by Mark Silva
President Barack Obama approaches his second year in office with just 50 percent job approval in the Gallup Poll, a near-low for his first year and one of the lowest second-year starting points for any modern-day presidents -- only a notch higher than President Ronald Reagan's approval rating at the start of his second year.
The results of Gallup's daily tracking polls from Jan. 2-4 come in the midst of an embarrassing intelligence failure, an admitted breakdown that permitted a known threat to board a U.S.-bound airliner on Christmas Day carrying explosives.
And this week, the Obama administration will release another assessment of the job market carrying 10 percent or potentially greater unemployment into the new year.
All of this weighs on the public's perception of the president at a time when he also is pushing a health-care overhaul lacking widespread public support through Congress.
With the House and Senate having passed their own versions of health-care legislation, leaders will be consumed this month with negotiations for a final bill. And those talks, inevitably behind closed doors, will draw continuing criticism for the secrecy surrounding negotiations which Obama once suggested should play out publicly on C-Span. The president will meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and several House committee chairman this afternoon at the White House.
The president still enjoys strong support within his own party -- 84 percent job approval in the Gallup surveys -- and minimal support from Republicans -- 14 percent. It is a loss of support among independents, who helped elect Obama, which is most notable in the latest polls -- with just 47 percent voicing approval for his performance.
Gallup notes that Obama's initial approval rating in his second year as president is "among the lowest for elected presidents since Dwight Eisenhower. Only Ronald Reagan -- who, like Obama, took office during challenging economic times -- began his second year in office with a lower approval score (49 percent).
"However,'' Gallup's Lydia Saad notes, "Obama's disapproval rating is slightly higher than Reagan's was (44 percent vs. 40 percent).''
No sitting president whose average approval rating fell below 50 percent during the year in which he sought re-election has succeeded in winning a second term, since the start of Gallup's post-World War II measures of presidential popularity. But two other presidents rated at 50 percent at the start of their second years won second terms.
"The meaning of the 50 percent threshold is somewhat relative,'' Saad writes. "A 50 percent job approval rating would have been cause for major celebration by George W. Bush for much of his second term. But given the speed at which Obama descended to this level in his first year, today it is more of a warning light that this initially muscular administration remains on the threshold of losing majority support.''
The survey of 3,032 adults conducted Jan. 2-4 carries a possible margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Comments
Yep....solid B+
Posted by: Chris | January 6, 2010 9:38 AM
I'm shocked its that high. Its says a lot about the dumbing down of our great nation but what do you expect when you pay people to not work, lay around, drink, use drugs and make more uneducated ignorant Democrats. If we don’t stop this soon it will be too late.
Posted by: Libtard | January 6, 2010 9:54 AM
Where did Gallup get these over-rated poll numbers. I've seen polls that have him at just a tad over 40%.
Who did Gallup poll...1500 democrats at a welfare office.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | January 6, 2010 10:27 AM
Barack Obama is the new Jimmy Carter!
He broke his campaign promise regarding transparency and next he will break his campaign promise relating to taxes.
Eventually the country will experience sky-rocketing inflation and then the anology will be complete.
Posted by: Pat H | January 6, 2010 10:44 AM
Obama falling in the polls? Could have something to do with his trashing his campaign promises... The latest lie concerns the ObamaCare bills, which will be negotiated in secret despite repeated Obama pledges that such negotiations would be open to the public.
For a video compilation of Obama's now-broken promises on transparency, see http://www.breitbart.tv/the-c-span-lie-did-obama-really-promise-televised-healthcare-negotiations/
Posted by: Former Democrat | January 6, 2010 12:32 PM
That tired old "another Jimmy Carter" line was circulating at least as early as Feb. 08.
Didn't stop him winning.
(Nothing against JC.)
Yes, perhaps he now and then seems too professorial.
Or too much like the Mediator-in-Chief.
But as I think I said long ago on Huffy, Barack is unique among politicians:
The more you see, the more you like.
With the others, it's the other way round.
Just keep in mind Henry Kissinger's observation:
"Obama plays chess."
Posted by: ornery | January 7, 2010 12:13 AM
A year ago tonight I was looking forward with great anticipation to the presidency of Barack Obama. I thought that this may very well be the "new age" that I have been looking forward to for most of my life. What a difference a year makes. Thus far, as you might imagine, I have been let down by this president. That is why it is so funny to see him labeled by the Right a "radical socialist". If Obama were half as radical as the Conservative media is trying to portray him, people like me wouldn't be one tenth as disappointed in him as we are.
Don't misunderstand, I am still grateful that he was elected last year. I thank God every day that John McCain will not be sleeping in the Executive Mansion tonight and that Fascist Barbi will not be a heartbeat away from the presidency. While it is true that he has not yet given us the "change we can believe in", it is still too early in his term to make any final assessment. There is some time for optimism - although that time is dwindling rapidly. Still, the alternative to Obama's election last year is just too weird to even contemplate. We should be grateful for that - I guess.
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
Posted by: Tom Degan | January 7, 2010 4:58 AM
ornery if the line about Carter upsets you too bad. I was around for Carter and yes Obama is Carter lite. Just like under Carter the experts were predicting inflation like they are now, I just hope it doesn't hit the numbers like they did with Carter. How long before the media starts to use misery index? I am pretty for sure that as long as a liberal Democrat is in the White House the media will not break this out. Just a reminder in Illinois the new American Revolution begins in February and ends in November 2012. And the way the Liberals in Congress are acting with their vote buying and closed-door dealmaking it should be easy for the 80% of voters that are not liberals. Here's another little tip bit, since 2007 the Congress has had a liberal majority. Shortly after the Liberals took control the downturn in the American economy began, don't believe me go check the numbers. This is a fact that the mainstream media has not reported but, funny thing is more and more is coming out. And for the few that do not know how works in Congress all spending bills start in the house. So really who has been doing all the spending?
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | January 7, 2010 7:46 AM
A new Gallup Poll number that the Swamp hasn't yet mentioned: 40% of Americans identify themselves as "conservative", versus 21% "liberal" (and 36% "moderate").
Wouldn't it be a refreshing change if the Swamp writers reflected America?
Posted by: Bruce | January 7, 2010 10:09 AM