[1]The Wall Street Journal [2] states the bloody obvious [3]:
According to recent Gallup polls, the president’s average approval rating [4] is below 30% — down from his 90% approval in the wake of 9/11. Mr. Bush [5] has endured relentless attacks from the left while facing abandonment from the right.
This is the price Mr. Bush [5] is paying for trying to work with both Democrats [6] and Republicans [7]. During his 2004 victory speech, the president reached out to voters who supported his opponent, John Kerry [8], and said, “Today, I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support, and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust.â€
Those bipartisan efforts have been met with crushing resistance from both political parties.
Rejected from the Democrats [6] because that’s what the Democrats [6] do. Reach out to them, they’ll break your arm… as Bush [5] Sr found out. Remember that one? He broke his ‘no new taxes pledge’ because the Democrats [6] asked him to… which they then used to beat him about the head and shoulders in 1992.
Of course that Clinton [9], upon winning, largly on the fact that Bush [5] Sr tried to reach out and compromise with the Democrats [6] on taxes… then turned around and broke his tax pldge before the echo from his oath of office had died, mattered to the Democrats [6] not at all.
His kid, W, never learned that lesson either as we’ve said here many times.
Rejected from the Republicans [7], because they HAD learned that lesson. partcularly the rank and file… which is one major reason why even moderate voters rejected McCain [10]… that was a lesson he apparently never learned, either.
This needs to be remembered by the next leadership of the party; there is no negotiation with Democrats [6]. None. Both Bush [5] 41 and Bush [5] 43, and to a lesser degree, McCain [10], have taught us that lesson, one would hope.
Cross-posted from BitsBlog [11].