Bush suddenly an interesting character again

Originally Posted by classicman

Hmm...

I decided to look them up myself -
CONGRESS – Job Rating in national polls

The first column is .......date..app..disapp..unsure...+-

Ipsos/McClatchy...............2/6-9/09 37 59 * -22


CNN/Opinion Research........2/7-8/09 29 71 - -42


CBS.................................2/2-4/09 26 62 12 -36

FOX/Opinion Dynamics.....1/27-28/09 40 46 14 -6

FOX/Opinion Dynamics.....1/13-14/09 23 68 10 -45

NBC/Wall Street Journal....1/9-12/09 23 68 9 -45

USA Today/Gallup 1/9-11/09 19 76 5 -57

I must be looking at different data than you.
CNN/Opinion Research ..2/7-8/09.....29.....71.....-.....-42
CNN/Opinion Research 10/3-5/08.....23.....76.....1.....-53

with approval ratings consistently in the 20's over the last two polls I ail to see how suddenly the ratings are jumping into the 50's and 60's as in your poll by the same organization.

Yep...you are looking at different data.

Merc and I have been through this....polls of Congress as a whole are vastly different and have many more variables than polls of 1-2 individuals or polls of the parties.

Congress' low number as a whole (a body of 545) over the last two years are attributed to many factors:

some democratic voters rated Congress very low for not impeaching Bush, some republicans voters because of all the talk of impeaching Bush and holding so many oversight hearings

some democratic voters rated Congress very low for being rolled over on Iraq funding, some republicans because Democrats tried to block Iraq war funding.

some democratic voters rated Congress very low because of all the Republican filibusters in the Senate, some republican because the republicans didnt filibuster enough

When you are rating a person or a party, you are generally rating an easily identified ideology and voting record. When you rate Congress as a whole, there is no single ideology or voting record.

The polls asking the public (of both parties and indys) to rate Congress by party rather than as a single body are one means of addressing some of these questions....and the term "Congressional leaders" would generally be explained by the pollsters.

Job rating - Democrats in Congress

Job rating - Republicans in Congress

Perhaps you understand the difference.....Merc doesnt.

I wont bet my house on poll numbers but results of a poll or poll trends do represent a reasonably valid snapshot of public opinion at and/or over a defined period of time.

There is a reason why both parties spending $millions on polls...it does provide that snapshot.