Obama's 47 percent approval lowest of any president at this point, how low will it go?

Question

President Obama's job approval rating has fallen to 47 percent in the latest Gallup poll, the lowest ever recorded for any president at this point in his term.

Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and even Richard Nixon all had higher approval ratings 10-and-a-half months into their presidencies. Obama's immediate predecessor, President George W. Bush, had an approval rating of 86 percent, or 39 points higher than Obama at this stage. Bush's support came shortly after he launched the war in Afghanistan in response to the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/08/obamas-percent-approval-lowest-president-point/

Answer 1

Oh, so now we're comparing numbers, are we? Know who had the second lowest approval rating at this stage? Ronald Reagan, at a meager 49%. The reason? Because we were in a recession, as we are now. The same was true of Bill Clinton, at 52% at this stage.



Your comparison to Carter, Ford and Nixon are bad enough, but your comparison to Bush is just beyond ridiculous, though it emphasizes my main point on here, which I'll get to in a bit. None of these presidents were enduring a fiscal crisis during their first years in office. Bush is even worse because, at this point, we were coming off of September 11th, and he had high approval rating because he was constantly on the warpath, making claims about getting vengeance for the crime committed on us. Comparing that situation to today is beyond strange.



But let's get into the main point, which is that these approval ratings mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Know why? Because this isn't the second year in office, with midterm elections just around the corner. Because this isn't the end of a four year term, with elections coming up and pretty much every initial policy that the president tried to enact on the table for everyone to see. This is the first year. That means this has no repercussions for anyone. More importantly, this means it has only limited bearing on how well Obama is doing. Know why? Because most of the policies he's enacted haven't been fully utilized. For example, look at the stimulus. Out of 787 billion dollars, we've spent less than 200 billion. That's hardly emblematic of the total effect of the stimulus, and therefore approval ratings don't reflect the actual effect of it.

Answer 2

I noticed that you didn't even reference Clinton. At this point in his presidency he had the same approval rating and at the end of his SECOND term he had an average of 72% approval rating.

This will probably upset some but here are the stats of past Presidents when they left office but started out by great approval ratings and finished at the worst.

Bush Jr. 34%

Bush Sr 50%

Reagan 60%

Ford 53%

Nixon 24%

LBJ 49%

Kennedy 58% - even in death!

Eisenhower 59%

Truman 32% - right up there with Jr and Nixon

Roosevelt 65%



Clinton was the only president in the last 11 Presidents that actually finished with an approval rating at 72%. Roosevelt was the first to finish at an average of 65% and both economies flourished and spurred on the next presidency, which in turn tore it right back down. All those of the lower approval ratings were repubs. Voted in high and left low. And Jimmy Carter doesn't count. He was a publicity puppet to take the fall for the Senates failed policies and over spending until the next president came along. So, my friends, no matter what you may think of the current president, his approval rating is staying steady as did Clinton's and Roosevelt's and it is the old adage that will keep things progressing "Slow and steady does win the race in the end".

Answer 3

Reagan had an approval rating of 49% at this time (and with the +/- that means they're esentially the same) and was re-elected in a landslide.



Also, Bush Jr. had 9/11 help his polls.

Answer 4

That means absolutely nothing. By your logic, Ronald Reagan would be considered one of the worst presidents of all time, look at his approval rating, it was about 2% higher than Obama's is now at this point in time. Bush also went from 86 to below 30.... this is such a stupid point that only Faux Noise is reporting on right now because only they would be dumb enough to think its relevant.

Answer 5

As the economy and unemployment goes, so goes the presidents approval rating. If those two things improve, it will go up, and visa-versa.



Peace and Love - I think you mean 2011, but I get what you are saying.

Answer 6

At this point in Reagan's presidency he had a 45%.

Answer 7

In 2012 it will be a negative number.....

Answer 8

So low that even Joe Biden will be telling jokes about him!

Answer 9

it only matters in the fall of 2012

Answer 10

Obama is Bush. White Bush is out and black Bush is in. The majority public hated white Bush and we will come to hate black Bush equally as much.



Bush's Third Term? You're Living It

By David Swanson

September 02, 2009 "TomDispatch"

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article23411.htm



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Obama is a Corporate Marketing Creation

John Pilger

5 minute video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C62KAmMzu0E



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From Bush to Obama: On the eve of a “seamless transition”

By Patrick Martin

17 January 2009

World Socialist Web Site

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/obam-j17.shtml



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Six months of the Obama administration

21 July 2009

World Socialist Web Site

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jul2009/pers-j21.shtml



Excerpt:



What evaluation can be made in light of six months’ experience? The facts speak for themselves. On every critical issue, Obama—presiding over substantial Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress—has continued the basic policy of his predecessor.



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Obama’s auto task force: a collection of Wall Street investors and asset strippers

By Jerry White

24 March 2009

World Socialist Web Site

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/mar2009/auto-m24.shtml



Excerpt



President Obama's auto task force has a March 31 deadline to approve updated restructuring plans by General Motors and Chrysler LLC under terms of the federal loan agreement. The task force—which has the power to revoke the loans and has not ruled out the use of the bankruptcy courts—is pressing for sharp reductions in the wages and benefits of autoworkers and a drastic downsizing of the auto industry.



The selection by the White House of the personnel to oversee the restructuring of the industry makes clear that its aim is not "saving" the auto companies, in the sense of preventing mass layoffs and protecting the jobs and living standards of autoworkers and the millions more connected to the industry.



On the contrary, the Obama administration has chosen representatives of America's financial elite, including former private equity investors and corporate asset strippers involved in previous restructurings, including in the airline and steel industry, where tens of thousands of workers were robbed of their jobs, wages and pensions.



As the World Socialist Web Site has noted, the near bankruptcy of Detroit is being exploited to destroy the gains of generations of autoworkers in order to make the auto industry a lucrative investment for the same Wall Street financiers who are responsible for the economic crisis

Answer 11

47% does NOT win in 2012 suck on that libs.

Answer 12

i don't know where you take your figures, but bush jr. had 26% approval at the end of his second term.

how quickly the cons forget...