MSM Yawn at Stunning 9 Percent Approval Rating for Congress

MSM Yawn at Stunning 9 Percent Approval Rating for Congress

By Ken Shepherd (Bio | Archive)
July 9, 2008 - 12:07 ET

If Speaker Newt Gingrich's Republican majority had faced a 9 percent approval rating at any point in the 1996 presidential election year, the media would have not let anyone forget it.

So given that and the media's frequently reminding Americans of President Bush's low approval numbers, why are the broadcast media ignoring the latest Rasmussen poll on the approval rating for Congress under the leadership of Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.)?

Rasmussen's survey hit the wires yesterday, but none of the broadcast evening news programs covered the story, not even as a brief anchor mention. The July 9 "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America," and CBS's "Early Show," similarly paid no heed to the development.

The polling firm's official news release noted that the numbers are really bad even among Democrats -- who are only in the low-double digits in strongly approving of Congress -- and the harshest criticism comes from independents (emphasis mine):

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The percentage of voters who give Congress good or excellent ratings has fallen to single digits for the first time in Rasmussen Reports tracking history. This month, just 9% say Congress is doing a good or excellent job. Most voters (52%) say Congress is doing a poor job, which ties the record high in that dubious category.

Last month, 11% of voters gave the legislature good or excellent ratings. Congress has not received higher than a 15% approval rating since the beginning of 2008.

The percentage of Democrats who give Congress positive ratings fell from 17% last month to 13% this month. The number of Democrats who give Congress a poor rating remained unchanged. Among Republicans, 8% give Congress good or excellent ratings, up just a point from last month. Sixty-five percent (65%) of GOP voters say Congress is doing a poor job, down a single point from last month.

Voters not affiliated with either party are the most critical of Congressional performance. Just 3% of those voters give Congress positive ratings, down from 6% last month. Sixty-three percent (63%) believe Congress is doing a poor job, up from 57% last month.

—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters

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this is easy,

July 9, 2008 - 12:18 ET by fonzie2178

the MSM has been professing for the last year that the dems would be gaining seats this November. Reporting the news of the poor rating of this congress would only expose the fact that their polls are skewed and useless, and also perhaps sway people to vote (oh no!!) Republicans back to the majority. Not that that would be a bad thing.

"Green, the new Red."

fantastic

July 9, 2008 - 12:20 ET by TruthMonger

but just think how low they would be if the polls weren't fixed in favor of Dems:)

lol, probably somewhere between

July 9, 2008 - 12:23 ET by fonzie2178

zero, and uh... zero.

"Green, the new Red."

still, as Republicans we

July 9, 2008 - 12:33 ET by TruthMonger

still, as Republicans we really should HEAD FOR THE HILLS!

it's just not our year:)

white flag! white flag!

I better be careful what I post here - I'll wind up running the GOP

The MSM hanging their hopes on us believing that is

July 9, 2008 - 12:38 ET by fonzie2178

like Jim Carrey on dumb and dumber...

Jim: "So what are my chances of going out with you?"

Good looking girl: "One in a million."

Jim: "So you're SAYIN I HAVE A CHANCE!"

lol :-)

"Green, the new Red."

now if we can just get the

July 9, 2008 - 13:12 ET by TruthMonger

now if we can just get the GOP to think we have a chance

fix. fix. fix.

July 9, 2008 - 14:46 ET by abeautifulperson

the last refuge of those who know they're losing. (and its just as annoying from the left as it is from the right).

btw.

since i follow the news on both sides, i can safely say the 9% approval rating is echoing throughout the liberal media. frankly, i too would like to meet this 9%. cuz any left leaning person who thinks this congress is working for them has their head up their kooloo.

What kills me

July 9, 2008 - 12:23 ET by Delsa

beyond the fact they aren't reporting this statistic form the poll, is that when they have mentioned it, they don't tell it like it is?

It is THE DEMOCRAT LEAD CONGRESS!!!!

Actually, no one says it.

it's the DEMOCRATS STUPID!

And they'd have to report Bush's number from the poll and it is in the mid 30's

Don’t forget the RINO’s

July 9, 2008 - 12:27 ET by TheTruth

Don’t forget the RINO’s :-)

it sure as hell ain't

July 9, 2008 - 12:35 ET by TruthMonger

it sure as hell ain't conservatives in there:)

the Democrat congress that followed Reagan in lock-step polled quite a bit better there, Deano! Take a cue from Ronaldus Maximus...

My apologies

July 9, 2008 - 12:24 ET by Spock

My apologies Ken, for I voted in this poll. Obviously my continued disdain for the Democrats has skewed the results and thus the reason for the MSM ignoring it.

Pelosi

July 9, 2008 - 12:28 ET by PurdueMatt

Is too busy with the Fairness Doctrine to notice.

IT IS THE DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED CONGRESS

July 9, 2008 - 12:43 ET by Delsa

And I don't care to say it any other way.

It is what it is and in the House especially.

I am not talkig yesterday or 90 years ago.

The past is the past.

Today is today until it is tomorrow.

For NOW it is a DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED HOUSE AND SENATE.

THEY AND THEY ALONE CONTROLL WHAT GETS TO THE FLOOR AND VOTED UPON

WE need a CLEAR MAJORITY and I mean VOTING MAJORITY

i think about 1000 people

July 9, 2008 - 13:14 ET by TruthMonger

i think about 1000 people in America will hear you

and only about half will believe you

still it never hurts to try

I like to say it this

July 9, 2008 - 12:47 ET by celator

I like to say it this way--91 percent of the American people loath the Democratic-controlled Congress. Has more punch for me.

