Stephanie
Diamond Member
- Jul 11, 2004
- 70,230
- 10,864
- 2,040
we should be ashamed this man is left alone to act like a dictator
links in article at site
SNIP:
Under our Constitution, unlike a parliamentary system, the chief executive has no direct relationship with Congress. He can, of course, veto legislation, but historically the presidents power has been judged to be largely a function of his personal stature. To the extent that a president holds sway over Congress, it is because he is popular with voters.
The odd thing about Barack Obama is that he has never been a popular president. Yet somehow he was re-elected, and he continues to be taken seriously as a political force. This chart shows President Obamas Approval Index, as measured by Rasmussen Reports, from his inauguration to the present. The Approval Index simply measures the difference between the number of likely voters who Strongly Approve and who Strongly Disapprove of the presidents performance. If the index is negative, it means that more voters Strongly Disapprove than Strongly Approve:
Currently, Obamas standing with voters is poor. His overall approval stands at 46/53, and the Approval Index, which measures intensity as well as overall approval, is worse at 22/43, a dismal -21. Nearly half of all voters strongly disapprove of Obamas performance in office.
This is not a function of the scandals that have bedeviled Obamas second term. On the contrary, a plurality of voters have strongly disapproved of his performance since 2009, when it became evident that he would govern as a leftist. As the 2012 campaign approached, his Strong Approval percentage predictably rose, as Democrats rallied to their candidate, despite the misgivings that had been evident throughout the first term. Still, on election day the Approval Index was substantially in the red. Following Obamas re-election, his critics gave him a second honeymoon as Strong Disapproval dropped briefly. But that, of course, didnt last: Strong Disapproval is now back to a heavy plurality at 43%, and the Democrats who rallied to Obamas support during the election campaign have fallen away.
all of it here
The Enduring Mystery of Barack Obama | Power Line
links in article at site
SNIP:
Under our Constitution, unlike a parliamentary system, the chief executive has no direct relationship with Congress. He can, of course, veto legislation, but historically the presidents power has been judged to be largely a function of his personal stature. To the extent that a president holds sway over Congress, it is because he is popular with voters.
The odd thing about Barack Obama is that he has never been a popular president. Yet somehow he was re-elected, and he continues to be taken seriously as a political force. This chart shows President Obamas Approval Index, as measured by Rasmussen Reports, from his inauguration to the present. The Approval Index simply measures the difference between the number of likely voters who Strongly Approve and who Strongly Disapprove of the presidents performance. If the index is negative, it means that more voters Strongly Disapprove than Strongly Approve:
Currently, Obamas standing with voters is poor. His overall approval stands at 46/53, and the Approval Index, which measures intensity as well as overall approval, is worse at 22/43, a dismal -21. Nearly half of all voters strongly disapprove of Obamas performance in office.
This is not a function of the scandals that have bedeviled Obamas second term. On the contrary, a plurality of voters have strongly disapproved of his performance since 2009, when it became evident that he would govern as a leftist. As the 2012 campaign approached, his Strong Approval percentage predictably rose, as Democrats rallied to their candidate, despite the misgivings that had been evident throughout the first term. Still, on election day the Approval Index was substantially in the red. Following Obamas re-election, his critics gave him a second honeymoon as Strong Disapproval dropped briefly. But that, of course, didnt last: Strong Disapproval is now back to a heavy plurality at 43%, and the Democrats who rallied to Obamas support during the election campaign have fallen away.
all of it here
The Enduring Mystery of Barack Obama | Power Line
