Partisan Gap of Obama Approval Rating – Highest in History
For this stage in the game, still less than 3 months into his Presidency – the approval rating gap between Democrats and Republicans is the highest in modern history.
For all of his hopes about bipartisanship, Barack Obama has the most polarized early job approval ratings of any president in the past four decades. The 61-point partisan gap in opinions about Obama’s job performance is the result of a combination of high Democratic ratings for the president — 88% job approval among Democrats — and relatively low approval ratings among Republicans (27%).
By comparison, there was a somewhat smaller 51-point partisan gap in views of George W. Bush’s job performance in April 2001, a few months into his first term. At that time, Republican enthusiasm for Bush was comparable to how Democrats feel about Obama today, but there was substantially less criticism from members of the opposition party. Among Democrats, 36% approved of Bush’s job performance in April 2001; that compares with a 27% job approval rating for Obama among Republicans today.
The partisan gap in Bill Clinton’s early days was also substantially smaller than what Obama faces, largely because Democrats were less enthusiastic about Clinton. In early April 1993, 71% of Democrats approved of Clinton’s job performance, which is 17 points lower than Obama’s current job approval among Democrats. Republican ratings of Clinton at that point (26%) are comparable to their current ratings of Obama today (27%).
What does this say to me? It says that George Herbert Walker Bush was not disliked, and there was not this huge uprising in the Democratic ranks in the early 90′s. I think Democrats have become so rabid and hate-filled in regards to the last president that many of them have now moved into the liberal/progressive realm and hate any and all Republicans. There was some commentary earlier today on redstate proving this insanity and how many liberals are calling for the extinction literally and figuratively of conservatives, first and foremost, and then Republicans. I foresee a big crash and burn effect when Obama becomes a major disappointment, which he already is becoming both in more overseas commentary and here in the states for moderates and independents (the reason he won). Many liberals are still flying high on the “haterade” of the Bush years and will soon wake up with a horrible hangover. It’s still early… let’s see what happens in the next few months!
Pew Research Study here… (Pew is usually liberally biased as well)
crabby looks at the poll results and sees what he wants.
A more careful look will reveal that in the last 20 years Democrats have been more bipartisan in their support of Republican presidents while Republicans have been more partisan when it comes to supporting Democrats.
Its gotten so bad that Republicans are now actually hoping that “Obama fails”
No wonder that the latest pulbic opinion polls show Obama with a 60 percent approval rating while the Republican congress at a record low 31 percent approval rating…lowest approval ratings ever
And I see exactly what I want just like you – so please attempt to look in the mirror every once in a while. Your opinion is just that – an opinion. I do not believe that democrats are bipartisan when you have Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Frank etc. sitting there and blaming Republicans for everything, every chance they get. I also don’t recall tons of Republicans with bumper stickers on their cars calling Democrats Hitler, an Evil Imperalist, A Dictator etc. Sure you may hear people getting nervous due to the unprecedented power grab and the complete shift to government dominance, but I don’t even have stickers on my car…
Don’t sit there and tell me that Democrats are bipartisan when they have protests that have a guillotine set up w/ Bush’s head in a basket or Democrats calling for the war in Iraq and the surge to fail. Let’s call a spade a spade here and stop being hypocritcal.
You apparently missed the entire comment that has statistics and quotes from those in your party calling for the extinction of a mass group of people. I don’t like your policies or what it is you’re about but I would hope that instead of calling for your extinction that people could sit down debate and make you stop and think.
Obama is on the fringe left along with Pelosi – they share the same common goals and that’s nowhere near where the democratic party of JFK used to be. Heck, I’d rather have Clinton back in office to be honest! I’m sorry if you don’t see that but the president is incredibly polarizing. The reason, I believe he is so high in approval on the dem side is the exact opposite of what you said above – Democrats hated Bush with a passion – there was no bipartisan anything. Dems want so badly to believe in this guy because it is change from the old administration – or so they perceive, although he is reusing cabinet members from both Bush and Clinton and bailing out Wall Street etc. So Give me a break and I’m sick and tired of the hypocrisy and the finger-pointing.
BTW – Zogby just conducted a poll – maybe you should take a look at multiple polls before going w/ your NY Times # of 60% which is liberally biased anyway. Zogby also leans left but this is about right – he’s at about 50-50 and that’s one of the largest drops a new President has taken in quite some time. Sorry if the truth hurts. http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/2009_03_23_Poll_of_change:_Obama_s_job_approval_slipping_to_%E2%80%9850-50_/srvc=home&position=recent
Oh – and please stop calling me a He…