Discussion: Poll: Obama Approval Rises To 50%

Discussion for article #232191

The close correlation between the trajectory of presidential approval and the price of gas is the single most depressing statistic in American politics. It’s the one thing that seems to move the dial among people who don’t pay attention to politics. So, look to the oil companies to start shutting down more refineries “for maintenance” than usual and experience totally unexpected supply issues with summer gas blends in the summer of 2016.

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Contrast with GOP hero Dubya, who was at what at this point in his presidency…26%?

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“”"""“By a 40 to 36 percent margin, Americans said they trust Obama over Republicans to “do a better job coping with the main problems the nation faces””"""

Yet they voted unprecedented numbers of those Republicans into office. They voted to obstruct the guy the trust and empower the guys they don’t. Enjoy!!!

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It’s easy to answer a stupid landline poll. Much easier than actually extracting my ass from the ass-sized divot in my Barca-Lounger and getting out there and actually voting, which is SO not-cool and boring and isn’t really a big deal anyways, because ~reasons~…

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I don’t think that’s the case. When prices are up it’s the president’s fault ( so say the pundits and the media ) but when they are down…nothing is said. I haven’t heard any pundits that a year ago were blaming Obama for gasoline prices being high praising him for the low costs today. It doesn’t work that way. Bullshit never does.,

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I’m shaking my head as I read this. The 36.3% who came out to vote didn’t vote for Democrats and by extension voted against the president and those who might have voted for Democrats stayed home but now when asked people stay they trust Democrats to do a better job than Rs. Stupid voters want the people they elect to look like them and talk like them, but at bottom it’s cognitive dissonance at its worst.

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Ronald Reagan approval rating at 7 year-point (March 1987): 42%

Barack Obama’s: 50%.

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“Approve” or “disapprove” were the questions, and they’re simplistic (people can give the answers after muting the remote). But I hate this one the most because it’s anodyne and means different things to different people including the guy asking the question.

Q: Do you think things in this country (are generally going in the right direction) or do you feel things (have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track)? 39% right direction, 56 wrong.

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Hooray! Just in time for the all-important midterm elec… oh, never mind.

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I still maintain it wasn’t “they” voted unprecedented numbers into office", but the “other they” who sat on their duffs and didn’t vote at all. The “sitters” will be the ones who stare with blank looks when they suddenly don’t have the things they assumed would always be there…Such as (in my state, Illinois) “Rauner’s executive order also cancels Quinn’s move to require state contractors to be paid a minimum of $10 an hour, above the current $8.25 minimum wage.” I have more respect for the ones who voted into office the people with whom I vehemently disagree than the ones who didn’t bother to take a few minutes out of their day to vote and some time in their busy lives to pay attention to what is going on in this country. They are citizens, after all…

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This lame duck is fixin to stuff a foot up their asses.

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It appears to have been 36% - 2007 Jan 15-18. Edit: according to Gallup.

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ncsteve. got to agree with you on this on this one too. this has never been a supply-demand issue. it has been about price manipulation. switching from winter to summer grades driving up the price of gas is totally bullshit. the gas companies and especially the market manipulators just use it for a brief windfall while the consumers take it in the shorts. look at the recent opec brouhaha. iran, russia and venezuela want to cut back on production to artificially drive up the price per barrel. they are hurting bad. the saudis, however, do not want to give up their piece of the market and told them to take a hike.

I have a hunch this is just the result a lull in attack ads on Fox–a quieting they’ve settled on to help set the table for the notion that the GOP Congress is civil and practical and PBO’s vetos are spiteful and politically motivated.

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Once you go Black, …

Probably a better way to say it is that high gas prices artificially decrease presidential approval while low prices enable you to see what is, in some sense, the “natural” approval rate–i.e. the rate you’d see if transportation costs weren’t a noticeable part of an average person’s discretionary spending–over the short term. But if they persist, the economic boost is going have a positive effect as well.

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…the racists attack?

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I guess it’s obvious that since the economic upticks are the results of the recent election of the Republican Majority (hey … they’re the one’s making that claim), it stands to reason that Obama’s rising popularity is s direct result of the Republican wins as well.

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As the President said “interesting stuff happens in the 4th quarter!” Yes, Americans are finally realizing that the long list of accomplishments (even with GOP obstruction) are starting to pay off. Thank you, Mr. President!

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