The AP wrote an article entitled Poll: GOP gets the blame in shutdown and started the article telling us how the evil Republicans are getting the blame for the shutdown:
Americans are holding Republicans primarily responsible for the partial government shutdown as public esteem sinks for all players in the impasse, President Barack Obama among them, according to a new poll. It’s a struggle with no heroes. …
Overall, 62 percent mainly blamed Republicans for the shutdown. About half said Obama or the Democrats in Congress bear much responsibility.
As we read down we learn that they Tea Party is far larger than the Democrats are making it sound with their demonizations:
The poll found that the tea party is more than a gang of malcontents in the political landscape, as its supporters in Congress have been portrayed by Democrats. Rather, it’s a sizable — and divisive — force among Republicans. More than 4 in 10 Republicans identified with the tea party and were more apt than other Republicans to insist that their leaders hold firm in the standoff over reopening government and avoiding a default of the nation’s debt in coming weeks.
Hello, you needed a poll to tell you that after 2010? Geez.
And then about 7 paragraphs down they drop this bombshell:
Most Americans disapprove of the way Obama is handling his job, the poll suggests, with 53 percent unhappy with his performance and 37 percent approving of it. Congress is scraping rock bottom, with a ghastly approval rating of 5 percent.
Wow. I’m sure the media will have a field day with this one! They’ll be announcing it from the rooftops! And I’m sure Wolf Blitzer will be announcing this at the top of every news segment today just like he did in 2006 when Bush hit 36% (h/t: Rush Limbaugh):
BLITZER, MARCH 13, 2006: It’s 4 p.m. here in Washington. So you’re getting the first look right now at our brand-new poll. The president’s job approval rating has taken a downward turn again, falling to only 36%.
[break] This represents his lowest rating ever in the CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.
[break] The president’s poll numbers are pretty bad, pretty awful right now, rock bottom as far as the CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.
[break] The president’s Iraq problem and his new low point in the polls.
[break] His approval and policies now are at new lows.
[break] The president’s job approval number in this new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, rock bottom, the lowest it’s ever been.
[break] It’s 5 p.m. here in Washington where President Bush takes a beating in our latest poll. His approval rating at a low ebb.
[break] Our latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll just out in the past hour shows the president at an all-time low.
[break] His job approval rating at a new low.
[break] That’s rock bottom as far as our poll is concerned.
[break] It’s 7 p.m. here in Washington. The war in Iraq comes home to roost for President Bush. Our latest poll numbers showing his approval rating at a new low.
[break] Also: President Bush hits a new low in the polls.
[break] Now back to our lead story: President Bush’s approval rating now at an all-time low.
[break] As we noted, a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll shows his job approval rating at a new low.
[break] President Bush’s approval rating at a new low, 36%.
Nah, nothing to see here because we’re looking at this backwards. It’s not whether the American people approve of the president that matters, but whether Obama approves of the American people.