Mike Berman’s Washington Watch

April 2, 2011 11:57 AM

President Obama

President Obama is in the range in which Presidents Nixon, Clinton, Carter, and Reagan found themselves at this point in their tenure. Three of the four were re-elected.

President Obama is ranked 7th when matched against the previous 8 Presidents at this point of their 3rd year in office. [Based on Gallup surveys]


Approve Disapprove
G Bush (I) 82% 11%
GW Bush (II) 70 27
Eisenhower 66 21
Kennedy 66 21
Nixon 49 37
Clinton 47 45
Obama 45 48 (3/25-27)
Carter 42 44
Regan 41 49




The President’s most recent rating by Gallup (3/25- 27) is slightly more negative than those found in a series of other surveys over the last 3 months.


NBC/WSJ NYT/CBS WP/ABC
March 2011 xxxx 49/41% (CBS) 51/45%
February 2011 48/46% 48/41% (CBS) xxxx
January 2011 53/41% 49/39% 54/43%




Only on the issue of his handling of foreign policy does the President’s approval rating exceed his overall approval rating.


Approve Disapprove
Foreign affairs 54% 43%
Job of being President 51% 47%
Energy 47% 46%
Healthcare 41% 58%
Economy 39% 60%
Federal budget deficit 36% 62%
[CNN/OR 3/11]




The President’s approval rating exceeds 50% in 13 States, all of which he won in 2008. His approval rating is below 40% in 10 States, all of which he lost. The District of Columbia and Hawaii lead the list of those in the top 13. The highest mainland State is Maryland, with a 57.6% approval rating. The State giving him the lowest approval rating is Wyoming at 27.6%. [Gallup]



The President’s personal favorability continues to exceed approval of the job that he is doing. 58% have a favorable opinion, while 39% view him unfavorably. [PEW 3/11]



52% believe that Obama is a “strong and decisive leader, while 47% say that does not describe him. In May 2009, 73% characterized him as “strong and decisive,” while only 25% expressed the contrary view. 61% believe the President is “honest and trustworthy.” However, only 36% think he “has a clear plan for solving the country’s problems.” [Gallup 3/11]



It is too early to judge the long term impact that the President’s actions in Libya will have on his job approval or favorability ratings.



Nearly 43 million people watched the President’s State of the Union speech in January. This is about 5 million fewer than viewed the same speech in 2010. The audience for both speeches was substantially less than his address to a Joint Session of Congress a month after his inauguration in 2009, when 52 million tuned in. [Nielsen]



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