Obama’s comments on the arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. appear to have played some role in his ratings decline. News about the arrest of the prominent African American Harvard professor at his Cambridge home was widely followed by the public and 79% are aware of Obama’s comments on the incident. Analysis of the poll data found that the president’s approval ratings fell among non-Hispanic whites over the course of the interviewing period as the focus of the Gates story shifted from details about the incident to Obama’s remarks about the incident. Interviews Wednesday and Thursday of last week found 53% of whites approving of Obama’s job performance. This slipped to 46% among whites interviewed Friday through Sunday as the Gates story played out across the nation.
Consistent with this trend, a small re-contact survey conducted Monday night finds a mostly negative reaction, particularly among whites, to Obama’s comments on the controversy, even though the public is closely divided over who was at fault in the original dispute. Based on what people have heard about the incident in Cambridge, 27% blame Gates, 25% fault the police officer, 13% volunteer both or neither, and 36% offer no opinion. However, more people disapprove (41%) than approve (29%) of the president’s handling of the situation. And by a margin of about two-to-one, more whites disapprove (45%) than approve (22%).
Seeing that there are still a bunch of white dudes in the US of A that you’ll need to sway on your way to the socialization of Amerika, if I were you, President Obama, I would trip over myself to regain that “post racial” ground you lost last week because you’re undoubtedly going to need some pale skin support for your agenda. A giant leap back into the good graces of the pigmentally challenged would be to a.) Truly apologize for your comments about officer Crowley, b.) Attend a Ted Nugent concert, c.) Prosecute the New Black Panther thugs that your DOJ just let off the hook for their voter intimidation and d.) Hang out with Newt Gingrich for a couple of weeks. That would be just peachy.