November 19, 2011 11:58 AM
President Obama
The most recent NBC/WSJ survey found that 71% of Americans say they like President Obama personally, and 45% have favorable feelings about the President, while 40% have unfavorable feelings about the President.The best description I have seen of public attitudes toward President Obama was written by Peter Hart in a recent memorandum following the most recent NBC/WSJ survey.
“His image lacks the clarity that most presidents have by this time (Reagan “strength and optimism,” Clinton “compassion and determination,” and Bush 43 “conviction.”) This president does not emerge with a central image or core set of values to the voters.”
Other commentary on the President can be summed up this way: people like the President, but they are not sure he is up to the job. The President’s job approval rating seems to have settled in at 44% approving. He now ranks 8th of 9, when matched against the previous 8 Presidents at this point of their 3rd year in office. [Based on Gallup surveys]
| Approve | Disapprove | |
| Eisenhower | 78 | 13 |
| Kennedy |
58 | 30 |
| G Bush (I) |
56 | 36 |
| Clinton | 53 | 38 |
| Reagan | 53 | 37 |
| GW Bush (II) | 50 | 47 |
| Nixon | 49 | 37 |
| Obama | 43 | 48 |
| Carter | 38 | 49 |
 Following are several other cuts at the President’s job approval rating.
| NBC/WSJ | NYT/CBS | WP/ABC | CNN/ORC | |
| November 2011 | 44/51% | --- | 44/53% | --- |
| October 2011 | 44/51% | 46/46% | 42/54% | 54/52% |
| August 2011 | --- | 48/47% | --- | 44/54% |
| July 2011 | 47/48% | --- | 47/48% | 45/54% |
| June 2011 | 62/29% | 48/43% (CBS) | 47/49% | 48/48% |
On the issue that is most important to the public, the economy, the President’s performance is disapproved by 57% to 40%. Conversely, on foreign policy, the job he is doing is approved by 52% to 41%. Only 10% think that Obama has done better in office than expected. 35% say he has done worse than expected. [NBC/WSJ 11/11]
On several other issues the President’s performance rating is in negative territory. These include healthcare, on which 55% disapprove of his work, and the handling of the Federal budget deficit, where his negative rating is 67%.
For the first time, a majority of Americans, 53%, blame Obama for the state of the U.S. economy. However, 69% still blame President Bush for this circumstance.
43% believe that Obama has been a better President than George W. Bush. 34% say he is worse than Bush. However, among Independents 33% believe Obama is a better President than Bush, but 38% think he is worse. 50% believe Obama is a worse President than Bill Clinton.
As a “team,” 67% of Americans think the President and the current Ccongress are doing a bad job. [Gallup 9/11]
When assessing blame for not finding solutions to the problems facing the country, the President is blamed by 36% of the public, while the Democrats in Congress receive 47% of the blame. 55% blame the Republicans in Congress. [NBC/WSJ 11/11]
The next twelve months will be a time of high tension for the President and his team. It will test their mettle.
