Why is Congress *SO* unpopular?

[underpants]

I don't remember the popularity polls on Congress running in the same story as the latest poll report on the President. Hmmm? Wonder why that is?? Okay to be fair I have heard the Congressional popularity polls get some attention before-when Newt was running the House and lost badly in the government shutdown showdown with Clinton. Then it went away.

I didn't see regular mention of the polls on Congress during the 109th Congress. Well the voting showed that not only were they terribly unpopular but it was due to an issue that was never discussed before and seldom since the midterms of 2006- rampant corruption mostly on the Republican side. Hmmm wonder why that is??

Now the implication here is that people THE PEOPLE don't like the way Congress is doing things, that they don't like the DEMOCRATS running the Hill but you can't get down to 12 or 16% without the Democrats, of all degrees and stripes, chiming in as well. Yes, a lot of us if forced to pick one evaluation of the doings of Congress would come down on the negative side but the "WHY" is not asked or offered in these news reports so here it is:

Congress isn't doing enough to reverse the horrific actions and inactions of the last 6-plus years.

They aren't punishing the Bush administration enough either.

Simply put-they aren't doing what we clearly signaled in the last national election.

WE are the majority. The Republicans are mostly a regional party trying desperately to hold on to the mountain west so as to still remain a "national" party. The reason Congress is so unpopular is because of US-the right has never been the majority and certainly isn't now.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. The only way to run for office in the U.S., is to make promises to the rich (corps, etc.).

There is no other way. That, alone, makes for some very useless politicians, or at least ones that are beholden to the rich (corporations, etc.)

[Totally Committed]

2. See this thread I just posted:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3630048

A couple of answers there.

TC

[baldguy]

3. Two things: no impeachment & the war continues.

Why should people vote for Dems if they don't do what they're elected to do?

[TwilightGardener]

4. Was Congress ever popular? Aren't they kind of up there with the IRS

in terms of government entities we love to hate and blame?

[Yael]

5. But but but!

Nancy Pelosi has a mandate!

When are those 100 days up, anyway?

:popcorn:

[OKNancy]

6. Not that much difference

this goes back to 9-2005 http://www.pollingreport.com/CongJob.htm
They never seem to be highly popular.

As far as the numbers now.. it's the war. People want this war over and Congress is incapable of doing anything about it. Not telling you anything you don't know.

But the thing to do is elect more DEMOCRATS. They need the numbers.

[Rhythm and Blue]

7. That's about a third of it.

Another third is that they're punishing the Bush administration too much, and are doing too much to erase the conservative gains of the last six-plus years.

The final third is that people have just fucking had it with partisan bullshit and "it's all THEIR fault we suck."

[CCfromNY]

8. In every poll

the Republicans in Congress are even less popular than the Democrats in Congress, a fact that manages to escape most of the conservative crowd who seem to take so much pleasure in pointing out the unpopularity of the 'Dem' Congress.

[Rhythm and Blue]

9. Indeed they are.

And just as with the Democrats and Congress as a whole, you can break down their unpopularity into three segments:

1. Members of that party who think they aren't doing enough to antagonize their opposition
2. Members of the opposite party who think they're doing too much to antagonize their opposition.
3. Independents who are sick of both parties playing transparent partisan games.