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Prof: Obama enjoys high approval

But president’s agenda resembles Carter’s, Wittenberg crowd told.

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By Kelly Mori, Staff Writer Updated 11:03 PM Friday, June 12, 2009

SPRINGFIELD — Judging a president’s performance can be a pretty emotional exercise.

It can also be a simple scientific one, Wittenberg University’s political science professor Rob Baker explained Friday, June 12, at the lunch and lecture presentation hosted by the university.

Baker, a candidate for the Springfield City Commission, used past presidents’ approval ratings, number of executive orders, and appointments to help attendees make an objective assessment of President Barack Obama’s first five months in office during the presentation “Assessing The First Five Months Of The Obama Presidency.”

The approval rating for the first 150 days of past presidents — from Kennedy to Obama — has averaged 62 percent, Baker told the more than 50 people who attended the event.

“Right now, Obama is at 64 percent, which is above average,” he said.

His disapproval rating is also higher than the of 13 percent average, which is partly due to a more polarized populace, he said.

Keeping to the numbers, Baker said Obama is on track with most other presidents when it comes to executive orders. Obama has issued 20, George W. Bush issued 19, Clinton 18, George H.W. Bush 11, Reagan 23 and Carter 29.

Using Reagan and Carter as examples of successful and not-so-successful presidents when it comes to agendas, cooperation and maintaining a positive image, Baker used them as slightly more subjective measure to assess Obama’s strength in those areas.

While Obama more resembles the more successful Reagan in the areas of rallying his base and presenting a positive image, his agenda appears to be more like Carter’s unsuccessful strategy of trying to address too many issues without any clear focus, he said.

“That could be a problem for him,” Baker said.

Comments at the end of the lecture revealed a crowd, that on average, gave Obama a “B” on his performance.

What do you think of President Obama’s performance thus far? Comment on this story at SpringfieldNewsSun.com

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That exactly what Obama is doing throwing out money away like it grows on trees. Its even cost more money for his health care plan,it which he even wants to tax it.

Travis Aker
11:57 AM, 6/20/2009

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I need to add three more zeros to make my 50 trillion. Opps.

fattrak
9:44 AM, 6/20/2009

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It is impractical because of the amount of money it would take to give that much out. 300 million US citizens. If you only gave to 1/3 that would be 100 million people. $50,000 x 100,000,000 = $50,000,000,000. That is 50 trillion dollars. Our annual government budget is 3+ trillion dollars. Our total national debt is 13 trillion dollars. The only way to do it is print worthless money. Toilet paper would be worth more. Like I say, sounds good but we can't do it.

fattrak
12:21 AM, 6/20/2009

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How can that be impractical, do you realize how many families that would help, especially with people who run out of unemployment can barely pay there bills, how much that would help them to get out of debt. That could help a child keep them in college so they can get a better child.

Travis Aker
11:10 AM, 6/19/2009

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I've been in the south for a good while and returned to Ohio A little while bank.There is a lot going on in the state I would have to look at before I comment on what is going on here. I do know nationally we have been losing jobs overseas for a while. Also the recession has hit everybody hard the last several years.

fattrak
8:04 AM, 6/19/2009

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