TheSeeker
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Barack Obama had enjoyed the longest Gallup winning streak of his presidency in 2011, buoyed in part by a lame-duck compromise on taxes and an impressive speech in Tucson. His approval ratings showed growth or held steady for seven weeks, three longer than any other period since taking office in January 2009. Now, however, with an incoherent response to unrest sweeping the Arab world and an abdication of leadership on the budget, his approval rating in Gallup polling have hit its lowest mark since mid-December:
Once again, Obama is losing support from independents and his own base:
Andrew Malcolm gives a summary of the good news and the bad news:
President Barack Obama averaged 46% job approval the week of Feb. 28-March 6, his lowest weekly average since mid-December. Obamas weekly approval rating had steadily improved from mid-December to late January, peaking at 50% during the final two weeks in January, before dropping below that mark in February.
Obama is now essentially back to where he was in the immediate post-election phase of 2010. The decline could be due to a number of issues the administration is dealing with, including the popular uprisings in the Middle East, the resulting higher gas prices, and disagreements with the Republicans in Congress about the best way to rein in federal spending.
Once again, Obama is losing support from independents and his own base:
Last week, an average of 79% of Democrats approved of Obama, down from 84% in late January. The presidents 43% approval rating among independents is down from 47% in late January, while his approval rating among Republicans is essentially the same (15% in late January and 14% now).
Andrew Malcolm gives a summary of the good news and the bad news:
Theres still plenty of time for a miraculous Obama recovery. An incumbent presidents reelection chances are usually tied closely to voters economic perceptions, centering on unemployment and gas prices. A separate Gallup survey finds Americans economic optimism dipping again in recent weeks, at the same time that gas prices began increasing significantly.
The good news for the Obama White House is that the 2010 approval averages show he remains wildly popular in the District of Columbia (84.4% approval) and in his home state of Hawaii (65.9%). Thats seven of the 270 electoral votes he needs to keep living in the White House with his mother-in-law.
The bad news is that last year Obamas job approval went down in all 50 states.