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Visualization of U.S presidents' approval ratings

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Re: Visualization of U.S presidents' approval ratings

#31

Post by CWuestefeld »

rcthompson wrote: post #14

I think there are one too many dimensions to this data. I know they collect statistics on both approval and disapproval, but for the most part approval + disapproval = constant, so I think it would be more informative to simply plot something like (approval - disapproval) on the y-axis and time on the x-axis. Then you could see the trends and compare different presidents without having to watch the animation once for…

There's a problem, but not with the approval/disapproval axes. It's with the time axis.

Note that we're looking at days 0 - 1,000, that is, less than a 3-year range. This completely overlooks the second term of 2-term presidents. So, for example, we're seeing GWB's post-9/11 boom but not his later ignominy, and we're not seeing Reagan after he got the economy sorted.

Re: Visualization of U.S presidents' approval ratings

#33

Post by colonel_panic »

CWuestefeld wrote: post #31
rcthompson wrote: post #14

I think there are one too many dimensions to this data. I know they collect statistics on both approval and disapproval, but for the most part approval + disapproval = constant, so I think it would be more informative to simply plot something like (approval - disapproval) on the y-axis and time on the x-axis. Then you could see the trends and compare different presidents without having to watch the animation once for…

There's a problem, but not with the approval/disapproval axes. It's with the time axis. Note that we're looking at days 0 - 1,000, that is, less than a 3-year range. This completely overlooks the second term of 2-term presidents. So, for example, we're seeing GWB's post-9/11 boom but not his later ignominy, and we're not seeing Reagan after he got the economy sorted.

But let's face it, the reason we're having our attention drawn to this right now is that we've got a president running for reelection, so it gives us exactly what we want to know.

Re: Visualization of U.S presidents' approval ratings

#34

Post by danssig »

wvenable wrote: post #27
InclinedPlane wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's Obama's long game on signing NDAA 2012? There's no excuse for that.

It's a budget bill; it gets enacted every year to fund the military. It must be signed eventually (and in this case, on the very last day). Blame your entire government for putting things like the infinite detention of citizens inside of a budget bill.

Then why did he pressure congress into making the rules even hazier so he could detain Americans as well?

Re: Visualization of U.S presidents' approval ratings

#35

Post by rayiner »

InclinedPlane wrote: post #25
Terretta wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Read this: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/15/andrew-sull...

What's Obama's long game on signing NDAA 2012? There's no excuse for that.

The National Defense Authroization Act basically keeps in existence and funds the US military every year. Not signing it would've been a poorly chosen battle.

At the end of the day, not only do we have a divided system of power by design, Congress is the first among coequal powers in that design. Laying all the blame at the feet of the president for Congress enacting bad law makes no senss. I think some people love our system in theory but don't like it in practice.

Re: Visualization of U.S presidents' approval ratings

#36

Post by wvenable »

wvenable wrote: post #27
InclinedPlane wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's Obama's long game on signing NDAA 2012? There's no excuse for that.

It's a budget bill; it gets enacted every year to fund the military. It must be signed eventually (and in this case, on the very last day). Blame your entire government for putting things like the infinite detention of citizens inside of a budget bill.

I'm not sure why I got downvoted; there's nothing inaccurate about what I said. Don't blame the messenger.

Re: Visualization of U.S presidents' approval ratings

#37

Post by InclinedPlane »

rayiner wrote: post #35
InclinedPlane wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's Obama's long game on signing NDAA 2012? There's no excuse for that.

The National Defense Authroization Act basically keeps in existence and funds the US military every year. Not signing it would've been a poorly chosen battle. At the end of the day, not only do we have a divided system of power by design, Congress is the first among coequal powers in that design. Laying all the blame at the feet of the president for Congress enacting bad law makes no senss. I think some people love o…

There is no excuse for signing a law which effectively puts the US under martial law.

Period.

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