A second term Democratic president, battling back against series of controversies. Sound familiar? President Barack Obama is facing a political situation not altogether unlike what the last Democrat in the White House, Bill Clinton, experienced during his second term. [cont.] Paul Steinhauser, CNN See also: Obama ratings | Clinton ratings Read more »
History Usually Kinder to Ex-Presidents
As the current president and former presidents gather in Dallas to open the George W. Bush presidential library, a Gallup review of presidential job approval ratings finds that presidents’ retrospective approval ratings are almost always more positive than their job approval ratings while in office. In particular, Americans rate John [...] Read more »
Obama Averages 49% Approval in First Term
President Barack Obama averaged 49.1% job approval during his first term in office, among the lowest for post-World War II presidents. Only Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford had lower job approval averages. Obama’s first-term average is most similar to Bill Clinton’s. Lyndon Johnson, John Kennedy, and Dwight Eisenhower were the [...] Read more »
Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama Most Admired in 2012
Americans again this year name Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama as the Most Admired Woman and Most Admired Man living in any part of the world. Clinton has been the Most Admired Woman each of the last 11 years, and Obama has been the Most Admired [...] Read more »
Bill Clinton Is Already a Sure Election-Day Winner
Whoever captures the White House on Nov. 6, the election season produced one clear winner: William Jefferson Clinton. … If the president is defeated he’ll remain a historic figure, the first black president. Much of his legacy, including the health-care bill and financial-regulation overhaul, will be shredded by Republicans. … [...] Read more »
Bill Clinton Is More Popular Than Ever
Former President Bill Clinton is more popular now than at any time during the 20 years since his emergence as a presidential candidate, with two-thirds of registered voters viewing him favorably, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. [cont.] Marjorie Connelly, New York Times Read more »
Democratic Convention Rated Slightly Better Than GOP Convention
Forty-three percent of Americans say what they saw at last week’s Democratic Convention makes them more likely to vote for Barack Obama — typical of what Gallup has measured for most conventions — and slightly better than the 40% reading for Mitt Romney and the recent Republican Convention. [cont.] Jeffrey [...] Read more »
Fearing the Clinton Factor
Of all the surrogates, themes and attacks rolled out by the Democrats in Charlotte last week, the Romney campaign flashed fear over just one. His name is Bill Clinton. … Polls show the former president could prove an unusually potent asset for President Barack Obama’s reelection bid, particularly in swing [...] Read more »
Obama, Clinton Scored Back to Back Home Runs With Their Speeches
… The polls in coming days will record the bounce for Obama. But the bounce that could count most in a base election has already happened. Democrats are galvanized by the best convention in modern history—by Bill Clinton’s fiery appeal and by Barack Obama’s finely tuned and targeted acceptance address [...] Read more »
Is Bill Clinton one of the best presidents in history?
… Opinion polls of the best commanders-in-chief tend to favor more recent presidents. A 2011 Gallup poll asked Americans who the best president ever was, and Ronald Reagan and Clinton filled two of the top three slots — ahead of consensus great presidents including George Washington, John F. Kennedy and [...] Read more »