"the number of white, evangelical Protestants strongly backing the president has fallen from six-in-ten after his re-election down to 34% today. Strong support for Bush has declined at similar rates among southerners (40% to 20%), high income earners (34% to 22%), weekly church-goers (42% to 25%), and those who are married with young children (41% to 26%)."
Doubt creeps into the heart of the heartland, I guess.
". . . those who strongly disapprove of his performance outnumber those who strongly approve by more than two-to-one (45% vs. 19%, respectively)."
Most people do not pay any appreciable attention to the news, and many of those who do, watch Fox. But, people do get a lot of impressionistic information from each other, and Bush's approval ratings are hurt, first, by the daily experience at the gas pump (Yes, Americans are THAT shallow), and, second, by expressions heard from people, who feel strongly. The number of people, who strongly approved of Bush once neatly balanced the people, who strongly disapproved. Now, more than half the country disapprove, nearly half STRONGLY disapprove, and those, who strongly approve are down around 20% -- seriously marginal territory, occupied by people who report being abducted by aliens or sighting Elvis at the local carwash.
With nearly half the country aroused to seriously badmouth Bush, and a vanishing cadre of defenders to balance them out, even without any signal events, Bush's approval ratings will continue to tank.
The political avalanche comes when the opposition is fully legitimized, that is, when those disapproving begin to sound sensible, when the "Bush-haters" cannot be demonized or marginalized. That day may be not far off.
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