The good news for each party is that they only have to run against the other, and not against a competent one. The bad news for each party is that the same thing is true for their opposition. As I’ve noted before, it’s like the Special Olympics of politics or something.
Yes. Whenever I see these approval ratings, I’m always amused at the thought of how many people will draw false conclusions from them. There is no point during his administration at which, had you asked me, I would have expressed approval of George Bush. I’ve thought that the country is on the “wrong track” my entire life (to cite another stupid poll question). Yet I was glad he won both times, because the alternative was much worse. I strongly disapprove of the Republicans in Congress. I disapprove of the Dems even more. I don’t know how many are like me, but if there are a lot, then one can’t draw any grand conclusions about the Dems’ electoral prospects from simple approval ratings of either the president or the Congress.
I wonder how much support there would be for a party that was generally libertarian, except with a sane (i.e., not isolationist) foreign policy. I know I’d sign up in a New York minute.
[Update at 4:30 PM EDT]
Russ Mitchell has similar thoughts.