As Summer Fades, President Obama's Approval Dips: Politico
Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at 12:58PM President Barack Obama’s whirlwind barnstorming tour of town hall meetings in August was billed as an attempt to build sagging support for his health care reform plan. However, despite heavy media coverage and a strong dose of the old Obama charm analysis of late-August polling suggests it didn’t do much good, neither for the fortunes of health care nor for the president’s personal ratings, his strongest suit in the fight. It sets the stage for a tough autumn battle to rebound.
It is not news that Obama’s job approval has slipped as the health care debate has heated up. But it hit a new low of 50 percent in the Gallup Poll through Aug. 27, one week after the final flurry of presidential town hall meetings that preceded Obama’s vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. That’s down 18 points, from a high of 68 percent when he took office and most Americans, full of hope and goodwill, were expecting big things from him.
At the same time, most polls show public support also dropping for Obama’s plans to overhaul the nation’s health care system. In many polls, public support is well below 50 percent, and it’s in the 40s in some polls. more
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