According to the latest figures from the Pew Research Center, about 11% of the American population are complete and total idiots. That's the number of people who believe that George Bush was an outstanding (3%) or above-average (8%) president. I have to wonder how these people are able to dress or feed themselves. Showing only partial brain-function are another 28% who believe Bush was an "average" president.
That means only 39% of Americans believe Bush was at least an average president, while 61% of the people believe him to be below average. When compared to the three previous presidents, Bush looks even worse.
Bill Clinton had 76% of Americans believing he was average or better -- average (32%), above-average (32%) and outstanding (12%). George H.W. Bush had an average or above rating of 87% -- average (51%), above-average (30%) and outstanding (6%). Ronald Reagan had an average or above rating of 84% -- average (25%), above-average (42%) and outstanding (17%).
The chart above shows the one-way plunge in the number of people who approve of the way Bush has acted as president. He went from an 86% approval in September 2001, when he looked like he might actually handle the Trade Center attack appropriately, to a 24% approval this month, as more and more people recognized the depth of his incompetence.
And disapproval of Bush's performance as president cuts across age, sex and racial lines. All age groups disapprove of the way he's done his job -- 18-29 (73%), 30-49 (66%), 50-64 (67%) and 65+ (64%). Disapproval among men was (65%) and women (70%). Whites disapprove by 64% and Blacks by 83%. The only people who approve of his job performance are Republicans, and even among them, 25% of conservatives and 42% of moderates disapprove.
Bush seems to think that history will judge him less harshly than the current generation, and someday he will be viewed as a good president. That shows a lack of intelligence or an unwillingness to face reality. He has been a terrible president, and history will be hard-pressed to find a worse one.
Nice piece. I linked the article from my blog.
ReplyDeleteJazzi-
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by, and I appreciate the link.
I think at any given time, 11% of Americans will believe just about anything.
ReplyDeleteFor example, on 09/19/2007, a survey showed that "[a] paltry 11 percent rated Congress positively."
That same summer, 11% of Americans relied solely on cellphones (even though landlines are more reliable and, for the most part, cheaper than cellphones).
(DISCLAIMER: I may be the only American under the age of 60 that doesn't own a cellphone. Whereas I can see the utility of one in an emergency, I've found that most people use them just to call someone and ask the inane question, "Hey, whatcha doin'?" I was in a men's room once when the guy in the stall next to mine must have gotten such a call. I won't repeat what he said. But I digress.)
Also in 2007, it was determined that 11% of American women smoke during pregnancy, somehow thinking that their babies won't be affected.
In the Army, we used to say, "There's always that 10% that doesn't get the message." Maybe it's actually 11.