Job Approval Ratings for First-Year Presidents

[ProSense]

Partisan Gap in Obama Job Approval Widest in Modern Era

[FrenchieCat]

1. Why are Obama's numbers being compared to slightly later periods

for all other Presidents? I don't get that.

Couldn't they use the numbers as of now, instead?

[Median Democrat]

11. Interesting That They Chose The Lowest Three Day Period For Obama

He has only been down to 59 once over the past few months.

[karynnj]

17. Interesting but the number STILL looks good versus the more recent Presidents

The increase in partisanship that occurred in the late 1980s/early 1990s really had an effect there. I doubt it was because the earlier ones were all better.

[Cali_Democrat]

2. He's a black guy named Barack Hussein Obama and a Dem to boot

Of course he's going to struggle to get Republican support.

[ProSense]

3. Republicans are just upset. Note that Obama

has the highest approval among Democrats, and his approval among Independents is at 57%.

[Cali_Democrat]

5. I have a feeling I know what the media spin will be...

"Obama lied to us!!!! He said he would unite the country and he's dividing it!!!! Just look at the polls!!!! GRRRRRRR!!!!!!!"

[Dawgs]

10. Chart tells me that 'Obama has the highest support from his own party in the modern era'.

The spin on this data is amazing.

[MidwestTransplant]

6. The more successful he is the lower his Republican support will be.

[orwell]

4. Interesting...

...that Carter had the highest approval of all.

Also interesting that post-Carter the differentials showed a marked increase.

This seems to indicate much greater polarization in the last 30 years.

I don't think this is an accident, but the result of a carefully orchestrated campaign to poison the well of the body politic.

[Sanity Claws]

7. The R v. D differential

It points toward polarization between the parties. However, that polarization has also led to many people dropping R label. Notice how high Obama's ratings are despite so little support from Rs.

[gcomeau]

8. Somewhat misleading

Yes, his approval among Republicans is very low, but people still identifying themselves as Republicans at all has dropped to historically low levels and they're basically the harder of the hard core conservatives who even Bush couldn't drive out of the party. Of course his approval among them is low. Many who were moderate Republican who normally would have pulled his numbers up in that category have gone Independent these days.

[Dawgs]

9. The gap is large because of his HIGH support among his own party.

For example, Bill Clinton had lower support from Republicans, but only 71% from Democrats.

I think it shows that Obama is STILL very popular with people that voted for him. Not so much from people that didn't. Is that news?

:shrug:

It's also unfair because of the times. Bush II came into office after the very successful presidency of Bill Clinton. All he had to do was nothing, and people would say he's doing a good job. Compare that to Obama, who's had to tackle an economic crisis, two wars, and the right-wing media(that didn't exist like it does today).

This chart and article is bullshit.

[Robbins]

12. Study

While other polls has him In the 60's the thing that should be point out Is the so called great Reagan only had 1 percent higher than
Obama.And his approvol Is higher than Clinton and both Bushes were at this time in their terms.

[PolNewf]

13. Republican party ID is down, mostly the hardcore remain

A lot of those Ind are ex Reps.

[Beaverhausen]

14. How bizarre that Carter's is the highest total n/t

[On the Road]

15. Carter's High Support

is due to the fact that he was a reform candidate who election spelled the end to the Nixon/Ford years. Many people grew disenchanted with Carter, much of it because he wasn't a cheerleader. By contrast, Reagan's sunny optimism gave him very high initial support.

[CreekDog]

16. Not very meaningful since Carter had the highest going back to Nixon

:)

[cooolandrew]

18. It's the totals that count and more folks define themselves Democratic than ever before.>

So an 88 percent of a larger slice of cake than ever is significant. Fewer people call themselves Republican so 1/3 isn't as big as it first appears. I think Barak is wisest to do some more out reach to evangelists not saying the whole Rick Warren thing but just make them feel a part of the great changes ahead.That should get his rating moving the right way again and solidify a better future for all of us. It's all about turning up as the great Dean said.