by Mark Silva
Before President Barack Obama takes too much stock in his high opening job approval ratings - which the Gallup Poll says will be well above 50 percent when it reports the new president's first readings this weekend -- he should note that every president since Dwight Eisenhower has opened this way.
"The public is generally warmly disposed to newly inaugurated presidents, but a substantial proportion of Americans typically await more information to form their initial judgment,'' Gallup's Jeffrey Jones reports.
The term-opening approval ratings for new presidents have ranged from 51 percent for Ronald Reagan in 1981 and George H.W. Bush in 1989 to a high of 72 percent for John Kennedy in 1961.
The average for the last eight elected presidents: 60 percent.
The three presidents who took office after the death or resignation of their predecessors tended to start out with even greater support, as the nation rallied around the new chief executive in times of crisis. These include Harry Truman in 1945 with an 87 percent approval rating, Lyndon Johnson with 78 percent in 1963, and Gerald Ford with 71 percent in 1974.
"In addition to the track record for past new presidents, Obama's high pre-inauguration confidence and favorability ratings suggest his initial approval rating will be quite positive,'' Jones reports. "One thing to watch will be Obama's initial disapproval rating. New presidents' disapproval ratings have historically been in the low single digits, but the last two presidents have each had initial disapproval ratings of 20 percent or higher.''
Gallup started tracking Obama's approval rating after his first full day in office Wednesday - before the second and private swearing-in was conducted at the White House -- and will report a rolling three-day average starting Saturday.
Comments
But there's no question Obama has the imbued more optimism and expectations in the public than any president in recent history. He has plenty of political capital - now he must use it before the inevitable first mistake or GOP obstructionism dries it up.
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Posted by: matt | January 23, 2009 8:29 AM
It just came out that Obama is approving the funding of abortions. It will be interesting to see how that affects his approval ratings.
Posted by: Nick | January 23, 2009 11:13 AM
Bush #43 had a higher initial approval rating than Ronnie??
Reagan, who was a Democrat most of his life and an actor, was the most overrated President in U.S. history. Reagan was a tool and a fraud. The country and world are optimistic about Obama and his administration.
Posted by: Doug R. | January 23, 2009 11:15 AM
Wait till Obama signs the ban on offshore drilling and gasoline prices go up to $4.00 agian...then take a poll.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | January 23, 2009 11:22 AM
Wait till Obama signs the ban on offshore drilling and gasoline prices go up to $4.00 agian...then take a poll.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | January 23, 2009 11:22 AM
Spot on.....all we had to do is lift the ban and look....prices went down. No speculation involved here. We now use, according to the cost, about only a 1/4 of the gas we used to. I say drill drill drill baby.....If I were you I would put one in your backyard.
Posted by: bill r. | January 23, 2009 12:03 PM
We need some patience on solving the worst situation in this country in many decades ( 2 wars, economic meltdown,global religious cold war, and a corporate healthcare cartel) . It don't think the president can solve it in 1 year or even his 1st term. The other thing is Congress, whether Democrats or Republicans control it, is a tough place to get policies through.To generalize them, they have to listen to their private companies/corporate lobbyist first, non-corporate lobbyist, and finally the people they represent sent.
Posted by: Tom Jones | November 4, 2009 10:44 AM
We need some patience on solving the worst situation in this country in many decades ( 2 wars, economic meltdown,global religious cold war, and a corporate healthcare cartel) . It don't think the president can solve it in 1 year or even his 1st term. The other thing is Congress, whether Democrats or Republicans control it, is a tough place to get policies through.To generalize them, they have to listen to their private companies/corporate lobbyist first, non-corporate lobbyist, and finally the people they represent sent.
Posted by: Tom Jones | November 4, 2009 10:44 AM