Essential elements of Brand Obama in 2008 were trustworthiness and competence, virtues the candidate used to contrast himself with his predecessor, George W. Bush. …
The emphasis on good government helped him win his first and second presidential elections and to bounce back from periods when his overall approval rating was scraping lows. People liked him, even if they didn’t like his politics, as an earnest leader who made a priority of having dinner each evening with his young family.
But his likability among the general public has fallen sharply in recent weeks amid the self-inflicted problems resulting from the implementation of his health-care law and a steady stream of unexpected disclosures about government eavesdropping. …
The plummet in public confidence in Obama’s character poses a much larger problem for his governing agenda and for his legacy after office than general approval ratings. The erosion comes primarily from independent voters and from his own base, crucial to his party’s success in next year’s mid-term elections. CONT.
Scott Wilson, Washington Post