Taking A Poll

I'm one of those people that places precious little faith in the validity of polls, regardless of whether or not they're indicating a politically preferable viewpoint. It just seems like a blurry snapshot of popular mood and misinformation, in the context of fairly inscrutable methodology. Only when multiple polls from several different organizations consistently point in the same direction can we safely begin to draw conclusions. So here are a few sets of rather illustrative numbers for us to crunch:

NY Times

Washington Post

Zogby

This last link is not a poll per se, but rather a numerical breakdown of relevant policy consequences, from a very interesting site called The Numeralist

Anyway, what do our polls and numbers tell us? That the Bush policy proposals and initiatives are largely failed, or in the case of SS reform, future failures, at least in the general public perception. Indeed, second inaugurations should show solid approval ratings, and Bush's was the lowest since Nixon's. (And Nixon had to do some Christmas carpet bombing to earn his.)

Well, we can wonder forever how Bush manages to accrue even marginal job approval ratings; I chalk it up to the unending climate of fear and uncertainty generated by a nakedly ideological administration that prizes loyalty over competence. But perhaps we can light a candle and curse the darkness; hopefully, the people are starting to come to their senses about what this feckless little man has done to this country, and what he wants to continue to do.

If all the job called for was playing dress-up and prancing and strutting about on an aircraft carrier like some phony conquering hero, he'd ace it. As Bill Maher once said, Bush is having to work a lot harder than he thought he'd have to, and he's clearly not up to the rigors of the tasks at hand.