by Mark Silva and updated at 3:10 pm
President Barack Obama, who won the White House with an Electoral College landslide and enjoyed soaring public approval for the job he was doing in the weeks following his inauguration, has fallen to 50-percent job-approval in the newest daily tracking of the Gallup Poll released just now.
The new low for Obama in the Gallup Poll, which measured the president's public job-approval at a peak of 69 percent after his inauguration in January, tracks other national polls which recently have gauged his approval ratings at 51 percent.
It also coincides with apparent growing public concern about a protracted debate over health care in Washington, Gallup and other pollsters have found.
Should the slide continue, Obama will by no means be the first president to slide below 50-percent job approval in the Gallup Poll, which has been tracking public approval of presidents since Harry Truman.
But Obama has reached his own personal new low more quickly than most of his predecessors did, according to Gallup. The percentage of people voicing disapproval for the job the president is performing also stands at a near-high of 43 percent.
Aides to the president say he is not fixated on polling data. Obama entered office with high ratings, spokesman Bill Burton said today, but never thought they were "something he should put up on a shelf and admire."
"It's real easy to stay popular in Washington if you don't do anything at all," said Burton, but the president doesn't believe in working that way.
Slipping below 50 percent before November of the first year in office would represent "the third-fastest drop'' since World War II, Gallup reports. Republican Gerald Ford slipped below 50 percent in his third month as president, Democrat Bill Clinton during his fourth month.
It took Republican President Dwight Eisenhower five years to fall below 50 percent in the public's eye, Gallup notes. It took both Republican George Bush's roughly three years. It took Democrat Lyndon Johnson and Republican Richard Nixon more than two years.
"Ford's quick descent to below-majority approval was hastened by his unpopular decision to pardon Nixon in September 1974,'' Gallup's Jeffrey Jones reports.
"Clinton also suffered from a series of missteps in attempting to change policy (gays in the military), fill positions within his administration (failed nominees Zoe Baird, Kimba Wood, and Lani Guinier), and controversy over a haircut he received aboard Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport,'' the pollster notes.
It's also not necessarily an irreversible trend, Gallup points out: Clinton and Republican President Ronald Reagan, who dropped below majority approval "faster than most other presidents,'' easily won reelection to a second term.
The latest findings of the Gallup tracking poll come from surveys of about 1,500 adults conducted Aug. 25-27 with a possible margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Christi Parsons contributed from Martha's Vineyard.
Comments
Not too hard to understand. Many don't realize it takes time to turn around an economy of our size after years of fleecing the working class at the hands of the republican friends in wall street. The banks that sucked out 3 trillion of American home owners values, have yet to bring anything back to the party. Add in 2 wars, 1 idiotic mistake in Iraq, and 1 ignored to persue that mistake, a dash of fear over healthcare and a few marxist, communist, socialist, death panel remarks and presto. What they don't realize is that this doesn't mean America favors the republican agenda, on the contrary 21% identify with the republican party. Who is leading the republican party? What is the republicans plan for healthcare?
Posted by: bill r. | August 27, 2009 1:23 PM
Good one Billo!!! That's your only response to Obama's crashing poll numbers? It's the evil Republicans? Wow, are you ever pathetic!
Posted by: Good One Billo | August 27, 2009 1:37 PM
Wow, are you ever pathetic!
Posted by: Good One Billo | August 27, 2009 1:37 PM
You're right...it must be the "death panels". Talk about pathetic!
Posted by: bill r. | August 27, 2009 1:41 PM
Obama doesn't care. This country is on the cusp of falling into the hands of statists, and bloated, big government. HR3200 is a huge powergrab. It does not help people. It enslaves them.
True healthcare reform would encompass Tort reform
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Dean-says-Obamacare-authors-dont-want-to-challenge-trial-lawyers-55140567.html
Way to look out for us.
The Dems wouldn't go there.
Allowing portability (the dems would nevr deregulate).
If HR3200 and the dems are for helping people, why does it start in jan 2013, conveniently after the next presidential election?
Obama will continue to tank as long as he leads like the idealogue that he is. America is a center-right country.
Don Fitzgerald (Obama cheerleader extraordinair) in 3..2..1..
