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14 Aug 2011 20:25

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Politics: Rock bottom? Gallup poll has Obama approval rating below 40 percent

  • His worst showing ever: President Obama isn’t exactly well-liked these days. With an approval rating hovering below 40 percent according to Gallup, Obama’s feeling the compounding hurt of a debt ceiling crisis that left no politician unscathed, an economy that refuses to let up, and a stock market that looks like it’s gonna hurl any second. But the thing is, he’s still doing better than Congress. According to this RealClearPolitics average of approval ratings for Congress, they’re hovering around 16.8 percent. RCP has Obama averaging 43.4 percent — with the Gallup number by far the lowest. We know who won the Toilet Bowl, guys! source

06 Feb 2011 12:35

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U.S.: Happy 100th birthday Ronald Reagan, in number form!

  • This is like Christmas for some people. Ultimately, Ronald Reagan was a great leader and one still widely-respected among conservatives as the kind of leader they still wish they had. Now, we’re not going to go so far as to turn the guy into a saint, but we will note that he was ultimately better for the American people than not. Above is one of his most famous political ads, “It’s Morning in America Again,” from this pretty awesome L.A. Times package about the dude. Below, a quick analysis of his approval rating throughout his presidency.
  • 67% the highest popularity that Ronald Reagan had as president, reached three times – once in 1981 and twice in 1986
  • 41% the lowest popularity he garnered, back in 1983; he neared that level again during the Iran-Contra scandal in 1987
  • 60% his popularity rating after leaving office; to compare, Democratic icon Bill Clinton had 67 percent source
  • » Fluctuating, but never fading: One interesting note about Ronald Reagan’s presidency is that while he’s gained a high degree of legendary status among conservatives, as a president, his popularity had numerous highs and lows. However, he never reached the nadir of folks like Jimmy Carter (who left office with 34 percent approval) or George W. Bush (who left with 24 percent approval – the same low Richard Nixon reached when he left office). He left with respect. Then his legend slowly grew. And that’s where we are today.

27 Nov 2010 23:38

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Offbeat, World: Peruvian president blames low approval ratings on Peruvians

  • We are what we are: sad, distrustful … We have a natural lack of trust.
  • Peruvian President Alan Garcia • Suggesting he has a low approval rating (34 percent approve, 62 percent disapprove) because Peruvians are naturally unhappy. He suggests nearby countries, like Brazil, are happier. Way to flip the message. Are the people saying “BOO” or “BOO-urns”?  source

19 Sep 2010 19:09

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U.S.: BP finally plugs the damn hole

  • 153 days it took BP to kill the Deepwater Horizon oil rig
  • 206m gallons of oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico
  • 2% drop in Obama’s approval since the spill source

16 Sep 2010 10:46

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Politics: Poll: Sarah Palin and Tea Party not all that well-liked

  • 46% of Americans don’t really like Sarah Palin all that much
  • 33%don’t know what to think about the ultra-influential Palin
  • 21% of Americans have a favorable view of Sarah Palin source
  • » The Tea Party’s in a similar boat: In fact, the Modern Tea Party has an even smaller favorability rating, with just 19 percent of people giving them a thumbs-up. But as proven this week, they have the power to win primaries. And it’s not like Congress has spectacularly high approval ratings, either, guys.

15 Aug 2010 09:58

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Politics: Protip to Michelle Obama: Never go to Spain again, OK?

  • 64% the first lady’s approval rating in June 2009, when she was loved
  • 50% her approval rating this week, after her glitzy trip to Spain source

03 Nov 2009 09:27

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U.S.: Obama, one year after his election, is still coasting on his good looks

  • 54% approve of Obama despite the fact that his policies are ranking below those rates
  • 45% disapprove of Obama with the fire of a thousand burning, tea party-throwing suns source
 

06 Apr 2009 11:56

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U.S.: The most unloved N.Y. governor ever: David Paterson

17 Jan 2009 09:39

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U.S.: Bush’s final approval rating: A record-setting low

  • 22%? That’s it? George W. Bush goes down as having the lowest final approval rating of any president in the last 70 years, when they first started polling. To put in perspective, Reagan and Clinton left with 68% approval ratings, Bush’s dad left with 54% and Harry S. Truman has the next-lowest with 32%. No love for George W. :( source