Unpopular Things More Popular Than Nick Clegg

The Liberal Democrats are in the midst of a crisis. At its apex is a crisis of confidence in the leadership, but the problems have roots far deeper within the party. The failed back-stabbery plotted by Lord Oakeshott and the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, was only the tip of the iceberg for Clegg. That the failed leadership coup was used as an excuse for the party's underwhelming performance in the European and local council elections epitomises just how bad the state of play is for Clegg and the Liberal Democrats. With the party in electoral disarray, what then of its leader? Here are 5 things that are, miraculously, more popular than Nick Clegg. (#6 is a spoiler, I can read numbers). #MorePopularThanClegg

1. Nick Clegg himself!

The head of a party whose numbers are in decline, Nick Clegg is having to bear the brunt of his party's shortcomings. What do the numbers tell us? The European and local elections paint a grim statistical picture. In the creation of the makeup of the next European Parliament, the Lib Dems narrowly avoided total annihilation by retaining just one MEP. In winning 427 seats at local council level, the party fell short of expectation again by losing 262 councillors. Whilst Robert Jenrick was the toast of Newark, the Liberal Democrat candidate won only 836 more votes than "Nick The Flying Brick" of the Monster Raving Loony Party.

Ok so Nick Clegg's popularity can't be compared with that of Nick Clegg's. But at this rate he may well find a way to lose. According to polling by YouGov for The Sunday Times, Clegg's approval rating came in at an astoundingly low 13%. This makes him the least popular leader in modern British political history. Clegg would not be trusted, it seems, to order a pint at a bar, let alone even think about organising a piss-up in a brewery.

(Please note the very botched attempt to convey party unity when Clegg and Cable last week shared a pint in a London pub. On a Tuesday. At 11am. You know, as you do. It seems he is in fact capable of ordering a pint, just not that good at drinking it without looking as if he and the Business Secretary are on an awkward first date)

2. The Bowe Bergdahl Prisoner Swap

The United States' position has consistently been to not negotiate with terrorists. The release of five Taliban terrorists imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Sergeant Bergdahl therefore courted immense political controversy in the United States, which continued to plague President Obama's recent trip to Europe.

According to the polling data, the Bergdahl deal was more popular among Americans than Clegg among Britons. 34% of Americans polled by USA Today/Pew Research believed the deal was the right thing to do. As a reminder, 13% of polled Brits thought Clegg was doing a good job. Those numbers must hurt.

3. Obama's implementation of healthcare law (no, seriously)

Search "Obamacare problems" and Google yields 22.7 million results in less than half a second, a list narrowly longer than the actual list of problems that the Affordable Care Act encountered during its calamitous rollout. Health and Human Services (HHS) chief Kathleen Sebelius has resigned, despite 7.5 million signups on Obamacare exchanges. It is now in political fashion to refer to the healthcare overhaul as "Obamacare" again, after a brief period when the "Affordable Care Act" was used to deflect negative attention away from the President and Democrats in Congress. One would imagine then, that the American public would be less than impressed with how the President has managed the rollout. Less impressed, surely, than the British public are with a guy who is only the Prime Minister's deputy? Think again. According to polling data published by ABC News/Washington Post, 39% of Americans approve of the President's implementation of Obamacare. The 13% of Brits who did express approval of Clegg must feel sinful at this point.

4. Obama's handling of gun policy (again, seriously)

Whilst the entirety of this post is written satirically and should be read in good humour, theres is nothing funny about gun policy or the rate of gun crime in the United States. Congress' inability to act on gun crime in a manner that combines party political interest and the public's right to be kept safe is the great American shame of this generation. Broadly, the National Rifle Association's (NRA) vice-like grip on the voting inclination of over half of Congress makes it impossible to foresee the current impasse being broken in the near future. Speaker Boehner has stated in the past that the House will review any legislation that passes the Senate regarding background checks, but 7 Republican flip-floppers would be required to meet the 60 vote quorum. 33 Senators face re-election in November of this year. There is more chance of Mr Clegg receiving a standing ovation on the steps of every university in the country than the Senate passing a gun control bill in this cycle. President Obama, meanwhile, has set his sights clearly on climate change legislation and the expansion of state healthcare as the sources of his Presidential legacy, and there is no sign of a sudden shift towards gun control.

A pretty grim picture then, right? Grim indeed. But remember that whilst only 13% of Brits think Mr. Clegg is doing a good job, 33% of Americans approve of the way President Obama is handling gun policy. To be less popular than a President who has failed to make any impact on gun policy in a nation that has suffered over and over again during his Presidential oversight is quite the achievement, for all the wrong reasons.

5. Expansionist Russia

President Putin's world view evidently centres around Russia playing more of a leading role in world politics, hence the expansionist policies that have reshaped borders in Ukraine. The White House and Capitol Hill have struck on this issue a consistent tone that is rarely seen, condemning Russia's actions and urging a deescalation in tensions in the region. American's perceptions of Russia have, somewhat unsurprisingly, changed accordingly. 26% of Americans polled in March 2014 considered Russia to be an ally/friend of the United States, meaning Russia is twice as popular in the US than Nick Clegg is in Britain.

The Gallup Poll did at least offer some respite to the Deputy Prime Minister. President Putin's personal popularity dropped 10 percentage points between March and April 2014, meaning Vladimir Putin is narrowly less popular in America (9%) than Nick Clegg is in Britain.

6. Blatter the saviour!

Sepp Blatter may well be the most unpopular man in the world at this point, unless Joe Hart repeats the Rob Green act of anti-heroism this Saturday against Italy ("Two people less popular than me!" might think Nick). The FIFA President is widely perceived to be as corrupt as the men who control world football's governing body beneath him. Again, if Google search analytics are anything to trust, the direction of public opinion is clear- "FIFA corruption" generates 18.7 million results in 0.27 seconds. One can only imagine it takes less than 0.27 seconds for your average FIFA official to accept 18.7 million of anything in exchange for his generous support in the World Cup voting process.

In Joseph Blatter, FIFA President since 1998, there is a man who is actually less popular than Mr Clegg- and by quite some distance. In a YouGov poll, only 5% of respondents stated that Blatter should not resign amidst the current [because the previous list is so extensive!] set of allegations. Congratulations to both Messrs Blatter and Clegg, for being so unpopular that things can literally only get better. Right?