DAYS

THE MAGIC NUMBER
So the number of the day is clearly 34, as in a 34% approval rating for the president. Way to go W, heckuva job. No need for me to rehash what's already been said, you've heard it all. What it boils down to is this: The numbers are low. Very low. And it's about damn time.



I can't think of any application of the number 34 that could make me happier than when we're talking about Bush approval percentages, but let's see what else we can do with the number 34. Did you know that...

... 34 is the atomic number for the chemical element Selenium, which is related to Sulfur, which is kind of stinky, just like our president.
... 34 is the international dial code for Spain, which was one of like 3 countries in Bush's wildly successful 'Coalition of the Willing'. That country has since elected new leaders and has gotten the hell out of Iraq. Oh, and I'm sorry Poland, I forgot you again. My bad.
... 34 is the number applied to the French département of Hérault. I really know nothing about Hérault, but it's French so it probably pisses off the right-wingers and that's good enough for me.
... 34 was the jersey number of Earl Campbell, who played football for the Houston Oilers. Coincidence? I think not.
... a miracle, which Bush now needs in order to save his presidency, once happend on 34th Street.

A young Natalie Wood apes George W. Bush.

Of course, the Preznit does have one thing going for him: He's still almost twice as popular as that old face-shooting, fear mongering Dick Cheney, who carries a paltry 18% approval rating. Ouch. A commenter on Alternet pointed me to comments made by Jon Stewart about the Veep's numbers on last night's Larry King:

"The 18 percent thing is... you really have to think of this in -- let's look at this just purely statistically. Four out of five dentists surveyed recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum. So, there is one out of five dentists who say "You chew gum? Ah, why not put sugar in it?" These are not the best dentists, OK that's 20 percent. He's not even getting all the dentists who recommend sugared gum. That's low. I think Dracula has a higher Q rating right now than the vice president." (video)

One other poll is getting less attention than the presidential approval numbers, and that's the one Zogby conducted of troops on the ground in Iraq about their thoughts on the war they're currently fighting. An overwhelming 72% oppose the president's stance of "staying until we get the job done," saying we should pull out within the year. So tell me Bushbots, are these troops 'cowards' like John Murtha, who suggested the same thing only 3 months ago? And why are they so unpatriotic? Tell me, why do the troops hate the troops?

MORE
Shakes: Say It With Me...
Froomkin: How Low Can He Go?
Sadly, No: Troops are loser-defeatists, too.
Dauo: 90% of troops think war is retaliation for Saddam's role in 9/11.

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