Based on the weekly survey data, compliments of the DKOS Research 2000 poll, I created three tables tracking President Obama's approval ratings from July 27 to the present.
I don't think there is any real need to belabor that this drop happened, However, the effect of August was to depress ratings among both Democrats and Independents, net drops of 18 and 15 points since 7/27, respectively.
In contrast, despite their screaming the drop among Republicans is a whopping -4 points, if for no other reason than there is not a whole lot of downside room to move when your party is already calling for open rebellion in a multitude of channels. Still, the GOP got some mileage out of accusing Democrats of genocide, euthanasia, fascism, communism and being minions of the Antichrist.
As Satan from the movie Constantine says - I do love the old names. :)
More (but not much!) below the break...
Quick notes on the drop
- It happened fast (three weeks)
- It happened mostly with Democrats and Independents.
- It happened when our leaders started waffling on the public option.
- And, yes, it's equal opportunity on both ends of PA Avenue. Dems in Congress got thwacked too.
- And look closely - it's a worse trend among Independents than Dems. Why? Hmm...I think it's because as of right now we look like a bunch of suckers.
Barack Obama Approval Ratings - Democrats |
Date | Approve | Disapprove | Unsure |
7/27/2009 | 88 | 10 | 2 |
8/3/2009 | 87 | 10 | 3 |
8/10/2009 | 87 | 9 | 4 |
8/17/2009 | 83 | 11 | 6 |
8/24/2009 | 80 | 11 | 9 |
8/31/2009 | 77 | 14 | 9 |
...
Barack Obama Approval Ratings - Independents |
Date | Approve | Disapprove | Unsure |
7/27/2009 | 70 | 28 | 2 |
8/3/2009 | 67 | 29 | 4 |
8/10/2009 | 67 | 28 | 5 |
8/17/2009 | 66 | 31 | 3 |
8/24/2009 | 62 | 35 | 3 |
8/31/2009 | 57 | 39 | 4 |
...
Barack Obama Approval Ratings - Republicans |
Date | Approve | Disapprove | Unsure |
7/27/2009 | 8 | 90 | 2 |
8/3/2009 | 7 | 92 | 1 |
8/10/2009 | 7 | 91 | 2 |
8/17/2009 | 6 | 92 | 2 |
8/24/2009 | 4 | 93 | 3 |
8/31/2009 | 4 | 94 | 2 |
Quickly, the good news
As I have said in diaries this week...and in comments all summer long... I think this debate was there for the Democratic leadership on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to win - quickly - all along. They just didn't want to... yet.
I'm not a give-me-PO-or-give-me-no-just-give-me-PO person. I'd love to see Medicare, as-is, reformed and extended across all ages someday. Single-payor, yo. Incrementally would work fine by me. I think that very proposal would sail through in a matter of days, especially now that the Republicans have branded themselves the defender of Medicare.
Of course... then again they are the tax cut champions and they voted wholesale against the largest middle class tax cut in U.S. history. (Hat tip to Clammyc for reminding me of that last night.) So I would actually count on them going against their word yet again.
And that would be just dandy. Electorally it would kill them.
So yes. I think this entire debate can be sorted out quickly.
Perhaps now it's the right time.
Because August made us all look like a bunch of suckers.
And people don't like being pwnd.