usnpilot wrote:
My question is how can he have a high approval rating with perceived results like this? Media poles seem to pick and choose their samples to get the results they want.
I think I know the answer to this, something I have been noticing over the last two decades or so. Democrats are much more likely to give high marks to elected officials of their Party than are Republicans. I h**e to say it, but Democrats are far less likely to be informed about policy issues and to know what is going on in government than are Republicans. Therefore, they tend to give an automatic pass to elected Democrats, no matter what their performance in office. Republicans are much tougher on their own Party's elected officials.
Democrat Example: Ted Kennedy drives off bridge and k**ls woman. Runs away and hides for 18 hours before family members convince him to notify police. Gets re-elected to Senate for life.
Democrat Example: Mayor Marion Barry of Washington D.C. gets caught snorting cocaine with a hooker and gets re-elected to office by landslide.
Democrat Example: Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of Detroit is convicted on felony corruption charges and sentenced to 28 years in the Pokey. Instead of being ostracised by the Detroit community, he is thrown a huge going away party by thousands of Detroiters and supporters. Even now there is a huge petition drive by supporters to get Obama to give him a pardon. Would probably have been re-elected if not residing in Federal Prison.
Republican Example: Richard Nixon covers up Watergate burglary and is pilloried by
both Political Parties and forced to resign. Obama has 12 - 18 major scandals and not a hint of disapproval by Democrat Lawmakers.
Republican Example: George H. W. Bush says "Read my Lips, no new taxes," breaks this one promise, and is bounced from office.
Republican Example: George W. Bush, after near-record high approval ratings, in last year in office revs up Federal Debt, bails out Banks and GM.
Republican disapproval contributes to giving him near-record low approval numbers.
There is an approval rating threshold of about 40% that a Democratic President cannot fall below because 80% of their Party just refuse to admit anything is wrong.
If you look at approval ratings for all P**********l Candidates going back to 1956, Hillary has the lowest favorability rating for Democrats, but it is still 51%!
Also, the Rush Limbaugh Theorem, "Obama is seen not as leading or governing the country, but as fighting against all the injustices of the establishment," plays a big part of it. Many Democrats may think that the Country is going all to Hell, but it has nothing to do with Obama. It is all seen as Bush's fault, even eight years later!