Obama's Approval Numbers Plummet In Just One Week

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President Obama’s approval ratings began to plummet even prior to Tuesday’s admission that he “screwed up” over the failed nomination of former Sen. Tom Daschle to serve as his secretary of Health and Human Services.

Prior to his inauguration, Obama basked in glowing media coverage and enjoyed an approval rating of 83 percent.

The numbers naturally declined as Obama moved into the Oval Office and began making tough decisions, such as closing the Guantanamo prison.

Still, his 69 percent Gallup approval rating based on Jan. 21-23 polling “ranks him near the top of the list of presidents elected after World War II,” Gallup reported on Jan. 26. In fact, only President Kennedy, at 72 percent approval, had a higher initial approval rating once in office.

That was then, this is now.

The most recent USA Today/Gallup poll, based on surveys of 1.027 adults from Jan.30 – Feb.1, show only 64 percent approve of Obama’s job performance as president, compared to 25 percent who disapprove.

Those numbers of course do not take into account the difficulties Obama has recently encountered due to prominent nominees who had to pull out due to tax problems.

Polls indicate some of Obama’s early decisions have gone against the tide of public opinion. By 50 to 44 percent, Americans disagree with Obama’s decision to close Guantanamo.

Also, Gallup reports that 58 percent of voters believe it was a mistake for Obama to lift the federal ban on U.S. funds going to overseas family planning groups that provide abortions.

:lifter


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[nmap]

The original high expectations are going to be a problem for him. I think this is a binary situation - two possible outcomes, with little in between. Either he will, though luck or skill, be seen as a great President - or, he will be seen as a poor President. I would add that (in my opinion) the nation may need a great President at this time.

So far, I do not perceive him developing toward greatness.

[Goggles Pizano]

We need a man with leadership capabilities and the Empty suit in-Chief has none. What he has is an army of sycophants, money, and at present the power to enact his preferred brand of socialism. "Change the world" meant alter the standing of the United States in the world. I pray we are strong enough to unseat this man in four years before it's too late to repair the damage.

[Saoirse]

I think his approval rating will continue to go down, partly because the decisions he makes, his tardiness, his treatment of the press. He did very well with the press when he was campaigning until he saw that certain reporters weren't hovering in adulation, they were kicked out. Now it's a different ballgame all together.

[Dozer523]

A quick google found this:
Posted on February 21, 2008

A new poll by the American Research Group has pinned the President Bush’s approving rating at 19% - a new low for the President. For comparison, here are some approval ratings of other Presidents towards the end of their terms:

Clinton: 65%
Reagan: 64%
Ford: 53%
Carter: 34%
Nixon: 24%

Another fact for comparison: at the end of his first term, President’s Bush’s approval rating was about 50%.

But, then ,when have we ever cared about approval ratings? Oh yeah, when they go against the other guy. What was the VP Cheney's comment?
"So?"

[JMI]

I don't follow approval ratings. I didn't follow them when Bush was POTUS, and I don't follow them now.

I would think that we would want our President to do well. Don't we?

[nmap]

A new poll by the American Research Group has pinned the President Bush’s approving rating at 19% - a new low for the President

Yes - and that seems to have had two side-effects. First was that his ability to act appeared to be somewhat impaired. Second, some (perhaps many?) people may have voted against Bush's party rather than for any particular political agenda.

The "So?" in this case could be that substantial declines in popularity might diminish the current POTUS' ability to govern and influence. If we suppose that we as a nation need a strong and effective POTUS, such trends could be problematic.

There may be a still greater issue. We saw marked increases in divisiveness among the general population. Should we face economic and geopolitical problems, it seems to me that a somewhat united population might weather such distress more effectively.