Bush Job Approval Ratings Up Slightly!

Polling Report ^ | 9/20/03

[Congressman Billybob]

Thank you for posting these. For all who review these statistics, keep in mind that a 55-45 split in a presidential election produces a "landslide" result. Think Johnson over Goldwater; think Reagan over Carter; think Mondale; think Dukakis.

Unless President Bush screws up in some major way between now and then, he wins by a landslide in the election of 2004, REGARDLESS of his opponent in that election.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "An Open Letter to Howard Dean," discussion thread on FR. Article is also on ChronWatch.

[LS]

What's happening in Iran is fascinating because Br., Russia, and even FRANCE have insisted that the Iranians must cease and desist. (The latter two, I think, in an effort to reclaim their relevance). Bush is going to let these other threats simmer. While normally I would not support such an approach, I don't see any way the American public would back another war right now, nor do I think our military can continue to effectively police Afghanistan and Iraq if we have to siphon off 100,000 men for yet another campaign.

So Bush is essentially saying to the "world community," 'We' done our bit. If Iran and N. Korea make you nervous, do something about it.'

[CasearianDaoist]

It is also incredible if you consider the non-stop media barrage. I live in an ultra-liberal part of the country (NYC) so perhaps my perception is skewed, but I have never seen anything like this in my long life. Not even during the Reagan years was it this bad. It seems to me that 80% of is pure vitrol - not even an attempt to muster an argument, and the rest is a mixture of lies and mischaracterizations of events, some of which are so transparent and loony that it gives one concfern for the author's sanity. There is hardly an attempt to deal with a single real issue.

There is a level of hysteria - even madness - to it that I have never seen, not even during the Viet Nam war, and it permeates the entire Liberal media machine.

It is as though they forgot that there is anyone watching but the faithful.

I will say that the rope-a-dope strategy can well backfire too: They can get out all their anger before the crucial election runup and then calm down and start to act like rational human being. The public will forget about all of their misbehavior. The Dems are really just talking to themselves now, soon they will have to talk to the rest of us.

I would love to see the liberals finally implode but I will believe it when I see it. Still, if we can in the next decade keep winning and build a solid consensus for real change, can you imagine how they will act when the moment comes when they see thay cannot roll the revolution back?

In both senses of the phrase, we will have a riot.

[CasearianDaoist]

RE: Iran.

Let us hope that after the election Bush does invade Iran. We then have 1) Pakistan surrounded, 2) the gratitude of the multitude of the Irian peoples, and 3) excluded EU and Russian influence from yet another big slice of the middle east and south west asia.

And yes, we certainly could handle it militarily. That is just a lie placed on us by the media. That is only a thrid of the army over there. All we require is the will, which is to say that all we require is the leadership. Iran must fall. We cannot leave it to "agreements."

The fall of Iran after a Bush landslide would be the masterstroke: the turning point of the WOT. We can then defang Pakistan and Korea, Reform Syria and SA, share with India the security management of the entire area, and frustrate the plans of China,the EU and Russia for a generation. The price is worth trillions of dollars and thousands of servicemens' lives.

[LS]

Well, the key is "after the election." And I do seriously doubt that we can fight a third war. No Pentagon plan has EVER called for our military to be engaged in three major conflicts simultaneously, and I don't think you can call Afghanistan "safe" yet.

[LS]

The hysteria is much commented upon, and I personally think it has to do entirely with W's Christian faith, and the fact that it is obvious he is a man of God.

Reagan, I believe, was a Christian, but not one who so publicly wore his faith, and thus it was not a threat to the atheist left. But Bush is a threat to them precisely because he is everything Clinton was not---strong, decisive, humble before God, and so on. By his actions, he exposes their sin, and that makes "the heathen rage."

[CyberAnt]

What's really funny is that while other polls were saying the President was at 48-52% - FOX's poll was saying 58%. Interesting ..??

[oceanview]

although the concern over jobs is very serious in my opinion, I expect another bump when 401K statements close and are issued after 9/30.

[CasearianDaoist]

We do not even have a brigade in Afghanistan. It is hardly three major wars - it is just three fronts. It is substantially less that WWII or even Viet Nam. There were alomost as many marine in Viet Nam in the late 60's as there are Army in Afghanistan.

[CasearianDaoist]

Well I think that has a great deal to do with it. I think there are other issues as well.

[Bob J]

Nice work!

[areafiftyone]

LOL

[areafiftyone]

I am keeping my fingers crossed. I can't wait till Bush gets on the 2004 Election bandwagon but I think he is going to wait until someone wins the primary.

[Congressman Billybob]

You are exactly right. There's zero reason for the President to spend any money throwing electronic rocks (TV commercials) at the Democrats until he knows who the Democrat nominee is. It's like throwing baseballs at the cloth cats on a fence in the carny booth. It helps to have just one cat left, and a whole bucket of baseballs.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "An Open Letter to Howard Dean," discussion thread on FR. Article is also on ChronWatch.

