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Congress Pits its 14 Percent Approval Against Obama’s 46 Percent

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Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:45 pm

It is on the order of an epic fail: not only are sixteen Republican presidential hopefuls living in a dreamworld, but so is the Republican “establishment” already in place.

While the much vilified President Obama is actually reasonably popular despite a nearly seven-year, nonstop smear campaign, Congress and its leaders are not.

And now is a good time – while they are out of the office – to let them know. It’s just a shame we can’t change the locks while they’re gone.

According to Gallup, based on a poll conducted Aug. 5-9:

Now on August recess, members of Congress returning to their districts may receive a skeptical reception from constituents, as 14% of U.S. adults approve of the job Congress is doing, down slightly from 17% in July.

Rasmussen, the poll of choice for Republicans, agrees, though it puts congressional approval even lower, at just 13 percent as of July 9.

It needs to be pointed out that Congress began to year in January with a 16 percent approval rating. You would have thought there was no place to go but up, when you’re just north of public approval of the Bubonic Plague, but no…

Gallup points out that even though,

Congressional leaders can point to a slightly more productive session than was true for the previous two Congresses, such as passing “fast-track authority” — which grants the president enhanced authority to negotiate free-trade agreements — as well as the USA Freedom Act, which significantly revised some provisions of the Patriot Act…Congress hasn’t gained in popularity among Americans.

Imagine that. Not a job created, 50+ attempts to repeal Obamacare, endless Benghazi hearings and fast-track authority and the USA Freedom Act weren’t enough to make Congress popular. Can you imagine that? And all Boehner is focused on now is his anti-Clinton witch hunt, insisting yesterday in a press release,

It’s about time. Secretary Clinton’s previous statements that she possessed no classified information were patently untrue. Her mishandling of classified information must be fully investigated.

You have to wonder at what point Congress will decide Bernie Sanders is the real threat, and begin investigating him. These men and women are supposed to be governing. The public, as their approval ratings demonstrate, isn’t being fooled. Yet all Boehner and McConnell can do is fiddle while Rome burns around them.

And, why just the other day, Boehner had photos from his Golf Channel interview put online at Speaker.gov! That’s what this country needs. B-but wait…Isn’t it supposed to be – according to congressman Ted Cruz – the president who can’t be pulled away from his golf game to run the country?

“Moreover,” as Gallup says ominously, “the leaders of the two Republican-controlled chambers, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are suffering a similar public image problem…House Speaker Boehner and Senator Majority Leader McConnell — are not only unpopular figures with the public at large, they are also not particularly well-received even among Republicans.”

And they have graphs to prove it:

By contrast, President Obama, the guy they say is destroying the country – the guy who has been creating jobs for five straight years – held a 46.1 percent approval rating in July – over three times their own approval rating. According to a CNN/ORC poll in April, Obama’s approval was even higher, at 48 percent, and the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll had him at 49 percent when Netanyahu visited.

It isn’t the executive branch of our government that is a worldwide joke. It is the legislative branch. It is difficult to escape the conclusion that, scientifically speaking, Congress sucks.

And who controls Congress? The Republicans. Obviously, Republicans and Democrats have differing reasons as to why Congress sucks. Republicans are convinced, paradoxically, that their representatives have sold out to the very corporations for which the Republican Party works(!) while Democrats realize that, factually speaking, the Republican-controlled Congress just isn’t interested in accomplishing anything, that their sole purpose is to prevent President Obama from doing anything.

The only thing we agree on, apparently, is, as Rasmussen puts it, “Voters think most members of Congress do a lousy job and probably have sold their vote for cash or to a contributor.” Since most members of Congress are Republicans, this has the virtue of actually being true.

Surprise, surprise, Republicans. Ya’ll jumped for joy at Citizens United. What did you think the result would be? Your legislators laughing at corporations handing them fistfuls of cash? Those who haven’t reaped the financial benefits never will, but you’ve let yourself be convinced that making the rich richer and the poor poorer is a good economic plan. You’ll never figure out why it’s not, and the only surprise now is that you’re surprised at all, and can’t put 2 and 2 together.

But that’s okay. Your voucher programs will make sure your kids can’t either, and that’s just the way all those rich folks passing cash around want it.

Enjoy that Red State gulag – er, I mean paradise. You did build that. Apologies to President Obama, but that’s absolutely one thing you did on your own.

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Hrafnkell Haraldsson

Hrafnkell Haraldsson, a social liberal with leanings toward centrist politics has degrees in history and philosophy. His interests include, besides history and philosophy, human rights issues, freedom of choice, religion, and the precarious dichotomy of freedom of speech and intolerance. He brings a slightly different perspective to his writing, being that he is neither a follower of an Abrahamic faith nor an atheist but a polytheist, a modern-day Heathen who follows the customs and traditions of his Norse ancestors. He maintains his own blog, A Heathen's Day, which deals with Heathen and Pagan matters, and Mos Maiorum Foundation www.mosmaiorum.org, dedicated to ethnic religion. He has also contributed to NewsJunkiePost, GodsOwnParty and Pagan+Politics.

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