Poll of Polls Average of Barack Obama's Approval

7/20/2009, by Proloy Bhatta

HIGHLIGHTS

• 6% drop in Obama's approval numbers since June, 65% to 59%.
• Other pollsters have measured similar drops. Ipsos: 7% drop, Diageo/Hotline: 9% drop, CBS: 6% drop.
• Obama's approval minus disapproval numbers have dropped on key issues: healthcare: 9%, economy: 9%, federal deficit: 6%, Afghanistan: 5%.

We are being bombarded with polls that show slipping approval ratings for Barack Obama.

The latest poll out today is by ABC/Washington Post. They've measured a 6% drop in his approval numbers since June, 65% to 59%. And his disapproval numbers have jumped by the same amount, 31% to 37%.

It is common for a president's approval numbers to start their descent after about six months in office. Obama's decline has not been gradual. There has been a stark decline in how Obama is polling this month versus last.

Here is how Obama's numbers have dropped since June according to three other pollsters.

• Ipsos - 7% drop
• Diageo/Hotline - 9% drop
• CBS - 6% drop

These four pollsters have measured an average drop of 7% in Obama's approval ratings.

Here's a more thorough table of polls.

With respect to health care, the ABC News / Washington Post poll also found that Obama's (Approval minus Disapproval) numbers have dropped this month on key issues.

• Healthcare - 9%
• Economy - 9%
• Federal Budget Deficit - 6%
• Afghanistan - 5%

Additionally, Obama's lead over Republicans on being trusted to handle health care has dropped 8% since June.

But that does not mean Republicans in congress are pushing ahead with their agenda. On the contrary, the Democrats in congress are more favorable than their Republican colleagues. Democrats have a net disapproval of 1% while the Republicans are at 22%. The Republicans are narrowing the gap slightly when you consider their net disapproval was 34% in April.

Not sure there is really any new news with this poll. We reported this exact phenomenon in an article entitled "Barack Obama's Honeymoon Period May Be Nearing Its End" dated July 10.

The whole basis of that article was based on a Gallup tracking poll that was conducted earlier in the month. Since then, Gallup's tracking poll has measured Obama's polling numbers move higher.

Here is what Jeffrey Jones of the Gallup Poll had to say about Obama's polling numbers today.

Despite the ups and downs in Obama's second quarter, his overall average is little changed from the 63% average for his first quarter in office. And even though he has had numerous sub-60% individual ratings in June and July, all of these have still exceeded the historical average of 55% job approval for presidents from Truman through George W. Bush. On this basis, it can be argued that he is still in the honeymoon phase of his presidency.