Enlighten me.
First of all, this diary will not make the recommended list. It is not meant to extoll some grand progressive virtue. It is not meant to make a point. It is not meant to cheerlead. I simply want to understand something and I thought that I could get the answer from this community because I know that we're on the same side here and I'm not going to get wingnut Palin-esque batshit crazy answers.
My problem, or rather my frustration, my incredible frustration is this:
The most recent Obama approval polls:
Gallup 3/24 - 3/26 1547 A 48 45 +3
Rasmussen Reports 3/24 - 3/26 1500 LV 47 53 -6
Quinnipiac 3/22 - 3/23 1552 RV 45 46 -1
Bloomberg 3/19 - 3/22 1002 A 50 45 +5
CNN/Opinion Research 3/19 - 3/21 953 RV 46 51 -5
CBS News 3/18 - 3/21 1059 A 49 41 +8
Democracy Corps (D) 3/15 - 3/18 1016 RV 46 48 -2
FOX News 3/16 - 3/17 900 RV 46 48 -2
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 3/11 - 3/14 1000 A 48 47 +1
Pew Research 3/10 - 3/14 1500 A 46 43 +3
Mired in the 40s. WHY?? What is the fucking problem?
And look its not unemployment. I just got back from a vacation in Canada where the unemployment rate is 8.6%, that's staggeringly high, but their government has paid no political price. The American unemployment rate is 9.7% as of last report and I am sure that April's numbers will be 9.5% at worst and probably even down to 9.4%, just .8% higher than Canada's. Honestly, 9.7% unemployment is not that bad. It's not worthy of creating a "tea party" movement over. Are people heading to soup kitchens? No? Are people dying on the street? No! The foreclosure situation is a mess I grant. Part of the anger may be about losing your home. However, the foreclosure mess was caused by Bush's "ownership society" being a complete sham and putting people in houses that they can't afford. Why don't the morons wake up and blame Bush for the economic situation?
Moreover, most polls show that the American people blame Bush over President Obama regarding the economy by a wide margin. It doesn't make sense.
Has President Obama started any illegal wars lately? Nope? Has his chief aide been under the investigation of an independent counsel? Nope? Has his adninistration ratted out the identity of a critical CIA agent? Nope.
Did he just pass the most sweeping program to make the lives of millions of Americans better that we have seen in 50 years, health insurance reform? YES! Will 32 million Americans now avoid financial ruin and be considerably better off than they were before? Has he followed in the great footsteps of Johnson and Roosevelt with a program worthy of the Great Society and New Deal. YES! And no, brothers and sisters, these numbers do not reflect the result of people being furious over the lack of a public option.
Are the brave fighting young men and women starting to be withdrawn from Iraq? Yes.
Has Afghanistan stabilized somewhat since the December annoucement? Yes.
Has the President avoided a single scandal? Yes. This is unprecedented. Reagan/Clinton/Nixon had HUGE scandals by this point in their term. Our president has had not a single one.
So, what the fuck is the problem?
Then, I read the other day, that this congress has lower approval ratings than any congress in recent memory. Nancy Pelosi is the bravest, smartest, most caring and most effective Speaker that the House of Representatives has EVER seen, and the most powerful woman in American political history. Congress doesn't deserve the shit that is thrown against them! Traitor Joe and Kickback Ben do for sure I guess but they are but 2 members of a 535 seat body. I think this congress has been pretty damn effective from SCHIP to HIR to Ledbetter? Don't you?
So, you want to know my hypothesis? That a sizable portion of the country is made up of ignoramuses who are racist sexist pigs who can't stand that a woman and African American are having such success and that the halls of power, which had for so wrong, been under the purview of perverted white rich selfish greedy old men, are no longer inahbited by that. It's like they didn't understand what it meant to have Obama/Pelosi as the centerpiece of American power and they can't stand it. Obama/Pelosi threaten their backwards 19th century thinking and they are scared to death that their reign is over and that change has come. That is the core issue isn't it? The scary part is that if you look at the congressional/Obama approval polls, this 19th century block appears to make up the majority.
I've travelled aboard since I was 15 and from seeing the way of life of the UK, Canada, France, etc., I'm almost at the point now where I am ready to leave the country for good and head to a place that has more common sense.
I'd appreciate your thoughts on my late Saturday night rant. Do you think that common sense will prevail and President Obama can turn these numbers around? If not, I'm done with the "United States of America." It's almost like the only thing that will turn it around is that there being fewer racist/sexist pigs. Is there any RATIONAL reason for people to be upset with President Obama? If so, please do inform me what that is.