Reply #35: The post-9/11 "bounce" was the political capital

[Jed Dilligan]

that allowed him to push the Patriot Act through the Senate 98-1 and maintain public approval for Iraq around 75% until late in 2003. Sure, he spent a lot of that capital antagonizing Democrats, but I don't think that's the cause of his low approval ratings now. His low approval comes from his mishandling of the war and Katrina.

As for whom I "hang" with, I don't know one person who even wholly supported invading Afghanistan; most of my friends were LIHOP or MIHOP from day one. I only base my analysis on public opinion studies that I've watched over the course of the last few years. I'm used to being utterly marginalized politically; it's something I take for granted. In fact, I never even voted above the state level until 2000.

Is your point that a well-intentioned President enjoying 90% approval after a national tragedy could have accomplished great things? I don't disagree, but the situation is strictly hypothetical.