Posted by: chicagotrauma | August 27, 2009 1:55 PM
FACE THE FACTS, BILLO: The moderates are who got Obimbo elected, not wacko lefties like yourself. They see the Messiah has no clothes, only "hope" and "change" BS. The downhill slide will continue, this is just the beginning. Deal with it!!!!
Posted by: Face the Facts, Billo | August 27, 2009 2:04 PM
Bill r. Would it be possible to also add in a stimulus that didn't stimulate because it was filled with favors for supporters? How about a cap and trade that clearly will increase the costs for everyone. Then, too, there is this monstrosity of a health care proposal.
Since these are all bills supported by Obama, d'ya think that might have something to do with it?
I posted in a different forum that Obama is afraid to make a decision lest it comes back to haunt him. What he failed to understand is that he will be held responsible for the decisions of others. He might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.
Rick
Posted by: Rick Caird | August 27, 2009 2:10 PM
Pres Obama's poll numbers are slipping not because of Republicans (who always do nothing but oppose everything Dems do) but because Dems and Independents are nervous about getting a good healthcare bill passed. Once a good healthcare bill passes, which (not including the small group of Republican, corporate sponsored, Teabagger townhall screamers) is wanted by a majority of American voters, Pres Obama's poll numbers will shoot back up again. This is actually good news because it shows Pres Obama how serious we are about healthcare reform.
.
http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=5ba17aa2-f1b9-4445-a6b8-62b9d1ba8693
Republicans know that if a good healthcare bill passes their electoral goose will be cooked for a generation. If they think this poll somehow means they're scoring points, they're not. The Republican party is polling at it's lowest numbers in 60 years.
.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/parsing-the-polls/21-percent.html
Posted by: former Republican | August 27, 2009 2:48 PM
Bill r., along with the other points the folks before me noted, Obimbo's poll numbers are falling, and NOT because of Bush and the evil Republicans, but because of:
1. Spiraling out of control spending and deficits.
2. A health care plan people do not want.
3. Attacking the Cambridge, MA police officer and department.
4. Constant lies.
5. Incoherent strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq.
6. Incompetence in the highest degree (OK, my take).
7. Corrupt Cabinet members who were caught not paying their taxes (By the way, Mark Silva, when will get a Swamp item about Charlie Rangel "just finding" more than $1 million in assets he never reported or "forgot about" including a $500,000 checking account? Wish I could find a $500,000 checking account that I forgot about!)
8. A wasteful stimulus bill that is not stimulating anyting.
9 A cap and tax bill that will have no effect on the environment but will hurt the U.S. economy.
10. Too much Obama. Polls show that most folks are tired of seeing him every single day. He needs to step back.
11. A Far Left Congress that has record low lows.
12. A Corrupt Media that more folks are realizing cannot be trusted.
13. Attacking the Common Man and Women who dared to attend TEA Party rallies and appear at Townhall meetings.
Posted by: John D | August 27, 2009 2:52 PM
I hope the numbers continue to dive and he takes those people in Congress right along with him.
Posted by: vla | August 27, 2009 3:47 PM
13. Attacking the Common Man and Women who dared to attend TEA Party rallies and appear at Townhall meetings.
Posted by: John D | August 27, 2009 2:52 PM
************************************
.
HA HA HA! The 'common man' who attends townhall meetings huh?..ha ha ha ha!!!
Lil' Johnny DoughyPantload, you're getting more and more delusional by the day.
.
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/21/idaho-deadly-weapon/
Posted by: janet | August 27, 2009 4:00 PM
FACE THE FACTS, BILLO: The moderates are who got Obimbo elected, not wacko lefties like yourself. They see the Messiah has no clothes, only "hope" and "change" BS. The downhill slide will continue, this is just the beginning. Deal with it!!!!
Posted by: Face the Facts, Billo | August 27, 2009 2:04 PM
First let me deal with "Anonymous" brave soul that he is. Face the facts, if for minute you believe the "moderates" have decided the republican party is the answer, you are sadly mistaken. So certainly the neo cons such as yourself, have made the party what it is today....a 21% embarressment. Your prodiction? As acurate as the election...dead wrong.
Posted by: bill r. | August 27, 2009 4:06 PM
prediction!
