Will Obama's approval ratings ever be in the 60's again?

[Phony Moderate]

Discuss.

[Donald Trump’s Toupée]

No.

The only chance would be if he experienced a terrorist attack like 9/11 where the rally effect could take hold, as the country rallies around the leader in a disaster. However, I doubt this effect would happen in this current political environment - he's been in office for 2 years now, so his administration would get at least some blame for the attack, and his reaction would be probably incompetent too, as he's not a leader in any sense of the word.

He'll be lucky to win re-election, although that is still in his grasp. His chance of regaining 60%+ approval rating has gone, though.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Barring a terrorist attack, no.

[opebo]

They could be if he won re-election, during the second term, but he won't.

[Capitan Zapp Brannigan]

If there was a terrorist attack his ratings would go lower. Also, no.

[Dgov]

Not unless he invents a cure for cancer.

[J. J.]

Very doubtful, barring a major terrorist attack.  Obama has been set up (by Obama) to fail.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Very doubtful, barring a major terrorist attack.  Obama has been set up (by Bush and Congress) to fail.

Fixed.

No.

[Donald Trump’s Toupée]

Very doubtful, barring a major terrorist attack.  Obama has been set up (by Bush and Congress) to fail.

Fixed.

No.

Not really.

If people got a sense he was competent and trying, I think his approval ratings would be higher.

Instead, he focused on the Democratic agenda (healthcare reform) in place of going gung-ho on the economy and jobs. He's looked weak regarding the botched terrorist attacks (yes, that's plural) and his appeasement of dictators like those in Iran and his lack of determination regarding Russian relations, along with his wishy-washy comments and stances on the oil spill, Fort Hood, and the Mosque. He gets involved in local issues that he has no place in (Gates, Mosque, etc). And he continues with petty attacks on the GOP, Fox News, etc which looks bad after he campaigned as a different politician, and one that would be transparent.

Essentially, Mr. Obama comes across as incompetent, weak, misguided, and lacks the ability to understand his electorate. All these problems are Obama's making. So while not helped by the current political climate of the past few years, he has only exacerbated it for himself by his policies, actions, and attitude.

Obama is not the victim, the US citizens are.

[RRB]

Yes......the only resaon it is low is because the economy has people irritated and he is the president.   Most people's political knowledge ends right there.  When the economy gets better, his approval will go up.

As for 2012, he will likely win quite easily, by defalt maybe, but win nontheless.  Both Reagan and Clinton won re election after low approvals only to be heros later in their second term.  Both ran against duds.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

No. He has done enough already that 40 percent of the people will not approve no matter what else he does.

[Bull Moose Base]

Yes......the only resaon it is low is because the economy has people irritated and he is the president.   Most people's political knowledge ends right there.  When the economy gets better, his approval will go up.

As for 2012, he will likely win quite easily, by defalt maybe, but win nontheless.  Both Reagan and Clinton won re election after low approvals only to be heros later in their second term.  Both ran against duds.

Yes, people determine their approval in a lazy manner: the economy is good, I like the incumbent, bad, I don't.  But they'll pay somewhat closer attention to details as a presidential election approaches.  Not so much that Obama's approvals won't correlate to the economy but that he'll have a little more leeway to make his case.  So this is true to some extent:

If people got a sense he was competent and trying, I think his approval ratings would be higher.

And they will.  Once folks start paying more attention, Obama will make a good case, have good evidence, and eventually a specific and flawed opponent.  Many will understand that he has been trying to fix the economy and the Republicans have been trying to block him.  And despite their opposition, things are better than if Obama had not taken the measures he did.

Instead, he focused on the Democratic agenda (healthcare reform) in place of going gung-ho on the economy and jobs.

That's not likely to be a problem for him.  Obama began by enacting the stimulus program over GOP obstruction then moved to healthcare, which people wanted action on anyway.  Note, the recent poll showing much disapproval of the new law is from the Left: people who wanted it to go farther.  These people will be persuaded to vote Democrat in 2012.

He's looked weak regarding the botched terrorist attacks (yes, that's plural) and his appeasement of dictators like those in Iran and his lack of determination regarding Russian relations, along with his wishy-washy comments and stances on the oil spill, Fort Hood, and the Mosque.

Not really.  His measured responses have actually been met with public approval on these issues, (few of which will be factors in people's votes in any case).  And once people are made to see Republican alternatives on these issues are worse (e.g. more off-shore drilling, less holding corporations responsible) Obama will be insulated from any damage.

[feeblepizza]

These Democrats are hilarious Seriously, though, Obama's approvals will never hit 60% again. I can't even see them being in the 50s again.

[pbrower2a]

60%+ approval? Everything would have to go right, and that just isn't going to happen.

I figure that 40% of the public is going to disapprove of him no matter how successful he is with the economy, if his health care reform begins to look good, and he successfully extricates the US from Afghanistan.  Nobody is going to do something that causes Americans to unite behind this President; it has been tried and it has proved an epic failure (9/11). That President Obama might handle an international crisis more competently than his predecessor does not mean that he will get the chance to meet such a crisis to his political advantage. 

