Stump Lane

THE PRESIDENT’S job approval ratings have been hovering around 33% for a while now. Let’s crunch that:

The polls usually cover “adults,” (though sometimes “registered voters.”) Using 2004 Numbers (pdf) there are about 196 million adult US citizens. This is your “electorate.”

33% of 196 million is 64.7 million. 64.7 million adult US citizens approve of the job the president is doing.

Bush got 62.0 million votes in the 2004 presidential election.

“33%?! That’s only 64.7 million people. This guy clearly does not have a mandate from The People!”

“A mandate from The People it isn’t. Nor does it matter. Apples to oranges, that’s still more support than he needed in the last election.”