Even when their own poll shows the president at the lowest approval ratings of his presidency -- lower, by the way, than any other competing poll has shown, at just 33 percent -- the Fox "News" team just can't keep from trying to spin for the president. Witness this bit of cognitive dissonance from the poll analysis posted on the FNC web-site. It starts out straightforward enough:
04/20/06 FOX Poll: Gloomy Economic Views; Bush Approval at New Low Thursday, April 20, 2006 By Dana Blanton
NEW YORK — More Americans disapprove than approve of how George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and Congress are doing their jobs, while a majority approves of Condoleezza Rice. President Bush’s approval hits a record low of 33 percent this week, clearly damaged by sinking support among Republicans.
Opinions are sharply divided on whether Rumsfeld should resign as secretary of defense. In addition, views on the economy are glum; most Americans rate the current economy negatively, and twice as many say it feels like the economy is getting worse rather than better. These are just some of the findings of the latest FOX News national poll.
President Bush’s job approval rating slipped this week and stands at a new low of 33 percent approve, down from 36 percent two weeks ago and 39 percent in mid-March. A year ago this time, 47 percent approved and two years ago 50 percent approved (April 2004).
Approval among Republicans is below 70 percent for the first time of Bush’s presidency. Two-thirds (66 percent) approve of Bush’s job performance today, down almost 20 percentage points from this time last year when 84 percent of Republicans approved. Among Democrats, 11 percent approve today, while 14 percent approved last April.
But then we get this total nonsequitor:
"It seems clear that many Republicans, while they may still like and support George Bush, are growing uneasy with what may happen to their candidates — and the policies they support — in the November elections," comments Opinion Dynamics Chairman John Gorman.
Really, John Gorman? It seems clear to you that despite a 33% overall approval rating and a 66 percent approval rating among Republicans -- a double-digit drop -- that Republicans still "like and support" the president? And further, you find from the numbers in this poll that the reason Republican support is slipping is not because they think the president is doing a poor job, but because they're "uneasy about what may happen to their candidates and the policies they support" in November? Really? But wait, there's more:
"This unease about the direction of the party is now showing up as an erosion of the near unanimous support Bush has enjoyed among the Republican rank-and-file for the last six years."
So it's not Bush who'se dragging down support for the GOP, it's Republicans who are dragging down support for the president? In other words, he's not failing his party, his party is failing him. OK... Let's look for the back-up for that claim, shall we?
Overall, 57 percent of Americans disapprove of the job Bush is doing, and the most frequently mentioned reason is Iraq (48 percent). The other top reasons include generally "doing a bad job" (24 percent), disagreement on issues (22 percent) and the economy/jobs (17 percent).
Eleven percent of Americans say they disapprove because they "don’t like him" and 10 percent because he "doesn’t care about average people."
Nowhere in that set of reasons for disapproving of Bush is a statement of concern for the party losing seats in November, or the overall direction of the GOP. In fact, here is the entire list of reasons cited by the 57 percent of poll respondents for why they disapprove of Dubya (and remember, these were unprompted, with multiple responses allowed):
War in Iraq - 48% Doing a bad job - general - 24 Do not agree with him on issues - 22 Economy/jobs - 17 Don't like him - 11 Doesn't care about average people - 10 Gas prices - 8 Not doing a good job fighting terrorism - 4 Environmental issues - 4 Tax cuts for the rich - 3 He's not smart - 3 Not truthful/lies - 3 Middle East - 3 Social Security - 2 Education issues - 2 Healthcare issues - 1 Special interests - 1 He's a Republican - 1 Usama bin Laden still not caught - X Terri Schiavo - X Other - 2 Don't know/refused - 1
And while Congress' approval rating is also dismal in the poll (25% approve, 52% disapprove, a rather disturbing 23% don't know...) there were exactly zero respondents who cited their party's direction or prospects in November as reasons why they disapprove of the president's performance.
One interesting thing in the poll: Fox/Opinion Dynamics may have inadvertently proved, in more ways than one, that the kind of pro-Republican indoctrination they've been practicing on the cable channel aren't as effective as one might seem. The poll asked respondents whether they felt that the real disposable income of Americans has gone up, gone down, or stayed the same in the last year. About equal numbers says up (28%) and down (30%). Then they asked whether knowing that real disposable income had gone up by 2 percent made them "feel better" or worse about the nation's economy. The result, only Republicans were made to feel substantially better (60%), while most Independents and Democrats, and the majority overall, said the fact made no difference. What counts, even this poll managed to ferrett out, are people's perceptions of their own situation, with soaring gas prices right at the top of the list of what's ailing them.
By the way, don't look for this poll to be played up much -- if it's reported at all -- on the air (well, not on the air at Fox -- MSNBC -- including Keith Olbermann -- reported on the Opinion Dynamics poll tonight in perhaps the first instance of said poll ever being cited by a credible news organiztation)...
Meanwhile, over at the Free Republic, the faithful seem to be congealing around the idea that it's Bush's failure to close the southern border that's costing him popularity, even in a Fox poll. Unfortunately for that argumetn, immigration was not one of the unprompted responses proffered by poll takers who said they disapprove of Bush. It didn't even come up.
Of course, for the truly distressed FReeper, there's always joy to be found in the Rasmussen poll...
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"[T]he practice of arbitrary imprisonments, have been, in all ages, the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyranny.' Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 84, August, 1788
