Dec
14
The Least Favourite President?
Filed Under American Politics
Going back the last 30 years is unsurprisingly George W. Bush. But only just:
Who would you say is your least favorite of the last five Presidents?
* George W. Bush 38%
* Barack Obama 37%
* Bill Clinton 11%
* George H.W. Bush 8%
* Ronald Reagan 5%
From a PPP poll via race42008
Obama is also the third least popular President amongst Democrats surprisingly amongst the five.
Ronald Reagan is comfortably the most popular President:
Looking back on the last five Presidents: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, who would you say is your favorite?
* Ronald Reagan 41%
* Bill Clinton 27%
* Barack Obama 22%
* George H.W. Bush 7%
* George W. Bush 4%
The eighties were a good time for America in contrast to the dire previous twenty years and Reagan benefits from this I suspect. Obama has the same opportunity, America suffered with low self-esteem through the Bush Presidency and Obama was elected to be the post partisan President that would renew America as Reagan did in the eighties. He still has time; the failed economy and the wars were not his doing, but he is showing little sign of bringing America together as the electorate hoped.
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5 Responses to “The Least Favourite President?”
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C. Cabbie,
It would be interesting to know the timing of these stats. G. W. Bush was quite popular his first four years…and came in with very high numbers his first year, unlike Obama. Bush didn’t reach the 30’s unlikablitly numbers until late in his second term as president.
These numbers are much, much worse for Obama in context to this being only his first year in office. Obama gave himself a B+ for his first year on the Oprah Christmas special (I was surprised it wasn’t an A+)…I would give him a D. The only thing that hasn’t happened is the terrorist haven’t attacked…yet.
An American
It’s a poll taken in the last few days. TBH, it doesn’t really mean anything, the passage of time will always help an ex-President but it’s nice to see the supposedly transcendental Obama as unpopular as Bush.
C. Cabbie,
My question was when these polls were taken in regard to the passage of time for each president. Obama has been in office less than a year…at this time, Bush had a very high rating, in the 70’s, I believe. It was the continuing Iraqi war that disenchanted the American people with Bush and that was in his second presidency. He did win it handily against Kerry, with large margin.
Did you read my comment on Obama’s adminstration in regard to how it views the the UK?
An American
The poll doesn’t represent different moments in time, people were asked only a few days ago about all the Presidents (ie Who is your favourite President of the last 30 years).
Yes obama’s decrease in popularity is interesting, but matches Reagans as to where he is now so not too much can be read into it for its long-term indications:
http://www.spectator.co.uk/alexmassie/5609636/obama-and-reagan.thtml
As for Bush, his approval ratings were boosted by 9/11 and the spirit of coming together that usually happens when a country first goes to war so I don’t think one can compare Obama’s and Bush’s first year. Also although I hate disagreeing with you, Bush did not beat Kerry by a large margin, just an increased margin than over Kerry. A 1% swing in Ohio would have given the election to Kerry (that’s about 50,000 votes).
I did read your interesting piece about Obama and the UK. Obama is looking to shift America away from it’s old alliances and I think that is both wrong and dangerous. Having said that, I wouldn’t ally myself with Gordon Brown at the moment. You think you’ve got a bad leader; I’d happily do a swap.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/alexmassie/5609636/obama-and-reagan.thtml
Obama’s biggest failiing is that he’s a globalist and not a nationalist. His ratings will slide until he switches ideology.