What a difference four months can make: Back in March, an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed President Obama's approval rating at an all-time high, with 68 percent of Americans holding a "favorable" opinion of the new president.
But a recent "poll of polls" by CNN shows that Obama's approval rating has sunk below 60 percent. And on the key issue of health-care reform, the public's approval of his handling of the hot-button issue has plummeted below 50 percent for the first time.
According to CNN, an average of five different national polls taken this month (Gallup, Ipsos/McClatchy, Diageo/Hotline, USA Today/Gallup and CBS News), shows that 57 percent of Americans approve of Obama, with 36 percent disapproving.
In comparison, though, Obama is pretty much in the same boat as past presidents within in the same time frame. From CNN:
Former President George W. Bush also drew a 57 percent approval rating six months into his presidency, in July 2001. Bill Clinton stood at 48 percent in July 1993. Two-thirds of Americans polled approved of George H.W. Bush's job as president in July 1989, and six out of 10 gave Ronald Reagan the thumbs-up in July 1981.
According to ABC, only five previous presidents had higher approval ratings at this stage of their presidencies: Truman scored in the 80th percentile six months in, while Eisenhower, Kennedy, LBJ and George H.W. Bush had approval ratings "in the 70s."
But Obama's new numbers are still quite a drop from his heady days in November 2008. A Gallup poll taken just after the 2008 election showed Bush with a 27 percent approval rating, compared to President-elect Obama's 70 percent.
However, personality isn't the same as policy: As in the March poll, Obama's personal approval rating is still higher than approval for his actual policies. When it comes to how Obama is doing on specific issues, the numbers paint a different picture. From the ABC/Washington Post poll:
- Economy: 52 percent approve; down 8 points
- Health care: 49 percent approve; down from 57 percent
- Deficit: 43 percent approve of the president's handling of the spiraling U.S. deficit
For those who like to take the long view (or time travel), Rasmussen released a new poll showing that if the 2012 election were held today, Obama and Republican Mitt Romney would be tied at 45 percent. But Obama still beats soon-to-be-former Gov. Sarah Palin, 48 percent to 42 percent.
But there's one person whose numbers beat everyone else's: first lady Michelle Obama. The L.A. Times reports that a new summertime poll shows that 68 percent of Americans approve of President Obama's better half. Her approval numbers even cross party lines. From the L.A. Times' Top of the Ticket blog:
Three-quarters of Americans (77%) think the first lady is a positive influence on her husband; 84% of women think so while 69% of men agree. But even a majority of Republicans (53%) think that, while Democrats are nearly unanimous on that question (94%).
President Michelle Obama, anyone?
.
But a recent "poll of polls" by CNN shows that Obama's approval rating has sunk below 60 percent. And on the key issue of health-care reform, the public's approval of his handling of the hot-button issue has plummeted below 50 percent for the first time.
According to CNN, an average of five different national polls taken this month (Gallup, Ipsos/McClatchy, Diageo/Hotline, USA Today/Gallup and CBS News), shows that 57 percent of Americans approve of Obama, with 36 percent disapproving.
In comparison, though, Obama is pretty much in the same boat as past presidents within in the same time frame. From CNN:
Former President George W. Bush also drew a 57 percent approval rating six months into his presidency, in July 2001. Bill Clinton stood at 48 percent in July 1993. Two-thirds of Americans polled approved of George H.W. Bush's job as president in July 1989, and six out of 10 gave Ronald Reagan the thumbs-up in July 1981.
According to ABC, only five previous presidents had higher approval ratings at this stage of their presidencies: Truman scored in the 80th percentile six months in, while Eisenhower, Kennedy, LBJ and George H.W. Bush had approval ratings "in the 70s."
But Obama's new numbers are still quite a drop from his heady days in November 2008. A Gallup poll taken just after the 2008 election showed Bush with a 27 percent approval rating, compared to President-elect Obama's 70 percent.
However, personality isn't the same as policy: As in the March poll, Obama's personal approval rating is still higher than approval for his actual policies. When it comes to how Obama is doing on specific issues, the numbers paint a different picture. From the ABC/Washington Post poll:
- Economy: 52 percent approve; down 8 points
- Health care: 49 percent approve; down from 57 percent
- Deficit: 43 percent approve of the president's handling of the spiraling U.S. deficit
For those who like to take the long view (or time travel), Rasmussen released a new poll showing that if the 2012 election were held today, Obama and Republican Mitt Romney would be tied at 45 percent. But Obama still beats soon-to-be-former Gov. Sarah Palin, 48 percent to 42 percent.
But there's one person whose numbers beat everyone else's: first lady Michelle Obama. The L.A. Times reports that a new summertime poll shows that 68 percent of Americans approve of President Obama's better half. Her approval numbers even cross party lines. From the L.A. Times' Top of the Ticket blog:
Three-quarters of Americans (77%) think the first lady is a positive influence on her husband; 84% of women think so while 69% of men agree. But even a majority of Republicans (53%) think that, while Democrats are nearly unanimous on that question (94%).
President Michelle Obama, anyone?
.
