Excerpt:According to a Gallup poll released today, President Barack Obama has an average approval rating of 65% so far for the month of May.
Obama's approval rating has remained very consistent since he took office in January. It has ranged from a high of 66% to a low of 62%. Only three presidents since World War II have had higher approval ratings in May of their first year in office.
President Obama has fared better than his most recent predecessors, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
The month of May in a president's first year is typically considered part of the "honeymoon" phase. The only presidents since WWII to dip below 60% in the first five months in office were Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
President Obama faces a challenging year however. He will try to pass health care reform legislation. He must complete a plan to close Guantanamo Bay before Congress will pass a budget for the project. He is facing rising deficits from two wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) and increasing tensions with North Korea. Any or all of these issues may affect his approval ratings as the year moves forward.
Former Vice-President Dick Cheney has been giving frequent interviews criticizing President Obama. Radio and television entertainers like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck have produced a great deal of negative hyperbole over the airwaves. Elected Republican officials have worked hard to oppose the president in every effort he has undertaken since coming into office. To date, it is clear that none of these ploys has worked to taint President Obama as he continues to enjoy a high approval rating among American voters.
Read the entire article here.