On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary compared Obama's fluctuating poll numbers to a "six-year old with a crayon." A new Quinnipiac poll is out today with similar numbers.
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More bad poll numbers for Obama - six year olds with crayons again?
By Jimmy Orr | 12.09.09
Maybe six-year olds are working for Quinnipiac too…
A day after White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs criticized a Gallup poll showing President Obama’s approval rate at a low point in his presidency, another poll is out with more dismal numbers.
Yesterday Gibbs was asked about Gallup’s daily poll numbers which gave Obama a 47 percent approval rating on Monday. These daily numbers, of course, fluctuate. Yesterday, Obama’s numbers were back up to 50 percent.
Gibbs blew off the Monday’s marks with a quippy, “I am sure a 6-year-old with a crayon could do something not unlike that.”
“I don’t put a lot of stake in, never have, in the EKG that is daily Gallup trend,” he continued. “I don’t pay a lot of attention to the meaninglessness of it.”
New poll
When Gibbs takes the podium today, he may have to focus some more attention on the meaninglessness of those polls. The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute released a new survey today which gave the president a 46 percent approval rating.
“President Barack Obama’s job approval rating continues to slide and it’s evident the deterioration stems from voter unhappiness over domestic policy matters,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
Key findings of the poll include:
- Voters give President Barack Obama a split 46 - 44 percent job approval, his lowest ever, and both the health care reform package that he wants Congress to pass and his personal rating on handling health care now win support from less than four in 10 Americans.
- Voters disapprove 52 - 38 percent of the health care reform proposal under consideration in Congress.
- Voters disapprove 56 - 38 percent of President Obama’s handling of health care, down from 53 - 41 percent in a November 19 poll.
- Voters support 56 - 38 percent giving people the option of being covered by a government health insurance plan, compared to 57 - 35 percent November 19.
- Voters trust Obama more than Republicans in Congress to handle health care 44 - 37 percent, down from 45 - 36 percent three weeks ago.
- Voters disapprove 58 - 30 percent of the way Republicans in Congress are doing their job, and disapprove 56 - 33 percent of Democrats in Congress.
GOP says listen up
The low polling numbers from Gallup was something conservatives paid special attention to. Speaking on Greta Van Susteren’s FOX News program last night, conservative pundit Tucker Carlson added some historical perspective to Obama’s numbers.
“This president is at the lowest point as measured by Gallup of any president in the modern age, lower than Harry Truman, who was deeply unpopular, lower than Ronald Reagan, who was facing tough economic times after his first election,” Carlson said. “No one mentions it. I mean, if this were Bush - - when Bush’s numbers started to drop, you read about it parenthetically in every single news story.”
Let’s dance
Does this mean Republicans will start dancing on the sidelines like Lebron James? Unlikely. But the Quinnipiac pollster did sound a cautionary note for the majority party.
“With just 11 months until congressional elections, the White House and all Democrats must worry about the steady deterioration in their lead over the GOP in congressional job performance. Now, only 33 percent give the Democrats in Congress a positive rating, compared to 30 percent for Republicans. Last July Democrats had a nine point edge.”
You can read the full poll here.
See also:
Gallup defends Obama poll results
Gibbs slams Gallup’s poll numbers
Sarah Palin escapes flying tomato attack
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