Do a search on Google for the phrase "miserable failure" and the first thing you get is President Bush's official White House biography. Pretty funny. Unfortunately, what's NOT pretty funny about the Bush presidency is that it really HAS been a "miserable failure." And, according to a new CNN/USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll out this morning, 55% of Americans agree that this is the case. In contrast, only 42% say that the Bush Presidency - huge budget deficits, cronyism run amok, more than 2,000 dead in Iraq, a general loss of standing in the world, America more divided than ever, scandals galore -- has been a "success." Likewise, just 41% of Americans believe the Bush Administration WILL be a success over the remaining three years. Now, these poll results are not surprising but they're also not good news for our country. Having a crippled, weak, unpopular President leading our country during a time of troubles is not what we want or need. Unfortunately, Bush's political predicament is a result of his own actions, and the actions of other top Bush Administration officials like Vice President Dick Cheney (42% favorable, 51% unfavorable rating; 55% believe that Cheney was aware of top aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby's actions in the case of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame), Karl Rove (24% favorable, 40% unfavorable), etc.
In addition, the poll demonstrates that the American people simply DO NOT SHARE the Bush Administration's priorities and values. For instance, on Iraq, 54% of Americans believe that the United States "made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq. Just 45% believe it was not a mistake. And 53% believe the Bush Administration DELIBERATELY "misled the American public about whether Iraq has weapons of mass destruction."
On the Supreme Court, only 32% of Americans want a Supreme Court nominee who will vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. In contrast, a whopping 62% do NOT want Roe v. Wade overturned.
On taxes, a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that just 39% of Americans believe the enormous Bush tax cuts -- the centerpiece of his economic policy -- were "worth it." Another 53% believe that "Federal tax cuts have NOT been worth it, because they have increased the deficit and caused cuts in government programs."
On Social Security, another CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll recently found that just 29% of Americans "approve of George W. Bush's approach to addressing the Social Security system." A whopping 62% "disapprove."
We could go on and on, into the issue of energy policy and gas prices, the Bush Administration's approach to immigration and securing our borders, etc. But we'll spare you the gory details. The bottom line is that the Bush Administration and his ultra-conservative cronies in Washington DC do NOT share the American peoples' priorities (32% say they do; 65% say they do NOT). Given this, it is utterly unsurprising that only 26% of Americans say the country is headed in the "right direction" under George W. Bush and the Republican Congress.
The question for Virginia voters on November 8th is this: do you want someone as Governor who will be a Bush clone -- fiscally irresponsible, corrupt, incompetent, extreme, and far out of touch with mainstream American values? If so, I encourage you to vote for people like Jerry "the Duck" Kilgore, Bill "Gutter" Bolling, and "Taliban Bob" McDonnell. If, instead, you'd rather see Virginia continue along the "best managed state/AAA bond rating" path we've enjoyed the past 4 years, I would strongly urge you to vote for Governor Mark Warner's loyal lieutenant, Tim Kaine, as well as his able and effective running mates -- Leslie Byrne and Creigh Deeds.
So there you have it in a nutshell: on November 8th, will it be a) George W. Bush/Jerry W. Kilgore Virginia? Or b) Mark Warner/Tim Kaine Virginia? The choice is clear. Go Kaine!