However, the most worrisome news it contains for the President is on page 2. That's the President's favorability rating, which has fallen 5% (from 55% to 50%) just since December, while his unfavorability has risen 3% (from 41% to 44%).
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For a long time, one of the only things that has sustained President Obama has been a sense among his political adversaries that people still liked him, even as they largely disagreed with his policies. Given the numbers in the linked poll, that impression may be about to change, and if so, the gloves may really start coming off. That's when a President starts wondering into Jimmy Carter territory . . . unliked policy-wise, unliked personally.
There are many reasons that the President's personal favorability may be beginning to wear thin. One is the American voters' dislike of being snookered -- of being told by a candidate that he's going to be cautious, pragmatic, bipartisan, sensible . . . and then getting a President who tells the other party "I won" three days after being inaugurated, and starts pursuing ineffective left-wing policies that promise to tax and spend us into oblivion. No one likes to be misled.
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The other factor may well be one pointed out by Carol E. Lee in today's Politico: The President's penchant for scolding, well, everybody.
Understandably, Americans simply don't want to be lectured by a 48-year-old President who has yet to cut the mustard. No doubt a little less finger-wagging and a little more humility would seem to be in order.
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