"Public opinion & expert analysis coalesce around a common theme: Bush has made a terrible mess..."

[Hissyspit]

One Thing After Another

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Friday, April 18, 2008; 11:52 AM

Today is one of those days when public opinion and expert analysis seem to coalesce around a common theme: President Bush has made a terrible mess of things.

The latest data points include a poll that shows the public is profoundly unhappy about the economy and continued U.S. involvement in Iraq, a study from the Pentagon's premier military educational institute that describes the Iraq war as "a major debacle" whose outcome "is in doubt," and a government audit disclosing that the Bush administration lacks a comprehensive plan to combat terrorism in the parts of Pakistan where al-Qaeda is regenerating its ability to attack the United States.

As usual, of course, none of this permeates the Bush Bubble. When asked yesterday whether he saw any end in sight in Iraq, he responded: "So long as I'm the president, my measure of success is victory -- and success."

A Soured Public

Jennifer Agiesta and Jon Cohen write in The Washington Post: "The public's ratings of the national economy continue to sour, with assessments deteriorating faster than at any point in Washington Post-ABC News polling. Views on the Iraq war have also turned more negative, with six in 10 now rejecting the notion that the United States needs to win there to effectively battle terrorism.

"The economy and the Iraq war are the top two issues on voters' minds, according to the new Post-ABC poll, and worsening opinions of both may dampen GOP hopes for the November elections. . . .

"(M)ore than six in 10 say that the (Iraq) conflict is not integral to the success of U.S. anti-terrorism efforts. That is the most people to reject what is one of the Bush administration's central contentions and a core part of presumed GOP presidential nominee John McCain's stand on the issue.

- snip -

Given these options -- "Do you think the United States should keep its military forces in Iraq until civil order is restored there, even if that means continued U.S. military casualties" or "Do you think the United States should withdraw its military forces from Iraq in order to avoid further U.S. military casualties, even if that means civil order is not restored there?" -- 56 percent chose withdrawal, compared to 41 percent who think the troops should stay.

MORE

[Hubert Flottz]

1. "worsening opinions of both may dampen GOP hopes for the...

November elections"

AS long as we have sElections instead of Elections, the GOPer elites will keep on trashing America's image around the planet, draining the middle class and the poor and rewarding the GOP's super wealthy benefactors/donors.

[Perry Logan]

2. And this is with the media protecting his sorry ass the whole time.

[malaise]

8. Their hack job for Bushco has destroyed their

last shred of credibility. Collectively they have not merely assaulted reason; they have looted, plundered, raped, and battered all rational thought and discussion. Unfortunately for them, thinking people know naked, bankrupt, undiluted fuckery when they see it.

[gratuitous]

13. Yeah, that's the real scary thing for the GOP

People are drawing their own conclusions about this bandito administration without reference to the Mighty Republican Wurlitzer, wheezing and straining to drown out all other news of substance. For example, what did we hear about more in the last week: Lapel pins or White House approval of torture?

[SpiralHawk]

3. "A terrible mess? Our republicon speciality. Smirk." - Commander AWOL

"Shock and awe, baby. Smirk." - Commander AWOL

[peekaloo]

4. a lifelong legacy of fuckedupness.

"So long as I'm the president, my measure of success is victory -- and success."

although that quote indicates his fondness for Monty Python.

[Robbien]

5. McCain: There has been great progress economically since Bush took office

Earlier this week, McCain delivered a speech on the economy: Americans perhaps feel they are better off than they were when Bush took office because “millions of jobs have been created” since then. So therefore, McCain said, “You could make an argument that there’s been great progress economically over that period of time” and that “the fundamentals of America’s economy are strong.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/18/mccain-economy-plan/

So according to McCain, the public is just a bunch of liars who are sitting on a pile of money.

[lonestarnot]

9. Well in AZ they are still driving those Yukons and Armadas and drinking Bud.

:rofl: nutfuckers.

[starroute]

6. What I'd like to see the pollsters asking...

Would be more along the lines of "Do you believe the United States should remain deeply involved in a purely local civil war in Iraq, even at the expense of our ability to fight terrorists elsewhere who may actively be planning to attack the US?"

Granted, that's getting into push-poll territory -- but it's not an invalid question, and I bet you'd get a lot more than a 56%-41% split.

[Quantess]

7. " 41 percent who think the troops should stay"?!

:banghead:

[indepat]

10. Jesus, I'm glad someone spoke up and indicated junior has made a mess of things: otherwise

I would have missed that one. :D

[liberalla]

11. kick

posting to read this later. Thanks!

[liberalla]

12. adding link to article

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100879.html