Posted by: bill r. | August 27, 2009 4:07 PM
Rick......Truly you can't believe an economy the size of this turns over night do you? The housing bubble burst the end of 2005, yet the "crisis" didn't start until 2008. As slowly as it takes to harm the economy (republicans), it take the same slow action to turn it around. The you talk about cap and trade. Do you remember McCains plan? It was cap and trade. Please read:
3/19/2008 1:40:08 PM
Presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain is using the idea of global togetherness to promote “a cap-and-trade system” to battle climate change. He said “Americans and Europeans need to get serious about substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years or we will hand over a much-diminished world to our grandchildren.”
Surprise, Surprise. As to the last part of your post, once again, I haven't got one idea of what the heck you're talking about son. I'm sure it means something to the rabid.
Posted by: bill r. | August 27, 2009 4:16 PM
John D........Oh.....never mind. I know better.
Posted by: bill r. | August 27, 2009 4:19 PM
Even CNN knows this is a stinker:
TITLE:
Why the deficit will raise taxes
The nation's debt must be brought to heel, and doing so will require tough choices beyond spending cuts, experts say.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/27/news/economy/deficit_taxes/index.htm
Posted by: CLUNK goes Obama in the polls | August 27, 2009 4:36 PM
I was born in Chicago and raised in the City and the surrounding areas. I am always fascinated when reading comments from people like billr. It is truly astonishing to me that there are actually people who are just that stupid in the world. You claim that BO’s numbers will increase when a good health care bill is passed. What are you in denial??? His numbers suck because people are waking up to his BS. Please don’t take this wrong but; you epitomize all that is wrong with Illinois and Chicago in particular. I thank god I moved many years ago to a state that has NO state taxes, my house value has not fallen and the unemployment rate is far less than the national average in a nutshell here is the reasons why. 1. No Democratic control 2. No union control (a right to work state) 3. No Machine Control like Chicago. So Bill please spare the world anymore remarks on things of which you do not know Bo’s numbers will continue to slip and the country will vote the Democratic controlled House and Senate out in 2010.
Posted by: Chucks | August 27, 2009 4:51 PM
Actually, if you want "tort reform" you should be in favor of a flat-out one payer system.
Universal coverage and universal contribution through taxation would put the trial lawyers out of business.
A form of "sovereign immunity" would be enacted very quickly to cap jury awards if not eliminate them altogether in favor of "compulsory arbitration" where the arbitrators are doctors.
But the "tort reform argument" is just another smokescreen.
Tort litigation in medical cases accounts for a very small percentage, probably about 1 percent, of the total this economy is shelling out for health care.
Smokescreen is being put up by the insurance companies who stand to see their profits slashed.
Posted by: ornery | August 27, 2009 10:46 PM
The more the polls drop the more Obama seems to lie.
Posted by: Inky | August 28, 2009 6:47 AM
Silva, you are so transparent. But at least you're reliable!
Posted by: Joe | August 28, 2009 8:53 AM
I am always fascinated when reading comments from people like billr. It is truly astonishing to me that there are actually people who are just that stupid in the world.
Posted by: Chucks | August 27, 2009 4:51 PM
Well chunks, I'd have to call BS on your claim that your house value hasn't decreased. If you don't pay state taxes, there are only 7 states that provide this. Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Then there are 22 states who are right to work states. My guess? Tennessee. Now Tennessee tax only dividend and interest income, which could be your state. Kinda says it all though. Even Tennesse has lost a great deal and are up dramatically in foreclosures. The rest of the states have suffered severe loss of value in the housing market. So if your not going to be honest, it is hard to have a discussion.
Posted by: bill r. | August 28, 2009 10:14 AM
"Not so former Republican" are you really trying to claim that Obama's poll numbers are going down because the people who formerly supported him are now afraid he won't get the monstrosity of a health care proposal through? Really? I have heard spin before, but that is beyond spin and entering the land of fantasy.
Rick
Posted by: Rick Caird | August 28, 2009 7:37 PM
billr R the state is Texas. three of the fastest growning cities in america. NO state taxes NO Union BS and NO Democratic contolled House or Senate and bye the bye property values increased again last year. So who is lying billy boy.
Posted by: Chucks | August 29, 2009 2:16 PM