Bush Hits Record Low Poll Number (Again)

In the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll conducted March 10-12, 2006 comes this delightful news:

Bush's approval rating of 36 percent is the lowest mark of his presidency in a Gallup poll, falling a percentage point below the 37 percent approval he scored in November. The previous CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted February 28-March 1, put his job approval at 38 percent. Sixty percent of those surveyed in the latest poll said they disapproved of his performance in office, the same figure as in the last poll.

What is the Commander-in-Chief's response to such a stunning rebuke from the American public? Well, Bush was asked this very question on Friday and this was his response: "I understand some of the things I've done are unpopular. But that's what comes with the territory. If you're afraid to make decisions and you only worried about, you know, whether or not people in the classroom are going to say nice things about you, you're not leading."

Argh! Where to begin deconstructing this statement? First, it's anti-academic ("people in the classroom"). Second, it assumes that leadership means that you don't have to "worry" think about what people think about your leadership (has this man ever heard of the concept of the c onsent of the governed?) Third, what does George W. Bush know about leadership anyway? The reason why he's unpopular is that he is acting like he is on a mission from God and taking the country in directions more than 60% of those polled do not want to go!