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KoKo

(84,711 posts)
Mon Dec 15, 2014, 05:33 PM Dec 2014

"Making All the People Unhappy All the Time"--Congress Overall Approval in Gallup Poll

Making All the People Unhappy All the Time
By: Jon Walker Monday December 15, 2014 1:00 pm

Congress’s overall approval rating continues to remain extremely bad, but in their terribleness they have managed to achieve something that would be impressive if it wasn’t so depressing. Gallup found that disapproval with Congress is basically equal among all political groups. Regular Republicans, Democrats and Independents all have an almost identically bad opinion of Congress. From Gallup:



Divide government doesn’t lead to compromise or “moving to the middle.” It results in crippling gridlock with the only laws being approved are must pass omnibus bills loaded down with corrupt backroom deals.

When your political system is making everyone unhappy it is time you start seriously questioning how your country runs its elections. The dysfunction of the past two years wasn’t actually the result of the voting public wanting divided government, but the result of really bad election rules. Democrats actually won the popular vote for the House, but bad election rules let Republicans win a majority of the seats. Being able to win with only a minority of public support has created terrible political incentives that undermine effective governance. There are other election system used in other countries which would eliminate this problem. It is possible to assure that the party with the least votes never ends up wining the most seats.

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"Making All the People Unhappy All the Time"--Congress Overall Approval in Gallup Poll (Original Post) KoKo Dec 2014 OP
Finally, something the public can agree on. Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2014 #1
Our 'democracy' is a fucking joke. We allow them to do this to us. Avalux Dec 2014 #2
Democratic Leaders, can you now see why D voters did not come out to vote? Look at that steep drop Dont call me Shirley Dec 2014 #3
This is our hope for change. woo me with science Dec 2014 #4
Not "Everybody" is fredamae Dec 2014 #5
If 14 percent of the people approve of Congress, then 13 percent have been fooled. Scuba Dec 2014 #6
LOL madokie Dec 2014 #8
Whats to be expected madokie Dec 2014 #7
 

Tierra_y_Libertad

(50,414 posts)
1. Finally, something the public can agree on.
Mon Dec 15, 2014, 05:36 PM
Dec 2014
"History has tried to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians. Now, to go and stick one at the very head of government couldn't be wise." Mark Twain

Avalux

(35,015 posts)
2. Our 'democracy' is a fucking joke. We allow them to do this to us.
Mon Dec 15, 2014, 05:45 PM
Dec 2014

They rig the game, Americans play along and complain, yet don't get involved and pay attention to what's going on. We'd rather watch tv and obsess over celebrities, and boast about how many facebook 'friends' we have.

We deserve what we get.

woo me with science

(32,139 posts)
4. This is our hope for change.
Mon Dec 15, 2014, 05:53 PM
Dec 2014

We are incessantly propagandized to make us hate each other and believe that the other side is getting everything it wants.

The truth is that we are all victims of a tiny corporate elite that has purchased both parties.

Change comes when we become the 99 percent and demand corporate money and corporate-purchased politicians out of our elections and government.

Republicans are a sham enemy. Corporatists are the real enemy. And it's an important distinction
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025910311#post17

in terms of drawing support from current Republicans for a candidate like Bernie and breaking the hyperpartisan con game that corporatists use to keep us divided and unable to unite against what they are doing to us.

We tend to equate Republicans and corporatists because the Republican Party was infiltrated by Wall Street first and has been working for corporate interests for a long time.

But the truth is that traditional Republicanism was corrupted by the corporate monsters just as much as the Democratic Party is being corrupted now. The corporatists lie to Republicans as much as they lie to us. Just as our corporate politicians lie to us about wanting to protect public education, social justice and the social safety nets, unions, and the environment, their politicians lie to them about wanting to stand for small government, limited government interference in private lives, and the defense of civil liberties. Yet no matter which party is elected, we get the same corporate monster agenda of larger, more oppressive and authoritarian government, assaults on and privatization of public services, and more warmongering.

Every poll shows that Republicans are just as angry about what is being done to this country as we are. We drown in corporate propaganda to make us hate and blame each other so we won't realize that that we are ALL victims and so we won't unite to demand our representation back. They want it to be more viscerally repulsive to us to ever think about uniting with a Republican on ANYTHING, even than to defend our Bill of Rights and our democratic representation. Even though we keep getting the same suicidal, predatory agenda under both parties, we are to circle the wagons when it's our guy in office.

I think being clear that corporatists are the enemy is important because we have got to break the con game of hyperpartisanship they use to keep us divided, and teach ALL Americans that we have a stake in getting corporate money out of government. The truth is that we can beat traditional Republicans at the ballot box. But right now, we don't even get the chance to do that. The system has been purchased by Wall street, and they aren't running traditional Republicans *or* traditional Democrats for office anymore. They are running corporatists on both sides.

We need to become the 99 percent to take our representation back. We don't have to agree on everything. Just that our representation has been stolen from ALL of us by corporate corruption of our government and elections. And that we demand corporate money and power out of government and the political system so we can have our representation back.


K&R

madokie

(51,076 posts)
7. Whats to be expected
Tue Dec 16, 2014, 10:08 AM
Dec 2014

when you have a press who equates the three. I have a strong high opinion of my Democratic and Independent congress critters but a lower than dirt opinion of the republiCON scumsuckers

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