Posted on 04/12/2006 5:06:55 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
April 12, 2006
On a light news day, why not run a generic piece on President Bush's low poll numbers and his assertedly bleak prospects for reviving them? That was apparently the thinking at the Today show this morning.
Today themed the segment "Can Bush Save Presidency?", and NBC White House reporter Kelly O'Donnell seemed to answer the question in the negative, kicking things off with this gloomy assessment:
"For President Bush, low poll numbers have not just been a dip or temporary rough patch but appear now to be a sustained pattern that is different than his predecessors of both parties who went through their own tough times." She continued: "His . . presidency appears to have a chronic case of the below-40 percent blues."
After David Gergen was shown suggesting that "presidents have sometimes broken out of slumps when they've had big, bold initiatives and unexpected victories - that often shake things up" O'Donnell reappeared to dump cold water on the notion that W could have any such luck:
"Looking back, some second-term presidents have been able to rebound. President Reagan's approval fell to 34 percent with the arms-for-hostages scandal. Pres. Clinton hit 41 percent around impeachment. But both bounced back up to the 60s as they left office. Analysts say the prospects for Mr. Bush are not as good because of the weight of ongoing events: Iraq, gas prices, the CIA leak case and hurricane response."
Gergen popped back up to pessimistically proclaim: "After a while those negative feelings really do congeal, they crystallize, they become firm and then it's very hard to break out."
O'Donnell: "political observers claim big speeches and staff changes won't turn things around and suggest the president may have to wait to seize on any good news."
Commentator Stu Rothenberg then observed: "If there is something he can brag about he needs to quickly then be able to go to the American public and make his case and drive home the point. But for now he simply doesn't have much ammunition at his disposal."
Count on Today and its MSM cohorts to do their best to keep things that way.
Today Show/NewsBusters ping.
Those poll numbers will skyrocket the moment it is announced Bin Laden is dead.
I don't expect that they mentioned Fitzy's "correction" in their discussion now did they.
I think the thing most likely to get W's numbers up is the least likely thing he will do, govern as a conservative with the average guys' best interest at stake.
If he continues acting like he has been, its over.
They would also go immediately if he announced the closing of the boarders.
Bush would never say it but I would bet he's thinking....
Screw the poll numbers. A number of FReepers will be on the MSM side of this thinking the sky is falling.
It's only once or twice in a lifetime that you see a politician who wants to do what is best for America and not what the pollsters want you to think is best for America.
Bush is one of those guys and history will prove him out. I cannot imagine having the Democrats in charge when our country is in such peril by a group of terrorists wanting to control not only the U.S., but the world.
Some in this country would have America surrender to this group and hope they treat us well. Not this President.
or....he sends the illegals home and builds a wall? hmmm. If the liberals and Dems think his numbers or low because we find them appealing, they are sorely mistaken. I will never give my vote to a Dem. NEVER
President Bush is a statesman unlike the rest of the political hacks and old media which-way-the-wind-blows-crowd.
Oh please, that is so old.
Meirs was a master stroke . .blah blah . . .
Ports deal was sunk due to racists . . .blah blah.
CFR was good for the average American . . . blah blah blah.
GWB is doing what is good for him and his big corporate buddies in the Chamber of Commerce.
This has been so frustrating! We have the House, Senate and WH, and the budget has spiralled out of control, with no end in sight, the POTUS appears to encourage and reward illegal immigration, and he let's the MSM take over the Plame story.
This is just weakness. People are not happy with Bush, and we can't just blame the MSM... people need to see the leader they saw after 9-11, and they aren't seeing him...
Vis-a-vis Mountain Lion..?
"It's the ILLEGALS stupid".Regards,
cc: Karl Rove
When did this become a bash Bush thread.
Yeah
His stance on illegal immigration will eventually bury him and detract substantially from his 'War on Terror' policies. People are so pissed off about his obvious pandering to illegals that they will not support anything he has done and wants to do. He has lost my support. Maybe he really is an idiot. We seem to be headed toward 'civil strife' over the question of illegals. And I mean real civil strife. There are dark clouds ahead for our country. These are sad times. Our arrogant political class is selling out Americans for personal political power.
The MSM bashes Bush in the belief that the MSM's fortunes will rise as Bush's falls. When the MSM's fortunes keep falling they take the course bash some more. The dog thinks that it ca catch it's tail if only it can turn a little faster.
Bush is less than 50% because conservatives are pissed at Bush.
I agree. And, the other was Harry Truman.
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