The latest Gallup poll shows that 50 per cent of American voters believe Obama’s presidency has been “a failure,” while 44 per cent believe it has been “a success”. Notably, the forner figure includes 53 per cent of independent voters and 13 per cent of Democrats.
Obama’s standing compares poorly with that of Bill Clinton, who enjoyed the approval of 64 per cent of US voters a few months before his re-election in 1996.
The President’s net approval rating for the month was unchanged at -2, with 45 per cent approving of his presidency and 47 per cent disapproving. Gallup notes that “all incumbents who have been elected to a second term had a 50% or higher average approval rating by February of that year, and in the case of all but George W. Bush, they maintained that through Election Day.”
There was better news for Obama on the jobs front as the economy added 227,000 net jobs, the third consecutive month of gains over 200,000. The unemployment rate, however, remained at 8.3 per cent as more people entered the labour market after previously not seeking work.
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