In all of the discussions about President Obama’s first year in the White House, it is pointed out that his public opinion ratings have declined since he was inaugurated. Should that be a surprise? Can any President’s “honeymoon” or any person’s real honeymoon last forever? Of course not!
But, interestingly, when compared to former Presidents, it turns out that Obama’s ratings, about 50 percent, match those of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. The two Bushes were more lucky, as the first Bush saw a higher rating because of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, and the second Bush had higher grades because of the response to September 11.
So not much can be put into these ratings, as Reagan and Clinton won reelection despite lower ratings after one year, and Bush I lost reelection despite his high ratings after one year.
The President cannot allow public opinion polls to determine his agenda. He must fight for his agenda, and let the chips fall where they may!
I completely agree with you; however those who are fiercely against Barack Obama’s policies and ideals will use these polls to highlight that he is an “unpopular†president. Many who are opposed to him never gave him the slight chance to explain his policies, especially when it comes to domestic issues. Much anger is aimed towards Obama for the economic situation that is hurting many Americans, which is understandable. This recession will take time to end, because it has proportions that are very similar to that of the Great Depression. But as you said before, Clinton and Regan (in their first term) had low popularity ratings, and both turned out to be admired for their accomplishments and management of the country.