Role Model
This strikes me as odd. Americans have always seemed a proud bunch. Greatest country in the world and all that. Democracy, free speech, equal rights under the law, huge economy, religious liberty, Self-reliant, yadda yadda. If only the rest of the godless, communist and/or lazy world were more like us, right? 2 years ago, when Rasmussen asked, 67% of Americans agreed that the world would be better off "if other countries were more like the United States." But today? It's only 51%. That seems like a pretty big decline, and kind of a shock that 49% of Americans can't bring themselves to wish that other countries were more like us.

In other poll numbers, Bush's Katrina-response approval has dropped since the speech, 39% - 35%, but I expect that to turn around. Delayed reaction seems pretty normal for things like that. Official Article 19 prediction? Bush job approval numbers will climb back above 50% before 2006. The New Year's Day drinks are on me if they don't.