I never gave approval ratings as much weight regardless of who was in office. Our country is massive. It has many, many different groups each with their own interests and ideas on what's best for them and/or possibly their fellow citizens. Talk to the head of any company and then listen to the water-cooler talk; compare the two, and you'll see what I mean. Off the top of my head, I know Truman, LBJ, Nixon, Carter, and both Bushes at some point pissed off many Americans hence low (~35%) approval ratings. In hindsight, without the cacophony of political news and gossip drowning out my thoughts, they all did an okay job one way or another - yes, GWB included. With the internet and social media in this era, poll numbers are given more weight than they deserve. Our crumbling infrastructure, growing income and wealth disparity, crappy public education, and other issues are too boring (or dangerous). You rarely hear about the good things that PPACA has done. I know most people are ignorant of them once you break the law down into smaller components. It's a nationwide mental problem to ignore the big picture to waste time, resources, and energy on a fixable issue (website bugs, PR strategies). Yet, the real sickness in this country lies elsewhere - in Congress, in many state legislatures, and too many state and federal agencies and institutions. Even worse, the sickness originates with the American people. Too much apathy, too much ignorance, too little money to change it all, and no unity (for the middle class). Obama will be remembered for the PPACA regardless of its success. A solution will eventually be found to get more people health care which is the end goal for both parties. Many great achievements are made by those who act, even if they err. That's how the scientific method works. Their proposal is criticized. It is hammered hard both ways or replaced by something entirely. The end product is a superior solution. TL;DR American Presidents always have their ups and downs. Although he bungled his signature political act's commencement, I give Obama credit for trying to get the roughly 50 million Americans insured along with many other healthcare fixes. Rather than targeting the individual and basking in his supposed failure, which many in this country have done, instead the goal should be to help make the PPACA better. It's too soon to give up on something so important.
Mr. Obama has been the object of an all out assault from the right-wing GOP, unlimited PAC money and the entire FAUX network since before he was the nominee in 2008. They vowed in public to make him a one term President and to oppose and obstruct every action, policy, judge and bureaucratic head he he supports. These groups have no scruples, no honor, and no reservations even to the point of setting aside the National interest in pursuit of political power. They will obfuscate, lie, gerrymander, undermine, backstab, sabotage, and create a false reality with their braindead remorseless toadies and sock puppets, that repeat and repeat the party talking points and not careing how stupid they look or wrong they are. It's an Orwellian nightmare.
Obama has earned his atrocious approval rating. The left will roll out their tired excuses, of course. That's a given. Obama will go down as one of the worst presidents of all time due to his pitiful inability to lead and work across the aisle.
The GOP House has publicly stated they will not work with the President. They are financed by the same mindset that voted themselves tax cuts during an unfunded 3 billion dollar war. Moneyed self-interested people that can and do buy enough political influence to preserve the status quo they bought under Bush. You can pay people to say and do anything. It take patriotism and sacrifice to move toward equality because you have to do it for minimum wages. Whose side would Jesus, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Lincoln, Eisenhower, Kennedy etc. be on? The GOP or Mr. Obama's? Who is the great moral leader of the GOP, anyone? Who is there historical symbol, Reagan? A. he was a figurehead for some pretty dastardly deeds and B. he couldn't get past a primary in 2013.
Obama doesn't need arrest. He is always resting ... mostly on his laurels (which, of course, are forgeries).
His mother was a U.S. citizen, so it doesn't matter where he was birthed nor whether he has a legitimate birth certificate.
There are 44 presidents in our very young country's history. Who are the best presidents of all time in your opinion, and why? Other than Obama, who else do you dislike and why?
just keep this in mind... these are the same people that were able to fudge census numbers, so more than likely, approval ratings are really worse then they appear.
I was very skeptical of Obama in the 2008 primaries and the last month has kind of shown why that skepticism was warranted. That said I will still take him over 85% of the GOP.
He was a mirage. All sizzle, no steak. People got caught up in his marketing and campaigning, but when it was time to work, he wasn't up to the task.
Bigtexxx's opinion of 85% of the GOP must be abysmal since he agrees with rocketsjudoka like this. PWNED AGAIN! PWNING SPREE!
We're about to have another President already!? Has it already been eight years? I haven't even noticed any changes. Government is still as broken and corrupt as it was eight years ago. Looks like even the harbinger of change cannot make change!
