Rhythm of the Falling Reign

What was that George W. Bush was saying about this term being the one in which he cements his place in the history books?

Actually, he did that long ago, but not in the way he meant to. What he's finding right now is that his triumphant second term is turning into a giant mess. A tough slog. A... quagmire, one might say. The one thing it seemed he and his GOP brethren could always count on -- blind devotion from the red folks no matter how badly they screwed up the nation -- seems to be sliding off the table. Approval numbers for both the president and Congress have been low for a while, but the spankin' new polls bring information they really weren't expecting. According to an article posted this morning at CNN.com:

Americans' approval of President Bush's handling of Iraq is at its lowest level yet, according to an AP-Ipsos poll that also suggests fewer than half now think he is honest.

Well what tipped 'em off, do you s'pose? The abundance of evidence that he rushed us to war unnecessarily while lying to Congress in order to get the go-ahead? His penchant for total secrecy in nearly every situation, creating a culture of suspicion the likes of which has never been seen in the White House? His policy of stonewalling over forthrightness, even in the simplest matters? His blatant disregard for his own word in the matter of Karl Rove, a man he should have fired long ago if his word meant a thing? His abuses of power, the most recent of which involved shoving John Bolton up the U.N.'s backside via recess appointment? He's the president who knows no rules, and while some people think that's dandy, most understand the majority of those rules are there for good reason. Hmmm, I wonder what else the poll reveals.

A solid majority still see Bush as a strong and likable leader...

Well, I find that a little hard to fathom. What could they be thinking?

...though the poll indicates the president's confidence is seen as arrogance by a growing number.

Ah. Got it.

Lest you think the drop in Dubya's honesty rating is a meaningless number, consider this:

The drop in the number of people who see Bush as honest was largest among middle-aged Americans as well as suburban women, a key voting group in the 2004 election. A further erosion of trust could make it tougher for Bush to win support for his policies in Congress and internationally.

And with the midterms chugging ever closer, that voting group and others are beginning to see a few things differently on the periphery.

The president's overall approval rating is throwing sparks as it skids along at 42%. That's certainly one for the history books, George.