Still Regressing Toward the Mean

Barack Obama’s “approval index” as measured by Rasmussen Reports (the difference between those who strongly approve and strongly disapprove of his performance) has declined steadily since his inauguration. There is nothing surprising about this, but Obama’s honeymoon proved short as disapproval has risen more quickly than was the case for most recent Presidents.

Currently, Obama’s approval index is mired at +2, the lowest of his administration:

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Overall, Obama’s approval rating of 55% is remarkably steady and not very high for a President still in his first three months in office. The significance of the current numbers is that the small bounce Obama got from his apology tour of Europe was transient. It will be interesting to see whether the reflected glory of Captain Phillips’ rescue benefits Obama’s ratings.

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