“W” has a stronger stomach for politics than his old man did.

George H. W. Bush began as a popular president, and two years into his term was enjoying an atmospheric 90% approval rating.  But then he plummeted, and a year later, for the first time in his presidency, his approval rating dipped below his disapproval rating.  At that exact moment in time, he took ill at a state dinner, and vomited into the lap of the Japanese Prime Minister.  (The Japanese have commemorated the event by coining the term “bushusuru”, to “vomit in public.”)  Not a great legacy for Bush Senior, but he did recover.  Not only his health, but also his profile: when his term ended a year later, he had attained a respectable 55% approval rating.

Dubya’s approval rating has been in a free-fall since 9/11; his disapproval rating overtook his approval rating three years ago.  Still, he has yet to commit bushusuru, though the news this morning is that he’s suffering from the flu at the G8 summit, and is only taking meetings in his hotel suite.  He’s showing pretty good stomach resilience, considering the fact that his approval rating has fallen into the 20’s.  That’s dangerous territory: only Nixon, Carter, and (surprisingly) Truman have fallen so low since WWII.

Carter is certainly enjoying the moment, referring to Dubya as the “worst president ever” last month.  But is he?  A quick review of the polls reveals he’s in the running.  Truman’s lowest rating was a 22 but he left office with a 32; Nixon fell to 23 and never recovered; Carter fell to 28 but then rallied to 34.  G-Dub?  He’s been to 28 also, and he’s currently hanging on at 32.

If he falls any lower, you may want to decline that invitation to the next state dinner.