I thought Fox News didn’t believe in polls, gentle reader – they certainly slammed the stuffing out of them during the last election campaign. But when a poll reflects badly on President Obama, Fox Nation is happy to make it their lead post. Titled “Rejected,” it gleefully informs us that according to the latest Gallup poll, Obama’s approval rating has "plummeted" to 49%.
“Just a week before the New Year", the post reads, "Obama enjoyed his highest approval ratings of 2012,”at 58%. (The week before that, his rating was 52%, so it looks more like a seesaw than a plummet.)
Dig a little more deeply into Gallup's data, though, and you’ll find some stuff that Fox Nation didn't publish:
. 49% is also Obama’s first-term average approval rating, so over the long term he’s actually holding steady.
. Low approval ratings aren't unusual for US Presidents. Reagan's first-term average approval rating was 50%. So was Bill Clinton's. They both got higher ratings in their second terms than in their first. George W. Bush's second-term approval rating was 37% - Obama's got a bit of plummeting to do to match that.
Why did he get low approval ratings? Gallup doesn’t explore that, but fear not - Fox has an explanation all ready. It's gun control, of course. But if that’s the case, gentle reader, then why does another Gallup poll show that 53% of respondents want their Congressman to vote for the new gun control laws? Naturally, Fox didn't tell us about that one.
Well, she’s recovering slowly, as well… but she’s also dealing with a bigger hump to beat.
“On the eve of a new term, President Barack Obama’s approval rating currently stands at 56% in the latest three-day Gallup Daily tracking average. . . .”
Meanwhile, we’re supposed to be worried about 49%- Only one point below he first term average of the Sacred St. Ronnie? Puh-leeze! And over guns? Even though 53% approve of doing something about the problem with them?
Yeah…