Very interesting
Missteps and misconduct that have reached into all levels of government — from the White House and Congress to governors’ offices in Connecticut and Ohio — have helped drive 88 percent of those surveyed to say the problem is a serious one.
Scandal has touched all politicians. President Bush’s approval rating was 42 percent, slightly better than his standing in the previous AP-Ipsos poll, due in part to improvements in the economy. Still, 57 percent of those surveyed disapproved of Bush’s handling of the presidency.
The President remains overwhelmingly unpopular, and his party in control of congress is corrupt. It would be nice if we had an opposition party to point this out.
The strange behavior of the Democratic Party, or more accurately the disorganized and disparate group of elected officials who label themselves Democrats, is a real puzzle, one that will be studied by historians.
They are totally out of power, true. But the party in power is not popular or successful. It is suffering from a series of public relations disasters. Americans no longer support any of the Republicans’ major policy points, particularly the Iraq War.
But the Democrats are still afraid to say anything bad about them.
I think the Democrats have time to develop a coherent message. Remember, the Contract with America didn’t come out until September 1994. The GOP spent the first 18 months of Clinton’s Presidency doing nothing but criticizing. The Dems finally said, “Well, what’s your plan?” Then Boom!, Gingrich launches CWA (actually Armey wrote it) and the narrative was in place.
But the Democrats are still afraid to say anything bad about them.
I’m not sure that’s precisely the case. I’m beginning to think the problem is that there’s no coherent party line about what to say. There seems to be this disturbing level of complacency that says its better to simply sit back and watch the right eat itself, rather than to be seen as “piling on.” For my money, pile on motherf**kers! The American electorate has made it pretty plain over the last five years that they like the game of hardball the Republicans play. Maybe it’s time the Democrats started using another playbook.
There is more discussion about this at TPM. http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/12/8/171912/291
The Dems are waiting for the House Ethics Committe to become one again.