Congressional Approval Close to Record-Low of 16%
Gallup -- "Americans hold Congress in far less esteem than they do the president -- 16% approve and 80% disapprove of the job Congress is doing, according to the latest update from a March 4-7 Gallup poll. That is just two points off the record-low 14% Gallup measured in July 2008. Gallup has been measuring congressional approval since 1974."
12 Comments:
From Gateway Pundit: Frank Luntz: The Unabomber Has a Higher Approval Rating Than Members of Congress Right Now (Video)
Just to point out that congress has been involved in log rolling since the very first congress. Recall Alexander Hamilton wanted to get the federal government to assume state debts from the revolution, but Virgina had already paid off its debts. Jefferson had a dinner where Madison and Hamilton agreed on the assumption of debts in exchange for putting the national capitol on the Potomac after 10 years and for the interim in Philadelphia moving it from New York. So log rolling has been around as long as the congress has existed, making legislation is always sanitized in school because history is sanitized to prove some point. Its only when you read non textbooks that you finally get a clear vision of history.
It will be interesting to see if that low public approval rating means more members of congress will lose their seats. Re-election rates over the last 10 years averaged 85% with an 86.9% re-election rate in 2009. The low was 61.2% in 1933 during the depression. How do you think people will vote this year and next year? Will people put their vote where their mouth is?
How do you think people will vote this year and next year? Will people put their vote where their mouth is?
I think the Democrats will be slaughtered if they vote for this bill.
Have you ever seen the population rise up this way, the approval of the congress drop so low in the last ten years when re-election rates were that high?
If the representatives no longer represent their constituents and the constituents feel strongly, then the "representatives" will be kicked out.
IMO, it depends on how much people really care about the issue and this time, they CARE!
Lyle,
Always nice to get some historical perspective. Agree that history is far more interesting and non-linear when one departs from school texts.
Juandos,
The unabomer...love it. How can anyone preside over such gallatic profligate spending and expect to be loved?
People hate congress overall, but they love their congressmen as a rule. It's too bad we can't vote for all of them. We almost get to do that with the President; however, the Electoral College can get in the way of public sentiment.
People don't love a congressman who votes to saddle them with a huge and intrusive piece of legislation they are so passionately against.
Here is something else to love about Congress if Rep. Dave Camp knows what he's talking about: Democrats’ Health Care Bill Contains Massive Expansion of IRS’s Power - Requiring Up to 16,500 New IRS Agents
There is more in this 9 page report from Committee on Ways and Means Republican Report
Prepared for Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) and Charles Boustany (RLA),
Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight
March 18, 2010
It has been shown time and time again that people do not vote over how much money a congressman saved the country. Congressmen get voted in for spending money in their own districts--even if it is stupid. Take a look at their offical Websites if you don't believe me and see what they brag the most about.
The economics of government is almost as good as its accounting:
"The idea is that an excise tax would persuade workers and employers to choose lower-cost plans.
Once employers spend less money on health care, they will use the money saved to pay workers higher wages...The workers will then owe income tax on those higher wages, providing revenue to help pay for health reform."
> making legislation is always sanitized in school because history is sanitized to prove some point. Its only when you read non textbooks that you finally get a clear vision of history.
And even then you have to read multiple non textbooks, because the authors usually have their own agenda to push.
As with most disciplines, getting into the meat is never a quick study.
Walt, this is true most of the time. It should be interesting to see if it's true THIS time.
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