Phil: But there's hope. Economic growth this quarter and next are supposed to be much worse. We may yet see what the president's approval ratings look like in the midst of a downturn. As the story you linked to was quick to add:
But the growth spurt could be short-lived. There are concerns that the recent turmoil in financial markets, a result of a spreading credit crisis, could seriously dampen economic activity in the second half of this year.