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A pair of polls offered differing signals regarding the American public's support for President Obama: The Marist Poll placed Obama's approval rating at 44% -- an Obama administration low -- Bloomberg News reported. The poll was conducted February 1-3, 2010. However, the Gallup Poll had Obama's approval rating holding steady at 50%, based on a three-day average ending February 8, 2010.
Even allowing for the fact that the approval for almost every president drops in Year 2 from Year 1, as noted earlier, President Obama's approval rating has entered the "area of concern."
For a president to have maximum persuasion with Congress and inside the Washington community, his approval rating needs to stay above 60%, preferably above 65%. Once it drops to 50%, power declines, and when it drops to 45%, it enters the 'area of concern' -- a level at which opponents feel they can challenge/oppose the president and still retain the backing of the majority of the American people.
What's caused Obama's approval dip? It's primarily due to the recession and the nation's high unemployment rate. Voter anger at the bank bailout bill and uncertainty regarding the health care reform legislation has also influenced voters' attitudes, but the biggest factor remains the economy.
By extension, Democratic Party failure to lower the unemployment rate in the months ahead would continue to weigh on the approval rating of both Obama and Congressional Democrats. Conversely, a resumption of sustained job growth would lead to a rising approval rating for the president and the majority party in Congress.
Financial Editor Joseph Lazzaro is writing a book on the U.S. presidency and the U.S. economy.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-12-2010 @ 11:54AM
mel said...
Obama and the Democrats in Congress are correct in addressing the fact that we want something done about healthcare, mainly reducing out of control spiraling costs! What they fail to realize yet is that 1) what they want to do with healthcare is the OPPOSITE of what most of us want, and 2) We want something other than another crocked-up pork laden bailout to help the economy.
Most of us believe that taxes and, yes, government spending should be reduced. Obama and the Democrats want to do exactly the OPPOSITE here as well. They need to wake up! Gallup puts moderates at 40%, Conservatives at 40% and Liberals at only 20% of our nation! This reality means that Socialistic Tendancies are going to meet with VERY HIGH resistance, and frankly, the Republicans, if they are being obstructionist to such, are actually Representing the People better than the Media wants to give them credit for. But we all know the slant of the Mainstream Media by now, and everything is filtered by our experience of their unwillingness to just report the facts without extreme liberal bias.
This article is better than most you will see today and correctly points out that the fate of the economy is linked up to the fate the party in power will suffer or enjoy. If the economy does well, political ideologies are something we generally don't fight for so hard. It might help explain the Republicans Drift to the Center and the Democrats careening to the Left. The Republicans didn't feel the need to reamain as conservative, and let's face it, its FUN to spend other people's money! And the Democrat? Well, they are controled by some very powerful special interest groups that are out on the Left, and bowing to their influence was the path of least resistance even for those of a more Moderate Outlook. And again, spending other people's money is FUN, and if the somewhat conservative Republicans can do it, the more liberal Democrats most certainly can do it better!
And that is EXACTLY what we don't want now, someone who can spend OUR money like crazy people on some wild binge!
;'{P~~~