Most.Unpopular.Ever

With all of the attention on the upcoming primaries for the Presidential race, this little gem may have slipped by.

Daily News reporter/blogger Will Bunch highlights the milestone, Worse than Watergate: Bush scores lowest presidential approval rating EVER!, noting:

George W. Bush is now the most unpopular president in recorded American history. (h/t Atrios)

Worse than Richard Nixon in the days before he resigned in disgrace during Watergate, worse than Jimmy Carter during the Iran hostage crisis, much worse than Bill Clinton when he was impeached. Just as Roger Bannister raced through what once seemed the unreachable 4-minute mile, Bush has burst through a barrier once also thought impossible, below the 20-percent mark.

Citing a survey by The American Research Group, Inc:

George W. Bush's overall job approval rating has dropped to a new low in American Research Group polling as 78% of Americans say that the national economy is getting worse according to the latest survey from the American Research Group.

Among all Americans, 19% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 77% disapprove. When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 14% approve and 79% disapprove.

Bunch then considers these statistics and inquires:

How does it compare to other presidents? There's no comparison.

Nixon, as he was hounded out of office in August 1974, never dipped below the mid-20s.

Here's a pretty good compilation of poll numbers from Roper. To summarize the highlights:

Clinton low: 36 percent, May 1993 (early missteps like Zoe Baird)

George H.W. Bush low: 29 percent, August 1992 (recession)

Reagan low: 35 percent, January 1983 (recession)

Carter low: 28 percent, July 1979 (high gas prices)

Ford low: 37 percent, January 1975 (economy, Nixon pardon)

Nixon low: 23 percent, January 1974 (Watergate)

Johnson low: 35 percent, August 1968 (Vietnam)

Lowest ever? That would be Harry Truman during the Korean War, in February 1952, at 22 percent.

And so now George W. Bush has shattered a record that has stood for 55 long years, and there's not any one reason. It's everything, although I suspect that liberals would more likely say Iraq and torture, conservatives would say immigration and runaway spending, and everyone would now say the economy.

I've noted on several occasions that Bush is without a doubt the worst ever, see, e.g., It's No Contest, Without.A.Doubt, Worst. President. Ever. Last year Bill Maher devoted on of his best New Rules to why Bush is the worst. As I noted in an earlier post, he did some research on the presidents:

Maher then leads into his analysis of Bush, compared to other former Presidents. Maher says that while other President's have sucked in their own individual ways, Bush is like a smörgåsbord of suck. He combines the corruption of Warren G. Harding, the warmongering of James Polk and the abuse of power of Richard Nixon. It's brilliant -- and true.

Check it out at A Smorgasbord of Suck.

(Cartoon: Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal Constitution)