President Obama's Historic Approval Slide

No matter who does the polling, it seems the once-wildly popular president who started with the mantra of "hope and change" has plummeted as the country has realized neither since his election.

I am one who never lays all the blame for everything at the feet of the current president whoever he is, but these numbers published today are certainly sobering and disheartening. No one wins when the president becomes this weak in the opinions of the most likely voters.

There's a poll out this week about the economy. The findings are not encouraging. The USA Today/Gallup poll says 35 percent of respondents assess the U.S. economy as no better than a year ago and 42 percent say it is worse.

Sixty-one percent said they expect the economy over the next year to be similar to now, or worse, Gallup said Wednesday. The findings are based on telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,004 adults conducted Sept. 15-18. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points.

Again, one man in America cannot solve all the problems. It's a popular myth, but the one thing one man can do is chart a course for everyone else. He can lead. He can work with Congress to find a path.

What is really unhelpful is someone who flaunts Constitutional checks and balances, goes over the head of Congress with "czars," travels the country on Air Force One at taxpayer expense, never stops campaigning and raising money for his own re-election, and is tone deaf to the expressed wishes of a majority of likely voters. His disdain for the electorate is now on full display and it is reflected in his historic slide in approval ratings. He has lost his connection with the people.

That one man is Barack Obama. I noticed in Steve Jobs' recently published biography that he expressly warned Obama he would be a one-term president unless he changed his course as a president who is profoundly unfriendly to business. He either has no idea how destructive his economic policies are, or he is malicious. Take your pick, the result is the same. . .

And it explains his historic slide in approval among common sense Americans.


Political Quote of the Day

“I think I can make that case, and I think that, in the debates that take place over the next 18 months, the American people will feel that I deserve a second term," President Obama told the Associated Press in an interview.

I couldn't help wondering when I saw this picture the other day with Thomas Jefferson looking over Obama's shoulder, what Jefferson would make of that bold statement. I'm a little in awe of the bravado behind President Obama's assumption, but we all know what happens when we use the word "assume," don't we?

President Obama made that statement today, when Gallup reports simultaneously that his approval ratings are now matching his all-time low -- 41% -- for the third time during his presidency. Gallup also draws the implications and comparisons with past presidents at this stage of their presidencies:

"President Obama is now as unpopular as he has been at any time since he became president. He faces difficult challenges ahead in trying to improve the economy and get the federal budget deficit under control, and must do so with Republicans in control of the House. His ability to navigate these challenges will help determine whether he will be elected to a second term as president. Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton at this stage of their presidencies, but the last two were able to turn things around in time to win a second term in office."

So let's wait and see what happens to the mood of the American people between today, April 15, 2011 and election day, November 6, 2012.

Does he deserve a second term in your opinion? You know where I stand.

Political Quote of the Day

In a book released last year, Scott Rasmussen observed that, "The gap between Americans who want to govern themselves and politicians who want to rule over them may be as big today as the gap between the colonies and England during the 18^th century." He added that "The American people don't want to be governed from the left, the right, or the center. They want to govern themselves." In Search of Self-Governance is available at Amazon.com.

To wit: The poll just published today (see below) is an indication of how low Obama's popularity is sinking among the electorate.

The gap between those who "strongly approve" (19%) of Obama versus those who "strongly disapprove" (39%) has widened even since last month.

P.S. Mitt Romney announced his candidacy today. He and Tim Pawlenty are the first two on the Republican side to come out against Obama. There will be more.

The lack of leadership is what most are dismayed with. If anyone thinks he was "leading" over the budget cut debate, they obviously didn't participate in this poll, because the 19% who strongly approve is way too high. Who are you people? Obama runs up records in spending and deficits, then claims victory over the largest budget cut in history? Anyone who believes that is being duped of their own free will.

Leaders Who Don't Lead

. . . become leaders who are less and less popular with their constituents. . .

Test Your Religion IQ

I took this 15-question quiz tonight, created by the Pew Research folks.

Survey findings and full analysis are available at pewforum.org.

Take the quiz and see how you do.  I got 14 out of 15.  Missed the one about the Catholics' interpretation of the emblems of the sacrament.  I thought they gave up the transubstantiation doctrine.  Apparently not.

Give it a try.  Good luck.

Here's a "news flash."  Another study indicates Mormons are the most conservative religious group in the United States.

And in Utah, headquarters of the Mormon Church, it's no wonder Utah has earned the moniker as the "reddest" state in America.

So, the natural corollary (drum roll, please, can you guess?) -- Mormons rate President Obama with the lowest approval rating of any other religious group.