Keeping Perspective: Obama Has a Higher Approval Rating Than Reagan or Clinton

President Obama’s latest approval rating (as of today on Gallup) is only 43%. Many on the right are hoping that means Obama is done for and some on the left are quite worried about it.

While it’s certainly not good news for the Democratic Party that Obama’s approval rating is in the low 40s, it’s important to keep historical perspective. What were the approval ratings of past Presidents at this point (August of their second year) in their presidencies?

According to Gallup both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were at 41%, below Obama’s 43%, in August of their second year (1982 and 1994 respectively.) As you no doubt know; both of them went on to win a second term in very convincing fashion.

On the other side of things George HW Bush had a 75% approval rating at this point and his son George W Bush was at 67%. Bush Sr. lost his reelection bid (to Bill Clinton) and George W. Bush barely squeaked by John Kerry.

The point is obvious: Approval ratings at this point in a President’s first term mean close to nothing as far as a predictor of a President’s chances at reelection. It’s more than two years until the 2012 presidential election and it’s impossible to know now what will happen over the course of those 2+ years.

The President’s approval rating at this point in his Presidency has far more effect on the chances of his party in the midterm elections than it does on his own reelection hopes two years later. This is why Democrats in the House & Senate are probably much more concerned about Obama’s 43% approval rating than he is.