You have the world’s best golfer at plus 38 and the high-profile duffer at minus 18. Something must be terribly wrong.
You can bet that the numbers aren’t golf scores when one is Eldrick “Tiger” Woods and the other is President Barack Obama.
38% favorability rating
A Rasmussen poll informs us that Tiger’s favorable rating of 56% on December 1st, dropped to 38% on December 9th. Before long, his favorability numbers will be down to the number of “encounters” he’s had, although with accumulating daily revelations maybe that’s where they are now!
I’m sure that as Tiger’s wife, Elin Nordegren, reflects back on what has happened, she realizes that she should have been suspicious when Tiger regularly left home telling her he was, “going to play a round.”
42% disapproval rating
Barack’s minus number is his Presidential Approval Index and it is pitiful. Rasmussen got this figure by taking the nation’s voters who strongly approve of the way he is performing his role as President (24%) and subtracting those who strongly disapprove (42%).
Barack warned us during the presidential campaign that if elected he was going to fundamentally change the United States. We should have believed him especially when he had large, elected majorities in Congress to help him.
Sensing a mandate, the new President set out to get the Congress to go along with him and expand the role of government in as many areas as possible. He appointed czars, including some with dubious resumes, and gave them incredible power. “In government we trust,” seemed to be the motto of the new government.
The pace that these folks went about doing things was warning-flag worthy. Many of these quick moving Democrats slid away from being called, “Liberal.” and preferred to be called, “Progressive.”
I mention the name preference because the other night during a commercial, I switched over to MSNBC and watched Chris “thrill up my leg” Matthews interview outspoken Democrat Alan Grayson of Florida. Chris set Grayson up by asking him if he was a progressive. Grayson agreed. Chris then made the point that a “progressive” takes things methodically step-by-step whereas a “radical” wants things done in a, no-holds-barred, hurry. Chris rightly surmised that in their pace the Democrats were acting like radicals rather than progressives. Grayson answered with a hapless defense and changed the subject. But Chris’s point was/is a good one.
What does the country think about Barack’s ideas now? Again Rasmussen: 65% (12-9-09) of adults say that the United States is heading in the wrong direction. Another Rasmussen poll has 56% opposing the Senate healthcare proposal.
It will be interesting to see how long the President caters to his dwindling number of supporters. Will the radical become a progressive? If he doesn’t, the results of the 2010 Congressional elections will give him a rebuke of the highest order.
Despite all the uncertainty, there is one certainty – a copy of the January 2010 issue of Golf Digest will not be on the coffee table in Barack’s White House suite. Why? The picture on the cover showing Barack with Tiger isn’t the problem. The title, “10 Tips Obama Can Take from Tiger,” might be. An angry Michelle with a golf club? Now that would be something to really worry about!
( This piece appeared in the Newburyport Current on December 18, 2009 and the Newburyport Daily News on December 22, 2009. )
McClelland Miscellanea 