The latest polls show that Americans may finally be waking up from their bizarre sleep.

George W. Bush’s approval rating is now a full twenty points lower than Bill Clinton’s was on the day he was impeached. — Eric Alterman, “Lowest approval ratings in 75 polls” (June 7, 2005) MSNBC.

Alterman goes on to point out,

Dear media, that means you gotta stop referring to him as a “popular president,” and no less important, stop treating him like one. If you want to be wimps about everything, fine, just don’t blame it on his ‘popularity.’ Blame it on yourselves. — Eric Alterman, “Lowest approval ratings in 75 polls” (June 7, 2005) MSNBC.

Fat chance of that.

The only real surprise here, though, is why it’s taken so long. As Hillary Clinton recently said,

There has never been an administration, I don’t believe in our history, more intent upon consolidating and abusing power to further their own agenda. — Patrick D. Healy, “Senator Clinton Assails Bush and G.O.P. at Campaign Fund-Raiser” (June 6, 2005) New York Times.

I essentially pointed out the same thing in my March 19, 2005 article about the Bush Administration’s attempts to shake off its constitutional constraints that limit it. (Rick Horowitz, “In Order to Establish Justice” (March 19, 2005) Unspun™.)

In spite of the talk of a “Laura Bush-Hillary Clinton” showdown for the 2008 Presidential Race, I don’t know that the United States is ready for a woman President. And given that she’s right, even if America were ready, Ms. Clinton may be too controversial; I’ve no doubt that the Taliban amongst us would not allow it — no matter what it took. It saddens me to believe this, but I think it would be John and Robert Kennedy all over again. As Clinton further notes,

I know it’s frustrating for many of you; it’s frustrating for me: Why can’t the Democrats do more to stop them? I can tell you this: It’s very hard to stop people who have no shame about what they’re doing. It is very hard to tell people that they are making decisions that will undermine our checks and balances and constitutional system of government who don’t care. It is very hard to stop people who have never been acquainted with the truth. — Patrick D. Healy, “Senator Clinton Assails Bush and G.O.P. at Campaign Fund-Raiser” (June 6, 2005) New York Times.

Ms. Clinton may not be able to make an effective run for President in 2008. But, hopefully, enough Americans are finally snapping out of the spell to prevent another disaster like we’ve had in the last two elections.