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President Obama's First Sunday Poll Numbers

by polylogue | January 25, 2009 at 02:11 pm

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With silly season now underway for polls, here are the results of President Obama's first Sunday approval ratings according to Rasmussen Reports.

The pollster states that 42 percent of U.S. voters strongly approve of the way the new president has been performing and 20 percent strongly disapprove. Rassmussen states that this is the lowest ratings the President Obama and President-elect Obama received since the U.S. Thanksgiving. Not sure why polling after five days in office is significant, but what the heck. The ratings are much higher than President Bush's final numbers (43 percent strongly disapprove and 15 percent strongly approve.

Also according to some polling numbers I recently read (can't remember where), Obama's first week numbers are higher than both President George W. Bush's first week numbers and those of President Bill Clinton's. However, they are similar to those of President Jimmy Carter's. I'm sure President Obama hopes that nothing else of his presidency is like that of Carter's.

Not surprisingly, partisan and ideological divides remain clear when it comes to evaluating the President. The number of political conservatives who Strongly Disapprove of Obama’s performance has increased from 29% on the morning of Inauguration Day to 38% today. Only 17% of conservatives Strongly Approve.

At the other extreme, 79% of liberal voters Strongly Approve of Obama’s performance to date while just 5% Strongly Disapprove.

On a partisan basis, the President earns a +68 rating from Democrats, a -23 rating from Republicans, and a +8 from those not affiliated with either major party. Among the unaffiliated voters, 32% Strongly Approve and 24% Strongly Disapprove. Review recent demographic highlights.

Overall, 60% of all voters somewhat or strongly approve of Obama’s performance so far while 36% disapprove. Voters like what they see in the new President and 48% say that his inauguration begins a new era in race relations for the United States. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of voters nationwide say that http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_c... blocked::http://www.rasmussenreports.com" target="_self">American society is generally fair and decent, the highest level ever.

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lefty_liberated

at 14:32 on January 25th, 2009

i heard it was higher at sixty eight percent

polylogue

at 15:19 on January 25th, 2009

The numbers here are strongly approve and this is Rasmussen. There are other polls that are at about 68 percent. But as I said above, I can't remember where I saw them.

norakmac

at 00:36 on January 26th, 2009

think it's 68.

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/uspolls2008/Election_Story.aspx?ID=NEWEN20090081330&type=topstory

Paschen

at 01:58 on January 26th, 2009

Bush did start with High Approval ratings as well.

polylogue

at 04:52 on January 26th, 2009

Bush's numbers were lower than Obama's due to the long re-count mess. His numbers were also started to stagnate until 9/11 and the rest, as they say, is history.

polylogue

at 09:54 on January 26th, 2009

I found it. According to Gallup, 68 percent approve of Obama's job so far (whatever that means). This is higher than Bush and Clinton in their first weeks. Here is a piece from CNN.com "

According to Gallup, Bush began his initial days as president with a 57 percent approval rating while Bill Clinton kicked off his first term with a 58 percent rating.

Meanwhile, Clinton faced an initial disapproval rating of 20 percent while Bush — who had only secured the presidency after a protracted and divisive recount in Florida — faced an initial disapproval rating of 25 percent.

But the percentage of Americans who approve of Obama's first days in office isn't unprecedented. John F. Kennedy began his term with a 72 percent approval rating while Jimmy Carter and Dwight Eisenhower had early approvals in the high sixties.