I can't think of any President who has been able to sustain an approval rating in the 60's over a long time, and I can't imagine any President getting such an approval rating after his approval ratings have dipped into the low 40s. No interest hostile to the US is going to do anything suicidal. Does anyone envy al-Qaeda these days? 

Where it counts -- I can't see any President winning more than 61% against anyone because none has yet. President Obama has stepped on too many toes, and one doesn't challenge entrenched interests without causing those interests to set up permanent 'hate squads'. The Tea Party Movement isn't going away.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Ehhhhh.... if reelected it might touch 60-61% in December of 2016 and January of 2017. 

Other than that, probably not. 

[pbrower2a]

These Democrats are hilarious Seriously, though, Obama's approvals will never hit 60% again. I can't even see them being in the 50s again.

50% isn't that far off. The absolute best for him that I can imagine is 55%, which probably translates into 55% of the popular vote and somewhere between 380 and 440 electoral votes depending on the level of statewide polarization. Obama won about the same margin in the share of the popular vote in 2008 as FDR did in 1944.  

[Penelope]

Probably in his second term some time. Before 2013? Not so much.

[Eraserhead]

If he's reelected, it's possible it could get there again (probably wouldn't last long though). I'm not as down on his chances as most people here apparently.

Also, if there's a really major event of some sort, probably a terrorist attack, it'd be possible for him to go beyond the 60s.

[Donald Trump’s Toupée]

60%+ approval? Everything would have to go right, and that just isn't going to happen.

I figure that 40% of the public is going to disapprove of him no matter how successful he is with the economy, if his health care reform begins to look good, and he successfully extricates the US from Afghanistan.  Nobody is going to do something that causes Americans to unite behind this President; it has been tried and it has proved an epic failure (9/11). That President Obama might handle an international crisis more competently than his predecessor does not mean that he will get the chance to meet such a crisis to his political advantage.  

I can't think of any President who has been able to sustain an approval rating in the 60's over a long time, and I can't imagine any President getting such an approval rating after his approval ratings have dipped into the low 40s. No interest hostile to the US is going to do anything suicidal. Does anyone envy al-Qaeda these days?  

Where it counts -- I can't see any President winning more than 61% against anyone because none has yet. President Obama has stepped on too many toes, and one doesn't challenge entrenched interests without causing those interests to set up permanent 'hate squads'. The Tea Party Movement isn't going away.

Are you serious? George W. Bush had the highest ever rating after 9/11, thus showing the rally effect to be a successful theory, and he also maintained such a high rating for several years.  

George W. Bush > 60% from Sept 14, 2001 (86%) to ~Aug 25, 2003 (59%) --> He was flucuating between upper 50s and low 60s for the early part of 2003, but didn't fall below 60%. on a consistent basis until August 2003. 2 years is a long time to be above 60% (http://www.gallup.com/poll/116500/presidential-approval-ratings-george-bush.aspx) Check your facts next time, buddy.

Additionally, Obama's shown not to be a leader. He would handle a crisis such a 9/11 with less competence than his predecessor, not more!

[Stranger in a strange land]

If he gets reelected and the economy has recovered, he could: remember that although Bill Clinton was dogged by a major scandal and had a large, vocal segment of the electorate which hated him, his approvals were consistently in the 60s throughout the last 3 years of his presidency.

[Yelnoc]

Not unless he reacts well to some unforseeable catastrophe.  His approval rating will probably fluctuate between the thirties and fifties and be in the mid-forties come election night.

[pbrower2a]

Not unless he reacts well to some unforseeable catastrophe.  His approval rating will probably fluctuate between the thirties and fifties and be in the mid-forties come election night.

I just can't imagine anyone inflicting a disaster that would serve the image of President Obama as al-Qaeda did for President George W. Bush.  Does anyone think that al-Qaeda is now in an enviable position?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Plausible... you lot really need to think about Clinton here...

I don't think there's 40% who will never approve of what Obama does... 30%? sure, even 35%? yeah.

I doubt he'll get it this term, but if he's reelected it's plausible... surely.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Plausible... you lot really need to think about Clinton here...

I don't think there's 40% who will never approve of what Obama does... 30%? sure, even 35%? yeah.

I doubt he'll get it this term, but if he's reelected it's plausible... surely.

So is Obama going to start governing as a Rockefeller Republican with neoliberal influence the way Clinton did in order to salvage his popularity?

[Eraserhead]

Plausible... you lot really need to think about Clinton here...

I don't think there's 40% who will never approve of what Obama does... 30%? sure, even 35%? yeah.

I doubt he'll get it this term, but if he's reelected it's plausible... surely.

So is Obama going to start governing as a Rockefeller Republican with neoliberal influence the way Clinton did in order to salvage his popularity?

He isn't already?