Approvals and Disapprovals in 2012: The 2012 Government "Pennies" awards go to:

We generally agree (with some reservations) that the recent Gallup poll showing President Barack Obama is the winner as the most respected man, not only in the U.S. but in the world.  That follows on his being named Man of the Year by Time magazine.

The most respected woman in the world is Hillary Clinton, also hugely popular among likely voters for the 2016 presidential election among both Democrats AND Republicans.  This was Hillary's 15th time as the most admired woman in the world, out of the past 20 years.

For their many accomplishments,  they each get the respective male and female leaders of the world Pennies award for 2012. 

On the other hand, Congress doesn't seem to be doing well at all. Depending on which polls you follow, Congress has had an 82% disapproval rating, and according to the December Rasmussen poll, low as a 5% approval rating of doing a job that is either good or excellent (it was 9% in 2011). Within that disapproval rating, far more blame the GOP than  Democrats and/or the President for the problems of government - and rightly so, since the GOP so blatantly only serves a minority of Americans - rich white people.  It is not just Democrats who disapprove of the GOP; so do Republicans; while more democratic voters approve of the job being done by the Democrats - again, and rightly so. More than that, 60% of Americans voted this year's Congress the worst EVER.

That poll was earlier in the year, but I think was reflected in the Democratic gains in the Senate, and the House, as well as the re-election of the President.

Elections not only have consequences, elections ARE consequences.

The big question is - can both party learn from their respective successes and failures, and will they take away with them the right lessons, and ask the right questions post-election? Or will they repeat their mistakes, and make new ones?