Bush Sinks to Record Low in Reuters/Zogby Poll

A new poll out by Reuters and the John Zogby polling firm shows that Bush is at an approval rate of only 24%, going below his previous low of 29%. That's the good news. The bad news is that the approval rate for the Democratic controlled Congress is at 11%, tying the record low of September. Here's how John Zogby puts it:

"There is a real question among Americans now about how relevant this government is to them," pollster John Zogby said. "They tell us they want action on health care, education, the war and immigration, but they don't believe they are going to get it."

The dismal assessment of the Republican president and the Democratic-controlled Congress follows another month of inconclusive political battles over a future path in Iraq and the recent Bush veto of an expansion of the program providing insurance for poor children.

The article quotes Zogby as saying that these record low numbers for both Congress and the President pose a problem for both parties. This is how he puts it:

Voter turnout could still be high next year, but the mood has turned against incumbents and into a 'throw the bums out' mindset," Zogby said.

While Zogby maybe overstating the impact on Democrats given that the President is far and away the most prominent political office in the country, he has a good point. Most Americans don't follow the ins and outs of political battles. They want government to work and their problems addressed. On the one hand, except possibly for immigration, the other issues he mentions favor Democrats and a progressive approach to government. On the other hand, Bush's obstructing of the Democrats' agenda could be paying benefits because it stops Democrats from getting anything done.

Democrats need to do a much better job of communicating to voters who is responsible for the gridlock in D.C. They should be running ads in newspapers on how Bush is vetoing the children's health insurance bill while seeking billions more for the Iraq War. Ads like those would make an impact and help set the record straight on which political party is refusing to address the real needs of ordinary Americans.