Polling over the last couple of years has seen Congress' approval rating drop to depths unseen since the dawn of modern polling. The institution has never been especially popular, but it's never been this unpopular.
With this in mind, Public Policy Polling decided to test Congress' favorability rating against a variety of people, places, and cultural phenomena. To put it charitably, the results were a mixed bag.
Maddow Blog chart based on PPP data
First, the bad news for Congress. American voters have a higher opinion of root canals (32-56), NFL replacement refs (29-56), head lice (19-67), Nickelback (32-39), colonoscopies (31-58), political pundits (34-37), carnies (31-39), traffic jams (34-56), cockroaches (43-45), Donald Trump (42-44), France (37-46), Genghis Khan (37-41), used-car salesmen (32-57), and Brussels sprouts (23-69).
Why head lice fared so well is a bit of a mystery to me, though I'm open to possible explanations.
That said, Congress beat out telemarketers (45-35), John Edwards (45-29), the Kardashians (49-36), lobbyists (48-30), North Korea (61-26), the ebola virus (53-25), Lindsay Lohan (45-41), Fidel Castro (54-32), playground bullies (43-38), meth labs (60-21), communism (57-23), and gonorrhea (53-28).
So I guess the news isn't all bad. I can just imagine the bumper sticker on John Boehner's car: "Congress: More Popular Than Venereal Diseases Since 2013."
Then again, Republicans are poised to crash the global economy deliberately unless their unspecified demands are met, so there's still time for Congress' public standing to deteriorate a little more.
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To answer your question, head lice did not block aid to N. J. in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Head lice, while irritating and somewhat embarassing, can be removed much more easily, as opposed to Congresspersons, who are irritating embarassments, are more like Herpes.
Good medication kills lice.
Good medication hides Herpes until it flares up again.
also you can rid yourself of head lice with 1 trip to the pharmacy. Not so congress.
I totally love that Nickelback was included.
Be careful kids, this is sort of a trick question. To the extent that the generic term "Congress" means or is synonymous with "Government" to the average person, we run the risk of ongoing anti-government sentiment. This just circles back to cynicism in the electorate and undermines the belief that anything can work. Now, if we say "Republicans in Congress", that is much more specific and obviously not the same as government of any kind...
Just my opinion
It seems to me that most of the catagories that beat Congress are temporary things, things for which there is a cure, things that have already passed, etc. Let's call it the nostalgia vote. "I miss the days when the annoying scratching of head lice would distract me from the intermitable carping of Congress"
Things that Congress beat are things that are current and unlikely to go away anytime soon. Let's call it the vote of resignation - We might not like it but, like Congress itself, it's unlikely to go away in the near future, at least. " It could be worse - Lindsey Lohan could be a Rep."
Obviously "Congress" doesn't care or acknowledge that reality....So I guess they are like roaches in that sense....
When the Republicans shut down the government, I'll be in having a delightful root canal! -Kevo
Yes, and I'll be getting myself nice case of Head Lice for fun
The reason roaches were so close is because of the close affinity of Republicans to roaches. Every time you think you've beaten them.... they're ba-a-a-a-ck!
Obama could have been the roachkiller. He chose, despite their hatred of him and contrary to what was good for the country, to resuscitate them. Not once, but twice.
Isn't that an old joke?
Q: What's the difference between a Congressman and a Cockroach?
A: The Cockroach has a higher approval rating.
Yeah - but I want to see how the Head Lice compare to the Kardashians.
Probably favorably, given that even Congress beat them 49/36 according to the article.
New Republican talking point: Congress, still better then Ebola!
Thanks, I needed this.
I wonder what the data show on Congress and Mental Health laws. In cal we have prop 63 that developed a mental health system. A letter from our State senator has been sent to VP from Sen Steinberg. With this kind of approval rating how are we going to take on Mental Health as a national issue. Reports as high as 65Bil in lost wages and productiviity due to depression alone!
Can we do comparisons to individuals:
Speaker< ?
"Shut down government" advocate< ?
Blocking rape abortion advocate< ?
Guess that would be slander, never mind.
How did Congress beat the ebola virus? I demand a recount.
They shouldnt have...we Know that ebola works efficiently at what it is meant to do....Repugs in congress are killing us by NOT working!
Per this poll, Nickelback > Congress > Ebola Virus. I find this very hard to believe.
There is no way Nickelback is more popular than Ebola.
Republicans believe that government doesn't serve any meaningful role and they are making it so in the public eye.
Republican run government doesn't serve any meaningful role.
My favorite was, when the punk band John Boehner and the GOTea had Congressional popularity at 10%, Congress was less popular than Communism.
Dayummmm...
They should compared the republicans and diarrhea. My guess is they would lose there too.
As to the head lice: you can get rid of them!!!
Iceland fired the bankers and bailed out the people, not the other way around. What are you waiting for?
All these comments are great fun. Put them into action. BE LIKE ICELAND. Fire the guilty and REALLY take back your country so it can be run the way it should and stop being the laughingstock of the world, the village idiot of the International Community.
People say this, but almost all the incumbents won reelection. So, I don't believe them.
So, j40west, you REALLY don't want your country back. You just want the status quo and, of course, the opportunity to post all these neat complaints.
You KNOW (not just you but everybody) that the Republicans are destroying your country but you STLL reeelect them. WHY? Seems insane to me and pretty masochistic.
Oh, and don't forget, while you are reelecting them, you are paying their salaries. What kind of corporation keeps rehiring screw ups? THE AMERICAN VOTER!