> Note that Ronnie's approval rating is *below* the historical average
> (54 vs. 56).
Well, if his approval rating was so low, how did he win with 489 electoral votes (43,98,770 popular - 50.8%) to Carter's 49 electoral votes (35,480,948 popular - 41.0%), and 525 electoral votes (54,451,521 popular - 58.8%) to Mondale's 13 electoral votes (37,565,334 popular - 40.5%)? After 4 years of the Reagan Experience, the Reagan haters were so enraged that they allowed a much bigger vote for the bastard than the first time.
And then the popular feeling against the SOB was so high, apparently, that the great American electorate voted in his Vice President, a noted friend of the people. It wasn't until the DP fell under the thrall of the DLC and put up good old Republican-wolf-in-Democratic-clothing Bill that they managed to end the GOP dynasty. One could argue that Carter, Mondale, and Dukakis were notably weak candidates, but couldn't the legions of Reagan-haters manage to get the DP to come up with a stronger candidate than them at least once in these three times at bat (or rather two, since Carter was pretty much guaranteed renomination)?
It's fine to tell a pollster that you "hate" a President, or scrawl graffiti on a wall, but what counts, dammit, is dragging your butt to your polling place and voting the sucker *out.* Where were all those fine folks who "hated" the Gipster when it counted? Let's hope they show up this November.
Jon Johanning // jjohanning at igc.org __________________________________ Had I been present at the Creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe. -- Attr. to Alfonso the Wise, King of Castile