From GALLUP POLLS:
…Meanwhile, we will also be tracking President Obama’s job approval rating, which he and his advisers are also no doubt hoping will improve. Last week’s 42% average was the lowest of his administration. In terms of the Gallup Daily tracking three-day average that Gallup routinely reports, Obama hit a new low of 40% last week, but by Tuesday was back up to a three-day average of 42%. Obama thus continues — so far — to avoid a symbolic drop into the 30% range. This is pretty significant, because most presidents in the modern era have in fact seen their job approval ratings drop below 40%.
President Ronald Reagan’s job rating fell into the 30% range by the 24th month of his presidency (in January 1983). Bill Clinton’s approval rating fell to below 40% in the fifth month of his presidency (in June 1993).
Job approval ratings for the two President Bush’s were buoyed in their first terms by highly unusual events — George H.W. Bush by the Persian Gulf War, and George W. Bush by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The elder Bush didn’t drop below 40% until February of 1992, in his fourth year of his presidency. This was bad timing, of course, since he was, at that point, already running for re-election. His ratings crashed down even further as 1992 progressed, and — of course — he lost to Bill Clinton that fall. The younger Bush went through his entire first term without ever dropping below 40%, a milestone he did not reach until October 2005, about a year after he had been re-elected. The younger Bush, like his father, ultimately found his ratings in the 20% range before he left the presidency…
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