Politics

Bush: Galluping into the History Books?

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Everyone seems to enjoy slumping poll results for pols (except the pols themselves), so here's some more on Bush's badass ratings. This is from Gallup and it refers to how prezzes were doing in their 26th quarter in office (a relatively small club):

Bush joins Truman (30.7%) as presidents with very poor approval averages during their 26th quarters in office, after essentially 6 1/2 years in the White House. But not all presidents who served that long suffered low approval ratings. Dwight Eisenhower and Bill Clinton had averages near 60% during their 26th quarters in office, and Ronald Reagan's was just below 50%.

Twenty-Sixth Quarter Averages of Other Presidents

President

Dates of
26th quarter

Average
approval
rating

No. of
measure-
ments
during
quarter

 

%

 

Truman

July 20-Oct 19, 1951

30.7

3

Eisenhower

Apr 20-Jul 19, 1959

62.0

3

Reagan

Apr 20-Jul 19, 1987

49.7

3

Clinton

Apr 20-Jul 19, 1999

58.6

9

G. W. Bush

Apr 20-Jul 19, 2007

31.8

6

To date, Bush is averaging 39.9% approval in his second term in office, which began on January 20, 2005. Only Nixon and Truman have ever averaged below 40% for a presidential term in office -- both in their second terms. Bush averaged 62% approval during his first term in office, and is following the paths of Truman, Lyndon Johnson, and Nixon, who were much less popular in their second terms than in their first, as a result of prolonged wars, scandals, or both.

My first reaction? Any president who gets a 26th quarter is doing pretty well. Though the Bushistas may be taking a dimmer view. My second reaction? Those Clinton numbers are pretty damn impressive.

More results here.