Why Are Bush's Approval Ratings So High?

A Sept. 21 Gallup poll found that 90 percent of Americans approve of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as President and only 6 percent disapprove. On Oct. 8, Gallup reported that 90 percent approve of the bombings in Afghanistan and only 5 percent disapprove. Such numbers are unheard of: since the first national presidential approval polls were taken in the 1930s, the highest approval rating ever was Franklin D. Roosevelt, class of 1903, at 84 percent following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Why are we suddenly so supportive of a man who, 11 months ago, lost the popular vote to his opponent Al Gore ’69? Why are we suddenly so supportive of a man who, on Aug. 1, was reported as having only a 47 percent approval rating by Zogby International?

I think it’s a combination of fear and misplaced patriotism. True, some people are putting aside political matters because they feel that Bush has handled this crisis well. But everyone is singing Bush’s praise as though they worried that the National Security Agency would be at their house with guns if they said anything bad about the government. In light of such a dramatic change, I can’t help but wonder if people mistakenly think that hating the terrorists is the same thing as loving Bush.

I’m not saying I’m against the bombings that Bush ordered in recent days. But the role of the president covers more than just defense and homeland security. I think people have good reason to be wary of the way Bush is handling his job “overall,” which is the term pollsters use when questioning people. We are plunging towards national debt because Bush pushed a huge tax cut through Congress that depended on the surplus to avoid eating into federal programs. Now, with that surplus fast shrinking and $55 billion in new spending stemming from the attacks, Bush has asked for a new $75 billion tax cut. Consumer confidence is at its lowest in years, the airlines are failing and our economy is teetering on the brink of recession. Yet Bush wants to pick up more debt for the federal government by going into deficit spending. It would seem that Bush is turning into Ronald Reagan, emulating his reckless tax cuts and increasing the national debt.

Nor are the shortcomings of Bush’s domestic policy limited to his poor economic planning in the wake of the terrorist attacks. What if the destruction of Sept. 11 had never happened? Bush would still be pushing to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He would still be turning away from the U.N. and declining to sign treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol, the Small Arms Ban and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The current crisis has limited Bush’s ability to go astray on other policy issues for now, but I’d wager that in three months, he’ll be back to his usual tricks.

Approval ratings stem directly from the media’s positive or negative coverage of the president. During times of crisis, ratings soar because both the media and the president’s political opponents temporarily stop attacking him. The present situation is no exception. Prominent Democrats are making a big deal out of supporting the president in whatever action he takes. In recent speeches, even former vice president and bitter rival Al Gore ’69 has expressed support for Bush.

Personally, I think Bush is doing no better than any Democrat would be doing right now. Yes, he made a good speech, and he hasn’t made any rash decisions. But that alone isn’t enough to justify our unfailing dedication to his policies. At the root of the current administration’s shortcomings lie a host of problems Bush hasn’t fixed and probably never will.

To be sure, Bush’s sudden burst of popularity will not last forever. We saw how long support for his father, former President George H.W. Bush, lasted when victory in the Gulf War gave way to economic recession and domestic woes. A similar fate awaits our current president. Just as patriotism dissipated in 1992 and allowed Bill Clinton to pull an unimaginable victory from Bush Sr., George W. Bush’s moment in the sun is destined to fade away.