Bush: Galluping into the History Books?
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 quarterAverage
approval
ratingNo. 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.
