If the Rasmussen survey is correct, Barack Obama’s standing with voters is tanking. (Rasmussen’s presidential tracking survey is a “likely voter” poll.) Today, for the first time, Obama’s “approval index” stands at -5, as 37% of voters express strong disapproval of his performance, while 32% strongly approve.
Of the four categories–somewhat approve, strongly approve, somewhat disapprove, strongly disapprove–“strongly disapprove” now represents a plurality.
Obama’s downward trajectory seems sure to continue as long as the Democrats push more unpopular legislation in Congress. From Obama’s political standpoint, perhaps the best thing that could happen is for Congressional Democrats to fail to enact cap-and-tax, government medicine, further “stimulus” or anything else of more than symbolic significance. Then, when the economy recovers in due course, Obama could take credit and his approval with voters presumably would rebound. But Obama, Pelosi and Reid still seem determined not to let the opportunity offered by an economic crisis “go to waste,” no matter how much it hurts them with voters.
UPDATE: Michael Barone writes: “Americans are getting cold feet over Democratic proposals:”
It’s still possible for American attitudes to shift, if the Democrats’ economic policies are passed and are seen to revive the economy. But it hasn’t happened yet. Instead Americans seem to be recoiling against big government when it threatens to become a reality rather than a campaign promise.
Notice: All comments are subject to moderation. Our comments are intended to be a forum for civil discourse bearing on the subject under discussion. Commenters who stray beyond the bounds of civility or employ what we deem gratuitous vulgarity in a comment — including, but not limited to, “s***,” “f***,” “a*******,” or one of their many variants — will be banned without further notice in the sole discretion of the site moderator.