(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
BY JIM FLINK
ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN
So we all -- presumably -- know who the 99 percent are. What about -- the 11 percent? That’s the number of people who actually approve of Congress in the latest Gallup poll.
So how’d we get here? Here’s The State Column with a look.
“After a year that included a historic unemployment rate, nearly three government shutdowns, a debt supercommittee failure and bipartisan disagreements over payroll tax cut extensions and unemployment benefits... Americans have become weary of the bipartisan arguing in Congress...”
Politico says the annual approval rating landed at 17 percent -- also an historic low. Wanna know the highs? Or even the average?
“Since 1974, the average annual congressional job approval rating has been 34 percent ... The highest approval rating for Congress was 84 percent in October 2001, a month after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.”
Now -- lots of news orgs have put out Congressional approval ratings in recent weeks -- and while they might vary by a few percentage points -- they all agree -- no one really seems to like Congress. Here’s CNN’s take.
“Not a good number for congress. Right now in our brand-new CNN/ORC poll, only 16% approval of the way congress is handling its job. 83% disapprove.”
“Ten years ago, as many as 65 percent of Americans actually liked their elected officials. But as Congress has gotten more and more dysfunctional, its popularity has fallen dramatically to today's all-time low - a nine-percent approval rating.”
And just how low can Congress go? The Atlantic has other polarizing issues which somehow garnered more support than Congress.
“... 9 percent approval is a historic low, even for Congress, exceeded by the approval ratings for polygamy (11 percent,) BP's handling of the oil spill (16 percent,) banks (23 percent,) and pornography (30 percent.)”
The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein says this is the least popular congress -- ever. And that’s saying something -- because Congress just got a facelift in the form of recent elections.
“Tired of Democrats, Americans ushered in Republicans. Tired of career politicians, they opted, in many districts, for outsiders. Tired of establishment Republicans, they looked for Tea Party conservatives. Fast forward a year and Americans are tired, historically tired, of this Congress, too.”
If you’re keeping count, President Obama’s approval rating actually went up 5 percent to 49 percent. The ABC News/Washington Post poll notes, it’s Mr. Obama’s highest rating since last March.
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