The Voice of Merrill

The latest Gallup polling of presidential approval has shown the current Chief of State to be the least liked at this point of his term since polling began in the 1940’s.  It’s understandable considering the F-5 level path of destruction he’s left; funding foreign abortions, cap and trade, health care, Stimulus I and the sequel, Stimulus II (set for a 2010 release date), a deepening deficit, redistribution of TARP funding and his dithering on the war in Afghanistan.  The American people voted for hope and change unfortunately, they only got the latter. 

President Obama loves to remind Americans that every hurdle he faces today has been inherited from the previous administration.  One can’t help but to wonder, when 2012 comes and this country is still staring down the double barrel deficit and tax increases, if the President expects to be reelected on that line.  As the President admonishes the previous administration, he is ignoring the signs of faltering within his own regime.  Comparing President Bush’s approval rating to Obama’s is not a reasonable comparison as the former President was enjoying the unity of the country in the wake of the September 11^th attacks at this point in his first term.  However, President Obama would be wise to note that the disappointment of the American people in their last President was evidenced by the same poll that is beginning to show his own faltering popularity. 

Robert Gibbs, Press Secretary for the POTUS, says he “put a lot of stock” in the Gallup poll.  That is a lie.  This President is all about image and he is not happy about being the last one picked to play basketball at recess.  Obama apologists (and there are plenty of them) will scream that the polls don’t matter and that doing what’s right isn’t always what is popular.  The Voice of Merrill couldn’t agree more.  It’s the same thing that had to be said during the Bush years.  For Bush, however, the unpopularity came after the wars stretched longer than most expected, even though Bush warned that they would be marathons and not sprints.  The end result for the Bush Administration can be debated as successful in liberating the Iraqi people and ending the oppression of Sadam Hussein.  Certainly, one could argue that the wars are illegitimate, a drain on the economy and have done very little.  However, if the marginal accomplishments of the previous President were enough to earn him failing approval ratings, what are the utter failures of the current Presidency likely to yield?  It seems likely that President Obama will look back at his 47% approval rating fondly as the “good ol’ days”.

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