Gallup: Obama’s third-year approval ratings among lowest
President Obama averaged a 44.4 percent approval rating during his third year in office, Gallup reports. That’s among the lowest of any president since Eisenhower — but not by much. Ronald Reagan averaged a 44.9 percent approval rating during his third year in office.
But Gallup’s comparisons mostly shows how little they can really tell you. Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan had two of the lowest readings, but two of the strongest reelection bids. George H. W. Bush had one of the best third-year approval ratings — 69 percent — but he lost his reelection campaign. His son, George W. Bush, posted a strong 59 percent approval rating in his second year, but was reelected by one of the slimmest margins of any two-term president in the 20th century.
Note, too, that the strongest orators posted some of the lowest third-year ratings. Clinton, Reagan and Obama all gave good speeches. But speeches don’t get you very far.
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