Despite 2010 lowest approval ratings, Obama's die is not cast

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | January 6, 2010 at 11:20 am

525 views | 40 Recommendations | 15 comments

Here is the awful news for Obama lovers : President Barack Obama begins 2010 with the second lowest job approval rating and highest disapproval rating of any president at that point in their term over the past 50 years, according to Gallup.

The good news: The ratings do not necessarily predicate political failure, as other presidents with low polling numbers in their second year have gone on to win re-election. (Ronald Reagen)

( For those of us who are both academic and slightly delusional, Obama may be compared to Shakespeare's Lord Harry:

My reformation, shining over my fault

will be more pleasing than that which hath no foil to set it off

I will so offend as to make offense a skill

redeeming time when least men think I will )

According to Gallup, Obama started out his presidency with a 68 per cent job approval rating. But that has dropped to 50 per cent going into 2010.
Only former president Ronald Reagan had a lower job approval rating among presidents beginning their second year in office. Reagan started his second year with a 49 per cent approval rating.

But Obama's disapproval rating is higher than Reagan's (44 per cent to 40 per cent).

Gallup went back as far as Dwight Eisenhower in 1954 in its comparisons.

Despite Reagan's low approval ratings, he went on to win a landslide victory in his re-election bid. Both Reagan and Obama faced economic challenges coming into their presidencies.

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Hugh Askew

at 11:36 on January 6th, 2010

Big difference between BO and The Ray Gun.

Folks believed Ron, only the delusional believe Barack.

Susan Marie Kovalinsky

at 11:39 on January 6th, 2010

Ha, HA: That can be turned around, inverted. ;) cheers for the reccy (as sweet Mudricky says).

Hugh Askew

at 12:40 on January 6th, 2010

I would invert it, if i could stand on my head.

Problem lies in the fact that BO is no longer believable. He has played his hand. He may get a health care plan enacted, but it will be a fraud, and will be exposed as such.

Out of curiosity, anyone remember how many time we were promised a public health care debate during his campaign? 5, 6, 7, 8? A dozen times? Anybody seen that "public" debate?

Blame the Republicans, fact is that it is the Dems hiding, rushing, and burying the facts - that happens to be BO's party - last i heard.

Susan Marie Kovalinsky

at 12:53 on January 6th, 2010

Something must intervene.......see???? Something must intervene.......grrrrrrr

Susan Marie Kovalinsky

at 11:45 on January 6th, 2010

Well spoken, but an external event will come and alter his course.

Susan Marie Kovalinsky

at 13:11 on January 6th, 2010

Ha! You remind me of Nietzshce, when he says of Christ : "If you could in fact prove the truth of this redeemer, as fact, beyond doubt, we would be even less inclined to believe in him. " grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Rory Cripps

at 16:04 on January 6th, 2010

I tink Obama is ass out of luck. I tink! I tink! Therefore it be.

Rory Cripps

at 16:00 on January 6th, 2010

Thus far in December, Obama has averaged 50% job approval. That is similar to the December averages for Ronald Reagan (49%) and Bill Clinton (53%), who also took office when the economy was struggling. All other recent presidents elected to their first terms had approval averages of 57% or above in their first December in office.

Albert Milliron

at 16:27 on January 6th, 2010

Good point. President Bush had ratings in the 80% and crashed. This is one area where president polling does not predicted future results.

Rory Cripps

at 17:12 on January 6th, 2010

politisite: The average approval rating starting with Eisenhower and including Obama is 63 percent according to Gallup's polls. The economy, with rare exception, is foremost in American's minds. Obviously the poor economy isn't helping Obama's ratings.

However according to Rasmussen, Obama's approval rating today is -10. This is his best rating since November and is up from -18 last week. So that's a good sign for Obama.

YankeeJim

at 16:40 on January 6th, 2010

We now see the complete Obama as some saw it before the election: 1) strong political skills, 2) strong communicator, 3) lacking executive experience and ability, 4) deficient management approach whereby the latter two deficiencies cannot be overcome by incessant talking and wordsmithing.

Rory Cripps

at 18:14 on January 6th, 2010

Obama can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but he can not fool all of the people all of the time.

Obama is simply another politician that had a gimmick, talked out of both sides of his mouth, and above all had more money thrown at his campaign than his opponent had. In addition, he looked good, talked smooth, and had youth on his side. That's the key to getting elected to political office in America. It doesn't take a rocket scientist . . . it just takes good PR and clever packaging skills.