Reality sets in: It appears that polls are finally catching up with the reality that we are living through the most inferior American presidency in history. You can’t get much more mainstream than the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll:
For the first time in the poll, Bush’s approval rating has sunk below 40 percent, while the percentage believing the country is heading in the right direction has dipped below 30 percent. In addition, a sizable plurality prefers a Democratic-controlled Congress, and just 29 percent think Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers is qualified to serve on the nation’s highest court…
The poll shows that Bush’s approval rating stands at 39 percent, a new low for the president. In the last NBC/Wall Street Journal survey, which was released in mid-September, 40 percent approved of Bush’s job performance while 55 percent disapproved. In addition, just 28 percent believe the country is headed in the right direction, another all-time low in Bush’s presidency…
In addition, with 13 months until the 2006 congressional elections, 48 percent say they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, compared with 39 percent who want the Republicans to control Capitol Hill. In fact, that nine-point difference is the largest margin between the parties in the 11 years the NBC/Journal poll has been tracking this question.
Now the question is, will 39 percent be the ceiling for Bush’s approval rating for the rest of his presidency. (May it be a short one!)
James Buchanan was probably worse (covertly arming the South, or looking the other way as it happened, in preparation for the rebellion). But Bush has a ways to go yet, as you have pointed out.