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Poll: Obama's Leadership Rating As High As Bush After 9/11
A new poll suggests that Barack Obama's high ratings aren't just your average political honeymoon, but could effectively be the same as when the people rally around their leader after a disaster.
The new numbers from CNN show 76% of Americans saying that Obama is a strong and decisive leader. This is higher than George W. Bush's 60% when he first took office, and Bill Clinton's 67% in January 1993.
However, the number is nearly identical to George W. Bush's rating on this question right after September 11, 2001.
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With all due respect to the victims, I think it's been pretty evident for a while now that Bush's presidency is more damaging than the attacks of 9/11.
December 31, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please change the title! We don't want Obama in the same sentence as Bush.
I like CNN's title better: "Leadership Rating Best for New Chief Since Reagan".
December 31, 2008 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good for Obama. High approval ratings as President-elect will help Obama pass such bills early on as the economic recovery package.
December 31, 2008 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Eric: I love the idea of this post. Agreed, it's more than a honeymoon. Barack's riding the support of a grieving populace, rallying against the national disaster that is George W. Bush (and all things Reaganism/GOP).
But I disagree with the last sentence. W's approval was 90% after 9/11 (see below). Obama's not quite there yet.... (I like to highlight the 90% approval rating when pointing out to GOP friends that W squandered the most goodwill in recorded history. His failure should not be underestimated...)
PS - I love Barack Obama.
http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob1.htm
Gallup Poll and USA Today/Gallup Poll. Adults nationwide:
Highest approval:
9/21-22/01 ---> +90 -6 4 1,005
Lowest approval:
10/10-12/08 ---> +25 -71 4 1,269
10/3-5/08 ---> +25 -70 6 1,011
December 31, 2008 6:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bush's job approval rating was 90%. This post refers to another question: is GWB a strong and decisive leader. On that question, he rated roughly 75%, almost the same as Obama.
December 31, 2008 6:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed - I think this is a great description of the mood in America right now. (rallying around the leader in a disaster)
But I think that people rallying FOR something, not against. Even though the GOP is to blame (and ARE a disaster) they aren't THE disaster. America is focused on fixing the problems - blame is pretty obvious and largely irrelevant to getting back on track.
December 31, 2008 7:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
"A new poll suggests that Barack Obama's high ratings aren't just your average political honeymoon, but could effectively be the same as when the people rally around their leader after a disaster."
Well, we are coming to the end of a continuous eight year long disaster, so it's not too surprising...
December 31, 2008 6:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks FreeRider. I knew there had to be something I was missing...
Well, Bush squandered his "strong and decisive leader" ratings too. What a waste. Thank God we're only 20 days, 12 hours, 11 minutes, and 17 seconds until FREEDOM!! :)
December 31, 2008 6:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not sure what the poll questions were, but as far as I'm concerned Bush has "strong and decisive leader" down cold. The problem is that he's not a thoughtful, strong and decisive leader.
January 2, 2009 2:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
AL Cool B
Americans Love Cool Barack
someone post some of Reagan's approval ratings. I would like to get a look at them.
December 31, 2008 7:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
But, but, but . . . Blago and the taint and the troubling unanswered questions. Troubling, very troubling questions, very troubling indeed how these troubling unanswered questions are unanswered. Don't you people understand? There's a shadow, dare I say, a taint over his president-electancy. Oh, if only he'd just blurted out what his gut told him at the very first news conference rather than engaging in all this suspicious gathering of facts and preparation of a report. Oh, its very, very troubling. And besides, the angry leftist bloggers hate him.
December 31, 2008 11:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Indeed. Very troubling indeed. Most troubling, this taint of which you speak. I am troubled, aren't you?
January 1, 2009 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
And look at Josh's latest headlines! The WaPo says some of Obama's appointees are too liberal (and here I thought they weren't liberal ENOUGH, but what do I know?) so it must be true, and a matter for grave concern! We should all be troubled!
January 2, 2009 10:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
I care not a fart-hing for approval ratings, as sub-Nixonian levels did not trigger impeachment, nor are they likely to indict the current criminal enterprise posing as a presidency.
If the low end of the scale has no meaning, it's hard to see, absent any action, how the high end has any more relevance.
It is the fundamental problem with our govt. by the People: the People are ignored, through this moment. In the face of evidence of clear war crimes, what do we do?
That would be nothing.
If a Constitutional lawyer with (alleged) stellar approval ratings cannot repair the damage done to the document, who can?
May Eric Holder please be busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. This is my New Years' wish, as I believe the soul of the country depends on indictments and prosecutions for torture, warrantless data mining, lying to Congress, treaty abbrogation, obstruction, profiteering....all of which is tantamount to treason.
If Obama has taught us anything it's that the People must arise and raise a Great Clamour. Commissions will not do. The statute of limitation of much of this stuff is 8 short years.
Pax,
M.
January 1, 2009 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
"However, the number is nearly identical to George W. Bush's rating on this question right after September 11, 2001.
How ironic that both men received these stellar ratings while on vacation.
January 1, 2009 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
These numbers really do make you wonder why even more Americans didn't vote for Obama in the general election. After all, his performance during the election was pretty much identical to how he's conducting himself now.
January 1, 2009 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's called LYING and ignorance. Alot of people were LIED to into thinking he was some sort of radical socialist and they were ignorant enough to believe it. Not all but alot.
Prime example, the woman at the McCain rally who thought Obama was an arab, now watching the transisiton she has come to like Obama and realized he wasn't an arab at all (the fact that she thinks all arabs are bad people is a whole nother subject). Go figure.
January 1, 2009 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not trying to imply that what you say isn't accurate, but do you have any reportage about hat woman changing her tune on Obama?
That might be an interesting read.
January 1, 2009 9:03 PM | Reply | Permalink