All time Low (Fair & Balanced)

[Dawgcountry]

May 15, 2007
Congress Approval Down to 29%; Bush Approval Steady at 33%
Both ratings are slightly lower than 2007 averages

by Joseph Carroll

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- A new Gallup Poll finds continued low levels of public support for both Congress and President George W. Bush. Twenty-nine percent of Americans approve of Congress, down slightly from last month's reading (33%) and this year's high point of 37%, while Bush's approval rating is holding steady at 33%. Both the ratings of Congress and the president are slightly lower than their respective 2007 averages. Approval ratings of Congress are higher among Democrats than Republicans, while Bush's ratings are much higher among Republicans.

Congressional Job Approval

According to the May 10-13, 2007, Gallup Poll, 29% of Americans approve and 64% disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job. Congressional approval is down 4 percentage points since last month, and is 3 points lower than the 32% average measured during the first five months of the year. The high point for the congressional approval rating so far this year was the 37% approval measured in February. Although ratings are quite low, Americans have been more positive in their assessments of Congress this year than last year, when an average of just 25% approved of Congress.

[-mmm-]

Fair and balanced doesnt mean unbiased.

[P562045]

I have always wondered who the Hannity is for Katie Couric, Brian Williams, Charles Gibson, Larry King, and Anderson Cooper? Being "fair and balanced" is a marketing gimmick by Fox News plain and simply but I just wonder about my question sometimes.

The news does want to show that they are objective and the main reason is that there are so many other distractions for people to do nowadays that the news does want to keep the people they have had in the past as long as they can. There is one other factor when talking about the evening news. People already know some of the stories sometimes before it even comes on the evening news. I can still remember barely watching the evening news on a black and white television and by the way that was about the only national news on television at the time. The way news is even gathered and presented now has changed dramatically since the late 70's.

Now I must admit that the last time that I actually watched the evening news was Katie's first day on the job at CBS. There are several main reasons why I don't watch the evening news. I can see right through their really trying to be objective because what I have seen only tells one side of the story and the other side of the story is totally ignored. And if it not ignored it is to attack the other side. I can honestly say I do not remember the last time I watched a full newscast of the evening news.

And there is no doubt in my mind that many people feel the exact same way I do.

The peak of the viewer ship of the evening news happened back early in 1993. And the evening news has lost viewers ever since then. And I have already said some of the reasons why the people just don't watch the evening news as much as they used to.

I would just like to find out from others how often they actually make it a part of their day to watch the evening news?

[Dawgcountry]

I actually watch ABC's evening news... Not sure why though - just out habit I guess....

The Fair & Balanced Comment was in response to the other "All time low" thread in this forum - it failed to throw in that Congress was at an all time low as well and was only to express displeasure for one side of the political spectrum. Its not just the president that people are unhappy with - Its all politicians on both sides of the aisles.

[-mmm-]

Originally Posted by coolpeter72

I would just like to find out from others how often they actually make it a part of their day to watch the evening news?

Id rather watch 70s Show or Simpsons reruns that are on at that time.

I do watch them, though I flip through them. I watch NBC more than the others. CBS is atrocious to watch since Katie (I dont think its so much her, but they changed up the format so that it almost seems way too dumbed down), ABC has gotten a bit better since Halperin left as the news director there (he adored the atricious Drudge the way a 13 year old girl swoons for a boy band member). Lou Dobbs is allright to watch whenever he doesnt rant about immigration...in other words I find him hard to watch almost all the time. Single issue types get real boring real fast when theres so much else going on thats probably more important.

The closest to being a Hannity on a network or CNN? Thats easy. Glen Beck (whos on CNN and does some bit parts for ABC). But its really hard to get a cushy gig like the people you listed have being a hard right wing sludge slinger.

As for objectivity. For decades conservatives railed against the "liberal press". The past decade (esp since the start of the Iraq war) you've seen liberals decry the press for not being objective and being way too cozy with the people they're suppossed to be objective about, and supporting neoconservative objectives due to such relationships.

[P562045]

Glenn Beck would be the closest to the television Hannity. The radio Hannity has a totally different persona than the television Hannity. Hannity does have to give the people what they want while he on the radio. But there is one little problem that Glenn Beck has with being like Hannity on television. Glenn Beck usually gives only one side of the story also. It is very rare that you don't get both sides of the story on Hannity and Colmes. That is what makes Hannity and Colmes so unique especially on television. Most of the time when you do not get both sides of the story on Hannity and Colmes is because one of them is not interested in the story or Hannity is interrupting Colmes. There is another reason some of the guests on Hannity and Colmes tend to be a little long winded. And how often do you get more than a two or three minute segment on television news program anymore?

[P562045]

Hannity can also be a little long winded on television also. So long winded Hannity plus long winded guest equals both sides of the story not be expressed.