This would be meaningful if . . .

July 9, 2008 - 12:51 ET by Gat New York

. . . . the GOP uses it effectively in a campaign to take down the Dem myth of "change you can believe in."

The Dems have squandered their two years with hearings on meaningless issues to the public just to cast blame on Bush. They have accomplished nothing substantitive a blame the fact that they don't have enough of a majority.

Snicker, snicker, looks

July 9, 2008 - 12:53 ET by dscott

Snicker, snicker, looks like Nancy and Harry have done their PR magic, now it's time to move on. You notice the MSM isn't talking about Bush's approval ratings anymore, if they did, his next month's ratings would go up. You notice Bush's ratings are literally 3 x better. ROFL

BTW- If the Dems want to increase their ratings, they should toss Harry and install Barack, he seems to draw the crowd's favor without making any concrete commitments or accomplishing anything.

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.

nancy makes history yet

July 9, 2008 - 13:15 ET by TruthMonger

nancy makes history yet again

where's the katie couric interview?

To boost the ratings and

July 9, 2008 - 12:57 ET by Delsa

their standing with the voting public, they are now saying how they "may" support more drilling.

BULL

If that were true, we'd have VOTES on the floor of the House and Senate.

DEMOCRATS CONTROL BOTH HOUSES of CONGRESS and those VOTES WILL NEVER HAPPEN! NEVER!

UNLESS it is a VOTE to Consider TALKING about TAKING a VOTE

The problem always is that

July 9, 2008 - 13:15 ET by Chris Norman

The problem always is that even though the voters view Congress with contempt, they typically think their local representative is just peachy and "is fighting hard for the people of his district".

McNotObama '08

Should We Be Surprising At This?

July 9, 2008 - 13:16 ET by Wildcatter1980

The MSM can't figure out that their readership is dropping precipitously due in no small part because of its inherent unfairness and readily evident biases.

Why would they want to point out the newly Democrat Congress for succeeding at something even the President could not do, achieving a single-digit approval rating in only a year and a half? If they were to do this, they might also have to admit that they were wrong themselves.

I'm not going to hold my breathe for either of these to change any time soon.

I don't think this

July 9, 2008 - 13:16 ET by Killgrave

I don't think this development is necessarily peachy for Republicans, however.

From what I understand, a lot of idiots in the polls think that the Republicans are still in control of Congress, thus their knee-jerk answers.

Of those who are aware of the Democrat majority, there are many who are having a hissy fit because Pelosi refuses to haul in Bush/Cheney for immediate impeachment and execution.

We must have the most ignorant electorate this world has ever seen. How else can a clown like Obama get so much traction?

Yes, I'm especially grouchy today...

I caught Hannity's radio

July 9, 2008 - 14:30 ET by athoughtor2

I caught Hannity's radio show going home last night. he asked 3 or 4 "libs" what this Pelosi led congress has accomplished. Not one of them could give an answer and all reverted to BDS.

Now if we only had a "republican" or two pick up on this number. But then again most of the republicans are the cause of it. There has and have been numerous opportunities for the repubs to take the reigns and control the debate. But they can't seem to grasp this opportunity.

the disconnect

July 9, 2008 - 14:04 ET by mbuel

There is a serious disconnect between the polls, tax votes and who continually gets elected...

Here in Washington state tax votes continually get pounded down. Yet, look at who is controlling the state? Democrats. Do people not understand that the idiots who keep pushing higher taxes and more regressive policies is the DEMOCRAT party?

The republicans should be screaming this from the mountain tops. WAKE UP people, look at who is controlling the congress you are not happy with! It's the DEMOCRATS.

I think the other reason for this, is that conservatives don't vote in the elections, because they feel that no matter how they vote the activist judges (again true in Washington) will over turn their voice.

This again is a disconnect though... If we voted in a conservative majority consistently, we wouldn't have as many activist judges!

Democrats have a long

July 9, 2008 - 14:32 ET by dscott

Democrats have a long tradition of promising people things they can't afford. When it comes time to pay the bill, they react with sticker shock. Yes, I find that particular disconnect extremely annoying especially here in Florida. Sooner or later my fellow citizens should learn that equality of choice is far more effective and less costly than equality of outcome. Choose your consequences, don't let the consequences choose you.

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.

Harry Reid says it`s Bush`s

July 9, 2008 - 15:58 ET by chessplayer

Harry Reid says it`s Bush`s fault Congress has such low approval ratings.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042836/posts

The scary thing is that he

July 9, 2008 - 20:59 ET by Hermano

The scary thing is that he probably believes the tripe he is peddling.

Yes, there is a growing

July 9, 2008 - 15:54 ET by celator

Yes, there is a growing disconnect between the Congress and the American people. It brings to mind the following phrase from the Declaration of Independence:

"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends (Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness),
it is the Right of the People to alter (emphasis mine) or to abolish it, and to
institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and
organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely
to effect their Safety and Happiness."

It's time to alter Congress. Vote the bums out!!!! Every last one of them!

Try This Emphasis

July 9, 2008 - 16:47 ET by Repeal 16-17

"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends (Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness), it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." [emphasis mine]

How close are we to using the "abolish" option?

No, I wouldn't want to

July 9, 2008 - 17:20 ET by celator

No, I wouldn't want to abolish the government, only change the players.

A question I would ask both McCain and Obama if I were in the MSM would be: explain the US Constitution, its origins, the thought process of the Founders, its relationship to Natural Law. I think there would be a long silence from both of these characters. Same with almost any member of Congress. That's the disconnect between who WE are and the political class in Washington.

But abolish? No.