Not that I would dare to compare my job with President Bush's set of responsibilities, but even as someone who considers himself somewhat liberal (if you want to find out where you stand politically, check out this small political quiz) I have to admit that the current strategy the White House has been employing - assuming that they're not just scrambling - is not doing much to drive unsatisfied Americans back into the happy corner. Rather the opposite is the case. How does the saying go? When you're in a hole, stop digging?! The President's approval ratings have plummeted even further this week to a new record low of 39 percent (here is an interesting chart that shows George W. Bush's approval rating history since he got inaugurated in 2000).
A recent CBS comparison show that, at least so far there's only been one other President with worse approval ratings at the same point of his administration than Bush, Richard Nixon; and we all know how that ended. To make matters worse, this recent poll indicates rising doubts among Americans about President Bush's integrity.
Only a week after vice presidential aide Lewis Libby resigned and was indicted on charges related to the leaking of a CIA operative's identity and the Sword of Damokles still hanging over his close friend and advisor Karl Rove, an ABC News/Washington Post poll indicated that less than half of Americans viewed Bush as trustworthy and honest. Reading this really bugged me - I usually don't like to post anything too political here. Due to apparent lack of leadership over half of this country has now started to question the President's integrity! This, in my humble opinion, is the beginning of a capital punishment sentencing for a President who ran for office in 2000 with a pledge to uphold ''honor and dignity" in the presidency after former President Bill Clinton's impeachment scandal.
While I'm only the leader of groups in much smaller numbers and my decisions are usually less important and not live or death ones either, I would still want to tell the President that people want and need leadership! The reason why George Bush's approval ratings went through the roof after 9/11 was that he started to take charge. Humankind has always followed leaders who display courage, strength, and integrity. It's time to go back to these roots and clean the stains of the Grey House to make it White once again.
I, as many other people, will be watching closely to see how this develops; keeping an eye out for the 2006 midterm elections, as such terrible approval numbers could also create difficulties for Republican congressional candidates as well as for the President's effectiveness in pushing his second-term agenda. Let's all stay tuned...