President Obama has reached a level of near-parity among likely voters. Strong approvers in the Rasmussen survey outnumber strong disapprovers by only four points, 35 percent to 31. Overall, Obama registers a 55 percent approval rating (against 43 percent disapproval), his lowest total so far and a rather weak showing for a President this early in his term.
Which explains, at least in part, Obama’s appearance on the Jay Leno show last night. I think the administration believes that he needs to resume a campaign mode in order to rally support for his policies (which has never been high) and try to stop the erosion of his own personal standing. I doubt, though, that his West Coast swing helped much, as the news was dominated by AIG hysteria, which can only hurt the President.
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