Gallup is out today with new figures on the sinking approval ratings for Vice President Dick Cheney.
Overall, Cheney's approval rating stands at 30 percent, a record low for a vice president since Gallup started in 1945. Among important independent voters, Cheney's approval rating was a dismal 26 percent.
Among Republicans, Cheney's approval was a relatively healthy 57 percent, although Gallup reported that figure had declined as well.
None of this is especially shocking. As even casual political observers must know, the vice president has made himself the point man on a number of controversial issues, many of which have "gone south," to put it gently.
Smart Republicans, especially those up for re-election next year, might want to keep their distance from the VP. Are you listening, Sen. Inhofe?
3 comments:
Y'know, as I prepared my short comment on this post, it occurred to me that I do appreciate how your team members, no matter how I may disagree with them, don't lower themselves to the foul-mouthed vitriole common to some politically oriented pages.
I respect your use of sarcasm. I find it a useful rhetorical tool myself.
Now, having said that, as regards
Smart Republicans, especially those up for re-election next year, might want to keep their distance from the VP. Are you listening, Sen. Inhofe?
I would say that this sort of thing reflects an assumption that Senator Inhofe doesn't know where his votes are coming from. I think he does; Oklahoma voters, it seems to me, are much more likely to favor the President and Vice President than voters in other states. Senator Inhofe need not spend much time trolling for votes from people who dislike the Veep; he is wise to go hunting where the ducks are, as they say.
I also can't help but note that you seemingly continually dwell on the low approval ratings for the President and Vice President, yet never seem to acknowledge that the Democratic Congress' ratings are likewise in the cellar, even lower than the President's, last I heard. If I'm not mistaken, Congress' approval numbers are actually lower than the Iraq War's approval numbers.
It seems to me that Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Voter are not particularly satisfied with politicians in general at this time.
I'm not affiliated with this site in any way other than in spirit, but I accept your accolade on behalf of whoever else is politely writing in here.
I must agree that Inhofe has pushed the most extreme Republican rhetoric to the wall without suffering at home politically. I am hopeful that we have reached an inflection point on that.
I also agree with your noting of low Congressional approval ratings. We may disagree on the reason. I suggest it may be because the Democratic majority has not been able to rein in the President's war as they were charged to do in the last election. Thanks to slanted media reporting almost across the board, voters largely do not realize that Republicans are the primary roadblock to bringing the war to an end.
Thanks for these comments. On Dan's point about terrible Congressional ratings, we would point out that there are 535 members of Congress, making them a big but indistinct target. The VP, on the other hand, is a terrific target for those of us seeking a more open-minded and transparent executive branch. Seems to us that almost all of Cheney's political instincts run toward secrecy and a distrust of the ordinary citizen.
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