From the latest Washington Post poll:
President Obama is ending his fifth year in office matching the worst public approval ratings of his presidency, with record numbers of Americans saying they disapprove of his job performance….His position is all the more striking when compared with his standing a year ago, as he was preparing for his second inauguration after a solid reelection victory. That high note proved fleeting as the president faced a series of setbacks, culminating in the botched rollout of his Affordable Care Act two months ago.
It’s been a rough year, all right. It started with the fiscal cliff showdown and then barreled straight into Scandalmania (Benghazi+IRS+AP subpoenas); Edward Snowden and the NSA leaks; the Syria U-turn; the government shutdown; and finally the Obamacare website debacle. That’s enough to tank anyone’s approval ratings.
On the bright side, even now half of all Americans still blame George Bush for the lousy economy. Plus there’s this: in my wife’s family, tradition says that even-numbered years are good ones. So maybe things will turn up in 2014.
