There's HOPE!

Salon reports today, in "Back by unpopular demand," that Mr. Bush may enter his second term with the lowest approval rating of any president at his second innaugural since around the time of Woodrow Wilson, when such polling began. And Salon reports that maybe, just maybe, Bush's approval rating disparity is the biggest in American HISTORY - in other words the least popular returning president EVER.

So let's remember that Bush may have gotten 3% more votes than Kerry, but overall, around the nation at large, Bush's approval ratings aren't much better than 50-50. Remarkably, Bush didn't get a bounce from winning the election, and his approval ratings seem to be on a downward slide.

This doesn't bode well for all those people who didn't and don't respect Bush's job performance who neglected to vote against him. That may be the biggest shame here. The disenchanted, especially some of the deeply disenchanted, feel disenfranchised and cynical, feelings which result in apparent apathy and/or alienation.

But Bush's low approval ratings do bode well for the decent and good sense of at least about HALF of the American people - at least those lucky enough to be polled.

I don't think even Time's making Mr. Bush "person of the year" for the second time is enough to rehabilitate his legacy.

A little gift for the holidays.

Cheers.