(5/17/2005) Shortly after George W. Bush was appointed president by the Supreme Court, and up until 9/11/2001, Bush's job approval rating was dropping like a rock, from around 65% to under 50%, and his disapproval rating was skyrocketing, from under 14% to over 34%. Then, immediately after the terrorist attack on 9/11/2001, Bush's job approval rating shot up to over 90%, and since that time it has been steadily falling to its current all time low of 47%, with a record high disapproval rating of 50%. One recent poll I saw had 35% approving of the job Bush has been doing, which would be the lowest of any president ever. 

This polling data is significant because it exposes how the terrorist attack on 9/11 changed people's perceptions about Bush. The American people appear to have forgotten about Bush's unacceptable actions that preceded the attack, at least for a little while.

These polls also reflect that a significant percentage of the American people are now paying closer attention to what Bush has been doing since 9/11 as is indicated by his latest very low job approval ratings.

I admit that my extreme dislike for George W. Bush and the Republican party was thrown off by what happened on 9/11 to the point that I was ready to fall inline behind Bush's leadership. I think we all felt unified as Americans against the terrorist on that day, and in retrospect maybe that is why 9/11 happened, or was allowed to occur.

Is it possible that 9/11 was really a Bush administration manufactured terrorist attack designed to unify the American people behind Bush, and to give Bush the support he needed in Congress to pass his extremist right-wing agenda? Based on Bush's actions before, during, and since 9/11 it is not only possible it is highly probable.

The 9/11 Commission exposed a number of previously unknown facts about Bush's actions, attitude, and intelligence failures that point to Bush's gross incompetence as a leader, at best, and criminal collusion and conspiracy with the terrorist, at worst. For example, Bush objected to the creation of the 9/11 Commission, he objected to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, he refused to testify before the 9/11 Commission, and just before the attack on 9/11 he ignored numerous warnings from high ranking government officials about an impending attack by terrorist already inside America.

Bush's current record low job approval rating has nothing to do with his actions and policies before 9/11, but it has everything to do with his policies and actions since 9/11. For example, the record high federal deficits; the growing list of U.S. casualties in Iraq (1,582); the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal; the tax cuts for the rich; the outsourcing of jobs and factories; the growing trade deficit ($750 billion); the outing of a CIA agents identity; the corporate scandals (Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, etc.); the growing wealth gap; the non-bid contracts for Halliburton; Bush's refusal to create and cooperate with the 9/11 Commission; roll back of environmental laws; rising health care cost; rising numbers of uninsured; new federal cronyism rules; a deeply flawed Medicare prescription drug legislation who's actual cost have skyrocketed; numerous lies; Bush's corrupt Social Security privatization plan; Bush's repeated nominations of bad judges to live time positions in the federal courts; rising amounts of corporate welfare; record high gas prices; rising interest rates; and Bush's failure to control government spending are all reasons why Bush has fallen out of favor with the American people.

The polls indicate that the debates between Bush and Kerry, and Cheney and Edwards, solidified people's negative opinions about Bush and inspired many people to vote for a change in direction, and a change in leadership. The biggest threat to America now is that the people's votes will not be counted correctly and we will end up with Bush for four more years, which is exactly what happened.

As I predicted the exit polls showed Kerry beating Bush in several key states, but the final vote tally gave Bush the win in these states.

I am afraid the new paperless voting computers, that were used for the first time in the 2004 election, have damaged our democracy beyond repair, and Bush's action are solidifying that damage.

I believe the polls should reflect a much higher disapproval level, but I suspect most Americans are still fooled into believe the press reports and sound bites, and not the reality. I believe that the reality of Bush's horrible economic and social policies would have hit home already if it weren't for the fact that our economy is being keep aloft on a mountain of new debt. And I'm afraid that when the reality does finally hit home it will be too late, the damage will have been done and the people's regret and misery will be muted by the new plutocracy that has already taken over our government and is steadily improvising it.