Bush's declining popularity

When you look at this graphic, which aggregates all polls on Bush's popularity since he took office, several things become obvious. The first obvious point is that the direction is clear, and that barring some other discontinuous event, Bush will be trending into an approval rating in the 30s by the time of the '06 midterm elections -- which means that many Republican Congressmen will be forced to run against him. (Conspiracy theorists will also mutter darkly about how this situation incentivizes the Republican Party to seek, or at least not to prevent, such a "discontinuous event.") Second, it make it clear how unforgivable Kerry's loss was. Bush's highest poll ratings in the last year and a half -- and the only time they've exceeded 50% -- was the week of the election last Fall.