon for his wife. Forty-four percent of Democrats said Mr. Clinton’s involvement would make them more likely to support Mrs. Clinton.
That equates to this: almost half of those favoring Hillary are doing so because they like Bill. Check it out: I’m not saying she’s hard, but there are stories of people being able to roller skate over her face. This just in: “According to the latest WMUR/CNN poll, Hillary Clinton’s 20-point lead has vanished. She now has 31 percent support, with Barack Obama in a statistical tie at 30 percent. John Edwards is third with 16 percent, and Bill Richardson has slipped slightly to 7 percent.”
Second:
From that same NY Times poll:
Three weeks before the Iowa caucuses, Republicans voters across the country appear uninspired by their field of presidential candidates, with a vast majority saying they have not made a final decision about who to support, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.
That would be generally true of myself. I have not yet committed completely to any one candidate. There are elements of some that I favor. I suspect I am not alone. I suspect that many persons lie to pollsters. I suspect that the bulk of the electorate, on both sides of the aisle, are not yet fundamentally committed to one candidate — to the point where they are convinced they cannot be swayed to another.
Third:
PRINCETON, NJ — A new Gallup Poll, conducted Dec. 6-9, finds 37% of Americans approving of the job George W. Bush is doing as president, an improvement from his recent scores in the low 30s. Meanwhile, 22% of Americans approve of Congress, essentially unchanged from last month. Both Bush’s and Congress’ ratings remain low by historical standards.
Bush’s “ratings” are slightly rising — up to 37% from 31% in November. The “surge” is why. But why are Congressional ratings continuing to plummet? Could it have something to do with PELOSI and REID, who PROMISED to make this session of Congress THE most ethical in the entire history of the United States? Demorats themselves are disappointed with their party. “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” – Thomas Jefferson
BZ
Now think of it like this:
About 43% of the actual population of voting age voted in Congressional elections in 2002, and that will not have changed much for 2006 – historically that has been on the decline since the late 1960’s – so, out of that 43% Congress gets about 51% of the vote yielding: 21.5%
In 2004 we had a touch over 58% of the actual voting age population show up to cast a vote, and that was won by about 51%… or 29% of the actual population.
Congress is down to the people who voted for it and hasn’t budged for months, now.
The President has swayed 10% of the population, as a whole, to support him, which probably comes out of the non-voting part of the population.
If that 10% showed up on the next election day (and they are out of the 42% who didn’t vote, mind you) and voted for *either* party as a block, you would get a turn-out not seen since Johnson was elected President. While only 10% of the voting population, they would change the proportion of the already existing two groups (now at 50/50) to 42/42/17. Swing that 17 to either party and you get: 59% of the vote.
A landslide.
That neither party can do this is a strong and nasty indictment of the two party system in the US. Neither can reach out to that small percentage in the rest of the population and convince them that democracy is worth having by exercising their franchise and voting.
And if both parties continue on with the weak slates of candidates they have, we may see a reversion to the trendline down on all elections and have general population turnout at 53% or so… possibly lower as these things tend to over-compensate after a rise. We alread have a minority of a minority electing Congress… and we are very, very close to that for the Presidency. Democracy does not last long when that happens and usually decays into some other form of government very, very quickly.
America is not immune to this and industrialized and wealthy Nations with democratic institutions have also succumbed to the erosion of democracy.
What is scary about your observation is that the people who are motivated to go vote appear to me to be trying to destroy the country. Those that do care about the condition of our country are too busy, preoccupied, or disgusted to vote.
WMD Maker: that would ALSO be applicable to those taking the time to PROTEST various issues around the country — most persons are too bush trying to make a living and provide for their families.
AJ: I completely concur, and an erosion that is. I could not make a more cogent and accurate statement.
BZ
I would hate to be a fly on the wall when Bill and Hill talk in private.
I think her lead is slipping, but it is nothing too exciting because Obama is worse than she is. I just think it is cool when the pundits assume she is going to win and now we see her sinking. She is probably a shoe in, but Obama may have a chance.
, like you am uninspired when it comes to the Repub candidates!
On the other hand, I’m very inspired when it comes to the defeat of any democrat (socialist) currently running.
Never underestimate Hillary, you can be assured that all potential “outcomes” in the primaries has been thought of, talked about, considered, chewed up and spat out! This socialist is not a dumb ass.
They’re following polls about 6 mos two soon. By fall it could be a whole new ball game.
I believe Hillary is disintegrating before our eyes. Maybe someone did dump a bucket of water on her.
Blamin: I do not doubt for a second she is scripted by the second. And that inflexibility, along with her rigid personality, may be responsible for her plummeting ratings. I do not believe any more than she is the “given” she used to be.
BZ