"Rasmussen Reports Daily Presidential Tracking Poll":
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 30% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-seven percent (37%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of –7 (see trends).
The Rasmussen Consumer Index shows that consumer confidence is down again on Friday. That’s the sixth straight daily decline and confidence is now at the lowest level since mid-March. Just 8% rate the economy as good or excellent while 62% say it’s in poor shape.
For the second straight month, voters are more likely to trust Republicans than Democrats on the economy. A Rasmussen video report notes that most Americans say the efforts of the G-8 leaders are not likely to help the economy. And, 59% reject the Pope’s call for more international regulation of the economy.
Later today, Rasmussen Reports will release new polling data on campaign finance reform. Premium Members can get an advance look at the results along with Scott Rasmussen’s Daily Briefing.
The Presidential Approval Index is calculated by subtracting the number who Strongly Disapprove from the number who Strongly Approve. It is updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update). Updates also available on Twitter.
Overall, 51% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. Forty-eight percent (48%) disapprove. The pattern of overall approval leaning in the President’s direction but the number with strong opinions leaning the other way is also reflected in public reaction to health care reform and climate change legislation.
It's funny, the media has kept talking about Obama's extraordinary popularity, but it isn't there in the polls. Obama's more popular than not, though at this point only just, but his numbers are nowhere close to where Bush's were at the peak. Of course, being a popular president and being a good president are not at all the same thing. If anything, I think a really great statesman must be willing to make himself quite unpopular for the greater good. Churchill was unpopular in the 1930s precisely because he was right when Britain didn't want to face the truth.
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