[Jorge]

That's news to me.

How quickly we forget.

As President, one of Bush's first acts was to scrap, by executive order, all taxpayer-funded overseas "family planning" promoting abortion.

The liberal left and feminists alone with their surrogates in the media threw a tantrum.

US Will Withhold $34 Mln For UN's Family Planning Effort
Dow Jones Posted on 07/21/2002 8:56 PM Eastern by Sub-Driver

US Will Withhold $34 Mln For UN's Family Planning Effort WASHINGTON (AP)--

In a policy reversal, the administration of President George W. Bush will not pay $34 million it earmarked for U.N. family planning programs overseas, an initiative that conservative groups charge tolerates abortions and forced sterilizations in China.

Officials in the administration, on Capitol Hill and from interest groups who monitor the issue said Sunday they have been told the decision is final. One administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an announcement is likely from the State Department on Tuesday, but added the timing could change.

White House officials said privately that conservative activists have for months quietly pressured the administration to prove Bush's anti-abortion credentials by permanently denying money to the United Nations Population Fund. The fund helps countries deal with reproductive and sexual health, family planning and population strategy.

Such conservative activists strongly supported Bush in his run for the presidency, and White House political advisers have carefully tended them with an eye to his re-election. But the decision could also damage Bush's standing with moderates and women.........

[Jorge]

What "faith based initiatives" have actually turned into action?

Here's one example;

Labor Department Awards Nearly $3.7 Million to Faith-Based and Community Organizations

Contact: Lorette Post of the U.S. Department of Labor, 202-693-3984

WASHINGTON, July 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced grants totaling nearly $3.7 million to eight intermediary faith-based and community organizations.

The grants will allow these intermediaries to connect "grassroots" faith-based and community-based organizations and the people they serve with local One-Stop Career Centers, the heart of the public workforce investment system.

"The President is committed to helping all Americans access the tools they need to enter the workforce and advance on their career tracks," said Chao. "Faith-based and community organizations can help reach the hardest to serve populations in our poorest neighborhoods. They are a trusted doorway through which their constituents can connect with the employment and training support offered by the public workforce investment system."

"Soft skills" training -- strong work ethic, self-confidence, punctuality, courtesy -- and other services, such as transportation, childcare and volunteer assistance are contributions frequently made by grassroots organizations. These can be coordinated with training, job and career services offered at local One-Stop Career Centers to serve jobseekers better.

"Our grants have sought out some of the best and most visionary non-profits in the country to help bring their technical skills to the front-line faith-based and community groups," said Brent Orrell, the director of the Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Labor. "These grants are about creating a workable 'division of labor' between larger and smaller non-profit organizations. The grantees handle the paperwork and help build capacity among the smaller organizations while the small organizations are left to do what they do best: help people."

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco said, "Connecting faith-based and community organizations with the public workforce investment system is a perfect marriage -- each complements and supplements the other. Leveraging resources will close gaps in service and allow quicker achievement of a common goal -- getting more Americans back to work in good jobs at good pay."

Intermediary organizations, in addition to sub-granting a substantial portion of their awards to eligible local organizations, will attempt to increase the number of such organizations that are actively committed to partnership with the One-Stop delivery system.

The grants to faith-based and community intermediaries are awarded for one year.

NOTE: A list of grantees and the amount of each award follows.

FAITH BASED GRANTS FOR INTERMEDIARIES

Awardees and Amount Awarded
Appalachian Center for Economic Network, Athens, Ohio: $447,938
Capitol Region Education Council, Hartford, Connecticut: $500,000
East Harlem Employment Services, New York, New York: $500,000
Experience Works, Inc., No. 4, Cottonport, Louisiana: $413,824
Good Samaritan Ministries, Holland, Michigan: $493,777 Hope Community Development Corp., Charleston, West Virginia: $350,000
Labor's Community Service Agency, San Diego, California: $500,000
Youth Policy Institute (YPI), Los Angeles, California: $477,807

[Jorge]

Withdrew from Kyoto. Withdrew from the ABM Treaty. Not one but two major tax cuts.

Yes. When one adds up all of Bush's accomplishments it's clear that he has been an extremely successful President.

As things stand now, I am quite sure he will win re-election.

[bootyist-monk]

Bush has been fairly quiet while the Democrats have been bashing him non-stop, and they still can't get him into negative numbers. I expect Bush's numbers will climb back into the 60's in the next couple of months as the real focus on the election starts and Bush starts hitting back.

[LS]

As a % of our armed forces, I think I saw that something like 50-60% of our combat power was tied up in the Iraq War and Afghanistan. Regardless, it would be a disaster to try to invade Iran before pacifying Afghanistan and Iraq. I would like to hear just ONE major military figure say otherwise.

[savedbygrace]

That's funny. The only real faith-based organization in that list is Good Samaritan Ministries.

This is a scam, for the most part.