Confidence In GOP Is At New Low in Poll: Democrats Favored To Address Issues
Public confidence in GOP governance has plunged to the lowest levels of the Bush presidency, with Americans saying by wide margins that they now trust Democrats more than Republicans to deal with Iraq, the economy, immigration and other issues, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll that underscores the GOP’s fragile grip on power six months before the midterm elections. Dissatisfaction with the administration’s policies in Iraq has overwhelmed other issues as the source of problems for President Bush and the Republicans. The survey suggests that pessimism about the direction of the country — 69 percent said the nation is now off track — and disaffection with Republicans have dramatically improved Democrats’ chances to make gains in November.
For those of us who believe in karma, this news hardly comes as a surprise. In fact, to our way of thinking, this was not a matter of if, but when Republicans would face the comeuppance. Given the state of affairs in our country at this moment, I’m not elated at one party’s failure, but neither am I crying the blues for Republicans. They truly have made their own bed, and now that they’re being made to sleep in it, they’re finding it very much NOT to their liking. Too. Damn. Bad.
If you’re going to act as if political power is your birthright, if you’re going to act as if you were to the manor born, if you’re going to actively work to enrich wealthy supporters and encourage the Religious Right in their single-minded hate-based efforts, you deserve to pay the price when it comes due- and it WILL come due.
It’s not just that the Republicans are so much more corrupt than Democrats (it’s not as if Democrats come equipped with halos), it’s that they’re so much more open and unconcerned about it. It’s taken awhile, but it would appear that the American sheeple generally aren’t OK with that.
Democrats are now favored to handle all 10 issues measured in the Post-ABC News poll. The survey shows a majority of the public, 56 percent, saying they would prefer to see Democrats in control of Congress after the elections.
After the Medicare prescription drug plan debacle, after the war in Iraq, after creating our own terrorist threat (and thus the need to fight it), after Tom DeLay, Randy Cunningham, and Jack Abramoff, any reasonable, person would come to the conclusion that it’s time for a change. Republicans have proven themselves to be inept, corrupt, and far too willing to play fast and loose with the lives of our sons and daughters to be allowed to continue to pull the levers of power.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that the Democratic Party has the answers that this country is looking for. I’d like to be able to do that, but I couldn’t do that with a straight face. With “leaders” like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, today’s Democratic Party seems more interesting in rhetorical bomb-throwing than in actual, honest-to-God leadership. Instead of expending so much time and effort pandering to the lowest common denominator, Democrats really should be trying to develop and put forward some intelligent, capable leaders, There is a very good chance that Democrats will control one and perhaps both houses of Congress when the dust settles in November. Right now, that might just be a case of “when the gods want to push you, they answer your prayers.” Democrats want to defeat Republicans, they want their shot at the brass ring. I’m just not convinced that they’ll know what to do with it when and/or if they’re able to actually grasp it.
Say hello to the new boss…not altogether different from the old boss….
