A 91% disapproval rating is what I would call legendary. Or put another way, the United States Congress enjoys a 9% approval rating. Consider that A 50% disapproval/approval rating would be a very good rating, given a bipartisan legislature in total. Certainly half of the constituency would prefer the members they arent aligned with, sit on their hands with respect to their own personal desires. That, in itself is OK.
But at a point where so few are happy with the state of things as affected by our legislative bodies, we need to really examine why they will probably not change much in the near future. Even those who have a strong disapproval of the congress as a whole will look at their own hired gun, and think he is OK, or at the very least better than the alternative (challenger)
US Senator Carl Levin has reportedly dropped below 48% approval in Michigan, (last PUBLISHED poll showed 54%) but does that mean he is in trouble? Perhaps, but only if the voters can overcome his “baby out with the bathwater argument” of seniority being able to get things done. And as you might not be aware, the first thing you get when you go to congress, is a “constituency services” handbook, a guide on how to best serve your district. Or as it SHOULD be called “spending tax dollars to fight bad laws we made.” Levin showed in recent debates that he is not going to back down from the earmark nipple he has his lips glued to. He openly brags of being 11th in the senate for getting those dollars to come back to Michigan. I’ll imagine that makes voters in the other states happy too.
Which brings us back to the opening thesis. His disapproval by other voters in other districts is at a significant level, but THEY cannot vote for, or against him. So Carl Levin, like any other US Senator in any other state faces less than a 91% challenge even given such a poor overall rating. His delivery of earmarks to Michigan interests has worked for 30 years, why change now. Further, the voters continue to be dis served by a complicit media element, and the relationships as to WHY we are having problems becomes confused even more.
So the question remains, Will Jack Hoogendyk be able to unseat the man who is everything that is wrong with our government? Will the voters look to the needs of the country before looking for their own delivered earmarks from the 30 year incumbant Senior Senator? For Jack Hoogendyk, and for the country, I hope so, and I hope that the “Country First” message can filter though to the voters for the other senatorial races as well.