Selective Statistics in Politics

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I read a post on Hot Air Blog that puts the political polls and Obama's honeymoon with America in perspective. It cites a Washington Times article that says the following:

President Obama’s media cheerleaders are hailing how loved he is. But at the 100-day mark of his presidency, Mr. Obama is the second-least-popular president in 40 years.

According to Gallup’s April survey, Americans have a lower approval of Mr. Obama at this point than all but one president since Gallup began tracking this in 1969. The only new president less popular was Bill Clinton, who got off to a notoriously bad start after trying to force homosexuals on the military and a federal raid in Waco, Texas, that killed 86. Mr. Obama’s current approval rating of 56 percent is only one tick higher than the 55-percent approval Mr. Clinton had during those crises.

As the attached chart shows, five presidents rated higher than Mr. Obama after 100 days in office. Ronald Reagan topped the charts in April 1981 with 67 percent approval. Following the Gipper, in order of popularity, were: Jimmy Carter with 63 percent in 1977; George W. Bush with 62 percent in 2001; Richard Nixon with 61 percent in 1969; and George H.W. Bush with 58 percent in 1989.

I agree with his first conclusion that The 100-days report is almost worthless in determining the value of a President. Unlike my colleague however I find it interesting that Obama ties with Bush 41 in approval numbers and failed to beat any of the persons who filled the Presidency during my ENTIRE LIFETIME.

They try to tell us that it's a historical milestone. If they mean it's historic that only 44 men in the history of the world have managed to be President of the United States for 100 days, they are right. Actually, it was only 43. William Henry Harrison didn't live that long, so what makes it special that Obama, like 43 of 44 men who held this office, made it to 100 days?

Media reports focus on how well Obama has done in 100 days. Yes, he's richer, more popular, more opulent, ad infinitum, but what about the country? The President's responsibility is to build up America, and all he's done so far is beat it down. In terms of fulfilling his responsibility, I think Obama is a dismal failure, which is saying something knowing how I feel about Carter. For all of his charm, finess and "experience", Obama still couldn’t score above 56% in the Gallup poll.

Here I quote from Hot Air:

Most of his 56% approval comes from Democrats, who unsurprisingly give him 88%
approval thus far. Republicans, just as predictably, give him 24%. Independents, though, only give him 48%, a bit of a surprise considering his success in the election in this group. That’s also far above Bush levels, but it’s not a good number for a President who claims to represent the vast middle of America.

With the media on Obama’s side and his talent at public relations, don’t expect Obama to crater in public-opinion polling any time soon. However, his policies will get less support and less traction as we spend money and see little for the debt Obama’s rolling up.

Obama is not the people's president. He doesn't care about you. His primary focus is to get himself reelected, which is the long and short of his agenda.