Why that low approval rating is good for Bush

The Rampaging Cow makes me sad by pointing out this tidbit from Charlie Cook's latest column. Bush's approval ratings hover around 40-45%. So, overall less than half the nation approves of him. On policy issues, the approval ratings are much lower. Social Security is around 30%, the war continues to drop, now inching under 40%.

But here's the mystery-- and I've witnessed it myself among my Republican friends. They are totally opposed to his domestic policies, and have serious concerns about our foreign policy. But they won't speak ill of Fearless Leader. Which brings me to Cook's observation:

. . . let us say that among members of his own party, that same president never
dropped below 85 percent approval, and that in 21 out of the 37 Gallup polls, his
approval rating was in the 90s, peaking at 96 percent. In that case, he would have
a very high floor, and unless his fellow party members began to abandon him, there
is no way he could hit the historic low job approval ratings that Presidents Richard
Nixon (24 percent), Gerald Ford (37 percent), Jimmy Carter (28 percent), Ronald
Reagan (40 percent), George H. W. Bush (29 percent) and Bill Clinton (37 percent)
received when they were in their worst shape.

This is exactly the situation that Bush finds himself in now. Of the 76 relevant
national polls listed on realclearpolitics.com since the start of the year, all but
eight have his approval ratings between 44 percent and 52 percent. In 44 of
those surveys, his rating is less than 50 percent.  Welcome to polarized America! 

Sure, the polls look bad for Bush, but that high floor, supported by steadfast
support levels among his own party members, prevents his numbers from getting
down into that basket case level that each of his predecessors reached. As long
as he enjoys the support of that 85 percent or so of Republicans, his numbers
almost can't drop down to that 24-37 percent range visited by Nixon, Ford, Carter,
Clinton and his father.

Scary stuff, huh? What's so eerie about it is that the current GOP has managed to push policies that conservatives (theoretically) oppose, but still keep the staunch support of their voters. And for all the talk about framing debates, etc., I don't see any immediately apparent answers to this conundrum-- it's straight-out denial of reality.