by Mark Silva
The first take on President Barack Obama's public job-approval ratings, after just three and a half days in office, will show the new president's support running "in the high 60s.''
That's the word from Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup Poll, which will roll out the results of its first three-day rolling average of polling on the new president later today.
Newport suggests that the results are placing Obama's approval rating in the range of Dwight Eisenhower , who started with an initial 68 percent approval rating, and John F. Kennedy, who started higher than anyone in Gallup's tracking, 72 percent.
"He's going to be in the company of some of the most popular presidents, right out of the chute,'' Newport said, in an interview this morning on MSNBC..
Comments
What's not to like?
Posted by: ornery | January 24, 2009 10:59 AM
What happen to 80%?
Dropping fast.
Posted by: Jean | January 24, 2009 1:47 PM
"Obama's job-approval rating: 'High 60's"
Apparently the rightwing noise machine hasn't received the memo yet:
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http://www.politicstv.com/blog/?p=4750
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Posted by: playdoh | January 24, 2009 2:14 PM
I'm pretty sure it was Kennedy with the 72 and Eisenhower with the 68. But I could be wrong.
Posted by: lisa | January 24, 2009 2:46 PM
You're pretty right, thanks. Fixed it.
Posted by: Mark Silva | January 24, 2009 2:59 PM
Actually, high 60’s might be some indication that Barack Obama’s esteem has slipped in the public eye. Have we forgotten that he had an 82% approval rate immediately after he was elected? Four days into the job shouldn’t have changed anyone’s opinion that much. Maybe we should consider the possibility that the difference in approval has to do with a change in public perception of our overall situation.
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In any event, one really shouldn’t give much weight to the results of approval ratings. They often reflect a projection of the public’s hopes and fears, rather than an objective assessment of a politician’s performance. George W. Bush had a 92% approval rating after 9/11. Need I say more? I will. John F. Kennedy’s approval rating went up to 83% right after the Bay of Pigs (a fiasco he approved), and it was never higher after that. See http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7DC1039F935A15751C0A967958260&sec=&spon= Kennedy was quoted as saying, “My God! . . . It's as bad as Eisenhower. The worse I do, the more popular I get!”
Posted by: John W. | January 24, 2009 3:23 PM
It's been 3 days.
Give the guy a break.
Let's see what happens in 6 -12 months.
Posted by: Keena | January 24, 2009 3:24 PM
OMG I actually agree with everything John W said. Boy these times are a changin!
Also very funny to print Kennedys quite, I love it!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | January 24, 2009 7:10 PM