Ah there’s nothing quite as satisfying as weatching Bush’s poll numbers plummet. Remember that Clinton’s approval ratings never dipped below 50% and that during the Monica Lewinsky / Whitewater impeachment proceedings, the Big Dog’s approval was still in the 60’s.

The poll from NBC News/Wall Street Journal of 807 adults with a 3.4% margin of error shows:

When it comes to appointing people to positions in the government, which of the following things do you think President Bush puts greater emphasis on?

Personal friendships/partisan loyalty….. 54%
Competence/qualifications to do the job… 37%
Depends/some of both (VOL)……………. 6%
Not sure …………………………… 3%

All in all, do you think that things in the nation are generally headed in the right direction, or do you feel that things are off on the wrong track?

Headed in the right direction…. 28%
Off on the wrong track……….. 59%

In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job that George W. Bush is doing as president?

Approve ……………………. 39%
Disapprove …………………. 54%

Now, as amazing as that is, it is even more amazing when you break the results down by racial categories.

In what may turn out to be one of the biggest free-falls in the history of presidential polling, President Bush’s job-approval rating among African Americans has dropped to 2 percent, according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.

The drop among blacks drove Bush’s overall job approval ratings to an all-time low of 39 percent in this poll. By comparison, 45 percent of whites and 36 percent of Hispanics approve of the job Bush is doing.

A few months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found Bush’s approval rating among blacks at 51 percent. As recently as six months ago, it was at 19 percent.

But Bush’s bungled response to Hurricane Katrina — seen by many blacks as evidence that he didn’t care about them — may have brought support for the president in the African American community down to nearly negligible levels.

Now, a margin of error for the entire poll is 3.4%, but with only 89 blacks in the survey sample, the margin of error will be much higher, if not unpredictable.

David Bositis, a senior political analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which tracks African American public opinion, told me this morning that it’s clear that Bush’s job approval among blacks “has taken a hit from both the ongoing things in Iraq and what happened with Katrina.”

But down to 2 percent? “I doubt that it’s actually 2,” he said.

“But would I be surprised if it’s 10 or 12? No.” And 10, he said, is typically “about as low as you can go” when it comes to approval ratings.

And things don’t get any better for Shrub as we ask people about Congress or any of the big issues of the day, either…

What is your preference for the outcome of the 2006 congressional elections — a Congress controlled by Republicans or a Congress controlled by Democrats?

Republican-controlled Congress .. 39%
Democrat-controlled Congress …. 48%
Not sure …………………… 13%

Recently, a series of charges have been raised against public officials. For each one I mention, please tell me whether this is:
(A) nothing more than the usual kind of partisan political charge that has little merit,
(B) or whether you think this charge indicates potential illegal activity,
(C) or “it depends” / “some of both”,
(D) or “not sure” / “no answer”

Congressman Tom DeLay being indicted for illegal use of corporate contributions to political campaigns
…………………. (A)24% (B)65% (C)4% (D)7%
Senator Bill Frist’s sale of stock in a company his family runs just before the value of the stock declined
…………………. (A)28% (B)57% (C)3% (D)12%

When it comes to the war in Iraq, do you think that removing Saddam Hussein from power was or was not worth the number of U.S. military casualties and the financial cost of the war?

Worth it……………………. 40%
Not worth it………………… 51%

And do you feel more confident or less confident that the war in Iraq will come to a successful conclusion?

More confident………………. 35%
Less confident………………. 56%

I’m going to read you several issues. For each one, please tell me whether you think that:
(A) the worst is still ahead,
(B) or we are slowly putting the worst behind us with a long way to go,
(C) or we are quickly putting the worst behind us and better times are near,
(D) or we have turned the corner and better times are here,
(E) or “not sure” / “unknown” / “no answer”

Energy and fuel prices … (A)69% (B)22% (C)3% (D)2% (E)4%
Gas prices …………… (A)61% (B)30% (C)6% (D)1% (E)2%

It’s nice to see the country finally coming around to what most of us in the reality-based community have known for five years now.