August 14, 2011

Toasting the O-Negatives

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"Baby, it's cold outside...."


"Limbo lower now. How low can you go?"

UPDATING: Today, in 2011, a new low: Obama approval drops to 39% : Don Surber Which brings me back to last year at this time....

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Today's bad news for Obama just extends the previous bad news:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 24% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-six percent (46%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -22.

The good news is that it's not a new low. It's a tie!:

"This matches the lowest Approval Index rating yet measured for this president."

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Reading that took me back about four years to an evening out in Seattle with a friend. He's a long-gone liberal who's never coming back. I've long returned from that dark tunnel, but I admire and respect him and our friendship of long standing. Our default position on politics is that "it doesn't come up."

Meeting him were a couple of his friends which are only acquaintances of mine. As such, this being Seattle, they did not suspect, even for a moment, that I happen to be "one of 'THEM'." (Indeed whenever a Seattle acquaintance discovers my politics -- as happened last week at the airport -- the reaction is invariably along the lines of "I never knew you were THAT WAY." )

Into the bar came his friends, one of them walking with a swagger as if he'd just been sprinkled with holy water by the Messiah himself. He ordered a round of drinks and when they were put up lifted his glass and said, "Forty-three percent." This was in reference to the approval rating of George W. Bush that had been announced that day.

Three glasses clinked but mine remained on the bar. My hand edged it away. The man who ordered the drinks looked at me quizzically. I looked at him and, because I am blessed with an English Major and a large mental file of American poetry, said, "'There is some shit i will not eat'."

An awkward silence ensued from which all were saved by the start of the show we'd come to see.

My friend and I still see each other. Less now than before and the elephant has moved from the lawn to the porch with its trunk in the room. I never saw his friends again. Never had to refuse another drink. I'm okay with that but they came to mind today when these new disapproval numbers of their tin god were released.

I wonder what they do now. Do they still order drinks to make toasts, or do they just grab the whiskey and CHUG-A-LUG it straight from bottle?

Posted by Vanderleun at August 14, 2011 11:49 AM
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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

Perhaps they break the bottle on the bar and grind he jagged shards into their faces. It might help ameliorate some of the pain.

Posted by: Vermont Woodchuck at August 11, 2010 4:03 PM

The die-hards who brag about being die-hards, are the ones I don't get.

They compare themselves to people like me, since I said I knew taking Saddam out was the right thing to do and it doesn't matter if 99% disagree with me about it. How...HOW...do you go about saying "I approve of Obama and I don't care if 99% disagree with me about it" -- when immense popularity is all The Chosen One ever had to offer in the first place? In what direction, exactly, is this tempered-steel unreserved fidelity being offered?

It's crazy. It's like swearing eternal fealty to polyester suits, or hula hoops, or muttonchop sideburns.

Posted by: Morgan K Freeberg at August 11, 2010 4:25 PM

"'there is some shit i will not eat'."

Safety back on. Thanks, that just made my day, regardless of subject matter.

Reminds me of a colleague who skipped up to me and another worker- I mean *literally* skipping with joy- about the success of a gay marriage triumph in the courts or somesuch. We just stood there in neutral. Then I muttered something, calculated to not offend of course, about "states rights". This same joyful person seems to read something into this and proceeds to admonish the collective "us" about broaching political subjects among co-workers since someone might get their feathers singed. Very polite and sincere like- such control! The single most amazing act of hypocrisy I have ever witnessed.

Which did not dawn on me until about 20 minutes later.


Posted by: Hannon at August 11, 2010 9:01 PM

Here I am, drinking to you, V.

Posted by: Cheezburgrrr at August 12, 2010 5:20 AM

I admire someone who can come up with the perfect retort in the moment. I'd be paralyzed, fighting the urge to bitch slap someone.

Posted by: John at August 12, 2010 7:19 AM

It may have been Don Colacho--the difference between the individualist and the collectivist is a belief in the soul.
When there is no soul, our commonly held opinions are our only defense to the assault of life; they become our religion.

Posted by: james wilson at August 12, 2010 8:02 AM

@Hannon: It's not "political" if everybody agrees with you. Your coworker is probably plotting against you as I type.

Posted by: Eric Blair at August 12, 2010 9:56 AM

What are your friends friends doing? Calling the people who disapprove of His Barryness racists. It's all they have left.

Posted by: glenn at August 14, 2011 2:43 PM

"It's like swearing eternal fealty to polyester suits, or hula hoops, or muttonchop sideburns."
- Morgan

The line of the day - and that position is merely a restatement of the immemorial "I may get older, but I'll never grow up."

Posted by: Rob De Witt at August 14, 2011 6:51 PM

Thanks GVDL, that explains why all my liberal friends are hammered all the time. Think I'll join them for one but for different reasons.

Posted by: Derek Cockerham at August 15, 2011 11:15 AM

I saw a chart somewhere today showing that the only sitting presidents (starting with Truman) who polled below 40% the summer of their third year in office have been Carter and Obama.

Posted by: ELC at August 15, 2011 12:53 PM