Summary: With all the bad news the media can spin, and all the “Hate-Bush” rhetoric of Kerry and his henchmen, President Bush still leads the race, and the “all-time” lowest Approval rating for Bush remains above the average Approval rating for Clinton, the last 2-term President.

Big. Woop.

Long Live Bonzo!

Posted by: Zippy the Wonder Chimp at May 12, 2004 09:33 AM

Boy, all of this sounds familiar somehow.

“Selecting for his cabinet spokesmen of the diverse elements that constituted the Republican party, he surrounded himself with men of such conflicting views that he could not rely on them to work together. Cabinet sessions rarely dealt with serious issues. Usually, the president permitted cabinet officers free rein in running their departments…

More than counterbalancing these deficiencies, however, were Lincoln’s strengths. Foremost was his unflinching dedication to the preservation of the Union. Convinced that the United States was more than an ordinary nation, that it was a proving ground for the idea of democratic government, Lincoln felt that he was leading a struggle to preserve “the last, best hope of earth.” Despite war-weariness and repeated defeats, he never wavered in his “paramount object.” To restore national unity he would do what was necessary, without regard to legalistic construction of the Constitution, political objections in Congress, or personal popularity.

Partly because of that single-minded dedication, the American people, in time, gave to Lincoln a loyalty that proved to be another of his great assets. Making himself accessible to all who went to the White House, Lincoln learned what ordinary citizens felt about their government. In turn, his availability helped create in the popular mind the stereotype of “Honest Abe,” the people’s president, straightforward, and sympathetic.
“Lincoln’s mastery of rhetoric further endeared him to the public. In an age of pretentious orators, he wrote clearly and succinctly. Purists might object when he said that the Confederates in one engagement “turned tail and ran,” but the man in the street approved.
Another of Lincoln’s assets was the fact that he was a genius at the game of politics. He astutely managed the patronage at his disposal, distributing favors so as to bind local politicians to his administration and to undermine potential rivals for the presidency. He understood the value of silence and secrecy in politics and refrained from creating divisive issues or causing needless confrontations. He was extraordinarily flexible and pragmatic in the means he employed to restore the Union. “My policy,” he frequently said, “is to have no policy.” That did not mean that his was a course of drift. Instead, it reflected his understanding that, as president, he could only handle problems as they arose, confident that popular support for his solutions would be forthcoming.

Lincoln believed that the ultimate decision in the Civil War was beyond his, or any other man’s, control. “Now, at the end of three years struggle,” he wrote, as the war reached its climax, “the nation’s condition is not what either party, or any man, devised or expected. God alone can claim it.”

Throughout the war Lincoln was the subject of frequent, and often vitriolic, attacks, both from the Democrats who thought he was proceeding too drastically against slavery and from the Radicals in his own party—men like Charles Sumner, Benjamin F. Wade, and Zachariah Chandler—who considered him slow and ineffective. Partisan newspapers abused the President as “a slangwhanging stump speaker,” a “half-witted usurper,” a “mole-eyed” monster with “soul … of leather,”“the present turtle at the head of the government.” Men of his own party openly charged that he was “unfit,” a “political coward,” a “dictator,”“timid and ignorant,”“shattered, dazed, utterly foolish.”

For a time Democratic opposition in 1864 to Lincoln’s reelection also appeared to be formidable, for people were tired of the endless war and disinclined to fight for the liberty of black men. But the Democrats found it impossible to bring together the two major groups of Lincoln’s critics—those who wanted the President to end the war, and those who wanted him to prosecute it more vigorously. Meeting at Chicago in August, the Democratic national convention nominated a candidate, Gen. George B. McClellan, pledged to the successful conclusion of the war on a platform that called the war a failure. McClellan’s repudiation of this peace plank showed how fundamentally split were the Democrats”

http://www.angelfire.com/apes/westlegends/Lincoln.htm

Posted by: mark buehner at May 12, 2004 10:25 AM

“President Bush still leads the race, and the “all-time” lowest Approval rating for Bush remains above the average Approval rating for Clinton, the last 2-term President.”

firstly a hippopotamus would have as high an “all time approval rating” as Bush, given the Spet. 11 attacks. that is meaningless. the trend has meaning. like it or not Bush’s average trend has been pretty much down for quite some time. It isn’t a precipitous decline, but it shows no sign of reversing.

As far as the approval ratings vs Clinton, I sugggest you look at Clinton’s approval rating trends at this point in the first term vs Dole.

Clinton had a seven to four point advantage over Dole at the same time that Bush has a one point advantage over Kerry in approval ratings.

