As the Republicans eat each other up or engage in the eternal quest for an Anti-Romney, polls continue to show the GOP is being handed a historic opportunity: President Barack Obama’s poll numbers are setting records for their lowness — and the latest CBS News poll says voters don’t believe he deserves a second term:
Less than one year out from Election Day 2012, voters remain overwhelmingly pessimistic about the economy, and their concerns are taking a toll on President Obama’s re-election chances.
The president’s approval rating remains in the mid-40’s, according to a CBS News poll – lower than the approval ratings of Mr. Obama’s four presidential predecessors at this point in their first terms. Mr. Obama’s approval rating is dragged down by his poor marks for his handling of the economy – which, at 33 percent, is the lowest rating of his presidency in CBS News polls.
Mr. Obama receives better marks on foreign policy and for his leadership skills. But when it comes to leading the economy in the right direction, voters are unimpressed: Just 28 percent think he has made progress on improving the economy.
Most Americans say the president doesn’t share the public’s priorities, according to the poll, conducted December 5-7, and most say he doesn’t deserve a second term.
Forty-four percent of Americans approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing as president, and about as many – 46 percent – disapprove. His approval rating has remained fairly steady but below 50 percent since the spring of 2010, aside from an uptick in the spring of 2011 following the death of Osama bin Laden.
Since bin Laden’s death, the president has received high marks for his handling of terrorism: In this poll, 57 percent approve. Voters are split on his handling of foreign policy overall, with 41 percent approving and 41 percent disapproving.
Views of how he has handled the economy is the obvious drag on the president’s ratings: While just 33 percent approve, 60 percent disapprove. Similarly, just 35 percent approve his his handling of job creation while 58 percent disapprove. The last time Mr. Obama’s approval rating on the economy was above 40 percent was in February of this year.
Right now the Republicans problem is that they must come up with a candidate who can favorably answer the statement: consider the alternative. Is Newt Gingrich the kind of candidate independents, centrists and moderate Democrats will feel is a reassuring answers?
You can’t beat somebody with nobody — but you can beat somebody by someone who seems more troubling on the other side.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.