Hillary Up, Obama Down
Gallup reports that Hillary’s approval numbers, at 62 percent within five points of her 17-year polling peak, tops her boss by six. I guess that means she has successfully dodged any responsibility for kowtowing to Iran and Russia. The latest sops to China post-dated the Oct 1-4 polling period. So did Obama’s Nobel. Gallup surmises:
The poll was conducted before Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner, which could have helped to improve his favorable rating over the 56% measured in the poll; however, it’s not clear that any such shift would have lasted. In the first days after the prize’s announcement, Obama’s presidential job approval rating noticeably increased, but it has since retreated to its prior level.
The change in the relative popularity of Clinton and Obama since January may reflect the realities of their new roles. Obama came into office as president with a 78% favorable rating, among the highest Gallup has measured since it began tracking favorability in 1992. But after nearly nine months in office in which he has made or confronted difficult decisions — ranging from the economic stimulus package, to the auto industry bailout, to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to health insurance reform, Obama’s support has declined.
Because governing, or the appearance of it, or even worse, the bollixing of it, is a bitch.
The 56% favorable rating for Obama is his lowest since late 2007, when he had a 53% favorable rating, but at that time, 13% of Americans did not have an opinion of him. The current 40% unfavorable rating for Obama is his highest, and thus his most negative such rating to date.
Meanwhile, Clinton has helped advance Obama’s foreign policy around the world, but in a far less prominent role than the president’s.
Good dodge, Hill. It’s almost like she knows nothing good is going to come of any of this, and she’s happy to let the boss have the limelight. Though in fairness, it probably has as much to do with the way an adoring Washington press corps shines it all on him. You know she and Bill have a plan, and it hasn’t been sprung yet. As for Obama, the boss ain’t gonna like Hill’s numbers much, though the day will come when he’ll want her out there taking the heat, even if he doesn’t know it yet. Kind of like the way he might someday wish Afghanistan was under “The Biden Plan,” anything but “the Obama Plan,” if he does what I think he’s going to do and splits the baby. Of course, if he does that and comes to regret it, he’ll just say he was following his generals’ advice. Option No. 2.
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 9:41 pm on Thursday, October 15, 2009
Leave a Reply
Trackback URLYou must be logged in to post a comment.