Posted by: nelson at May 12, 2004 10:39 AM

“I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosities he excites among his opponents.”
Sir Winston Churchill

Posted by: mark buehner at May 12, 2004 10:48 AM

It seems to me that Bush has let non-ultra conservative Reupublicans, like myself, down. His spending habits are shameful and frankly not in step with our parties priorities. His last press conference was a shocking dissappointment and I am very glad he hasn’t taken Kerry up on his debate a month proposal… public speaking is not his strong suit especially when it requires straying from his prepared script. He is acting as if all of us Republicans are evangelical Christians and we are not. When I voted for him I had no idea he ran for president because God told him to. I find that notion alarming and rather extreme.

Posted by: Lincoln at May 12, 2004 11:06 AM

Comparing a chimp and dolt like Bush to Lincoln is just too funny! Lincoln is figure of history, revered by the world and admired for his intellect, even by his enemies. Bush is a joke.

Posted by: Grant at May 12, 2004 11:40 AM

Comparing a chimp and dolt like Bush to Lincoln is just too funny! Lincoln is figure of history, revered by the world and admired for his intellect, even by his enemies. Bush is a joke.

Posted by: Grant at May 12, 2004 11:46 AM

Comparing a chimp and dolt like Bush to Lincoln is just too funny! Lincoln is figure of history, revered by the world and admired for his intellect, even by his enemies. Bush is a joke.

Posted by: Grant at May 12, 2004 11:49 AM

Grant, meet Lincoln. Oh, that’s right, you seem to be the same guy!

At least try to make them sound different!

4 more years, coming right up!

And, of course, Long Live Bonzo!

Posted by: Zippy the Wonder Chimp at May 12, 2004 12:11 PM

yeah, but would Bush post three times?

Anyway you may want to pick up a book and read what Lincolns opponents actually said about him. McClellan said he wasn’t very bright and most described him as a dumb ape.

Posted by: monkeyboy at May 12, 2004 12:44 PM

McLellan had a grudge, remember: Lincoln relieved him of his command.

Posted by: GDubya at May 12, 2004 01:08 PM

For anyone to say that Lincoln is revered or admired for anything by his enemies shows a gross misunderstanding of history.

Posted by: st. spike at May 12, 2004 01:23 PM

McClellan was dissmisive of Lincoln even before he was removed, the letters to his wife show his contempt. There is also the famous incident of him leaving Lincoln waiting in the parlor of McClellan’s house, only to fond out the General had gone to bed.

And what the couthern papers said about him? hoo boy.

Posted by: monkeyboy at May 12, 2004 01:24 PM

First of all, is this about Lincoln or Bush? Way to miss the point.

I just want to comment on what nelson said about Bush’s approval ratings consistantly dropping. While they do drop over all, they have bounced back one or two points now and then. Kerry on the other hand has remained stagnant for pretty much his entire time as “presumptive” democratic nominee. Polls on CNN just a week or two ago show Bush has dropped but has no where left to go but up, while Kerry has peaked and has no where left to go but down. While Bush’s ratings rise and fall alost daily (depends on the news reports for the day), regardless of what Bush gets whacked with (get it?) Kerry doesn’t improve.
Bush is no saint, but Kerry isn’t any better. Looks like another coin toss election this year.

Posted by: allen at May 12, 2004 03:22 PM

By the way, there is now way for you to relate Clinton’s ratings at this time in his term to Bush’s because there was no war on terror, Iraqi freedom, 9/11, anthrax scare…you get the point. That is just absurd and stretching for some small shred of hope.

Posted by: allen at May 12, 2004 03:31 PM

it’s all taft’s and mckinley’s fault!

Posted by: gijoe at May 13, 2004 01:59 PM

gee thats funny, another poll says bush is pulling ahead even more.

Posted by: Manat at May 13, 2004 08:59 PM

What was the American (under Democrat President Bill Clinton) response to the bombing of the Khobar Towers? Nothing! How about the bombings of the US Embassies in Africa? Nothing! What about the bombing of the USS Cole, also on the watch of Bill Clinton? Nothing! Finally, how about the respionse to the first bombing of the World Trade center in 1993, under Bill Clinton? Was that nothing also, I forget!
Bush may not be the second coming of Lincoln, or even Reagan, but he certainly is a better candidate than anyone one the Do Nothing democrats can put forth. Vote republican or save us the trouble and just surrender to Bin Laden buddies!

Posted by: Nik at June 14, 2004 03:59 PM