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The Spectacle Blog

Obama's Gallup Rating Unmoved After Tucson Shooting

By Philip Klein on 1.17.11 @ 1:51PM

Whether the tragic shooting in Tucson will have any lasting political impact remains to be seen, but so far, it doesn't seem to have affected the way Americans view President Obama's job performance.

The latest Gallup poll, reflecting interviews taken after his widely-praised speech at the memorial service last Wednesday, shows that 48 percent of Americans approve of Obama, compared with 42 percent who disapprove. That's little changed from the survey taken just before the shooting, which showed 48 percent approval and 43 percent disapproval -- a statistically insignificant difference.

Sometimes there's a "rally around the president" effect following national tragedies, but it doesn't look like that's happening in the wake of the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords that killed six and injured a dozen others.

View all comments (14) | Leave a comment

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 1.17.11 @ 2:44PM

It's difficult to rally around phony hubris, dishonest dialogue, T-shirts, Father Sky and things that slither vis a vis a nutty and apparently anti-American native American.

That doesn't qualify as a Maypole.

Wayne | 1.17.11 @ 2:58PM

How he has a 48% approval rating is beyond me. Seems that the conservatives pundits were the ones rallying around the president.

I Survived Arlen Specter| 1.17.11 @ 3:07PM

Wayne, you didn't really think the "conservative" pundits were going to rally around Sarah Palin did you? With these pinhead pundits anything that neutralizes Palin is what they will rally behind. Most "conservative" pundits are RINOs & want nothing to do with Palin, even if it means praising the Obamessiah. Take care Wayne & GOD bless!

ncatty| 1.17.11 @ 3:02PM

All that matters is the economy. If it improves, he wins re-election. If not, he loses.

Clint| 1.17.11 @ 5:02PM

More likely, It will be about "How Much" The GDP, Unemployment Rate, Debt Levels, etc improve.

And The Tea Party Rebellion is changing the dynamics of 2012, as well.

louis tully| 1.17.11 @ 3:45PM

Oh well, Mr. Klein, you and the rest of the GOP media did your best to help the President, praising his appalling campaign rally as soaring oratory.

Fail to the Chief! (and the pundits)

Patriot| 1.17.11 @ 4:41PM

Shucks! Looks like the Democrats had to let that good crisis go to waste. Oh, well, they can take comfort in knowing that soon enough another heart-wrenching, excruciatingly painful tragedy will come along to exploit.

The ghouls are counting on it.

Liberal Reader| 1.17.11 @ 4:49PM

Klein --

One thing you're not reporting here is an incremental rise in all polls in Obama's job approval ratings since the mighty duck Congress's finale in December. As for the AZ speech -- it's not even a week old! I think it will help him.

Clint| 1.17.11 @ 4:53PM

"The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 27% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Thirty-eight percent (38%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -11"

GBinPA| 1.17.11 @ 4:57PM

I think that Obama's approval rating is beyond repair. The emperor has no clothes!

Chris| 1.17.11 @ 5:04PM

I feel somewhat bad for writing what I'm about to write, but it needs to be said.

I have a theory as to why Obama has not received a "bounce" of sorts from the Tucson shootings:

This tragedy is nowhere near the level of devastation that the media has made it out to be.

Please understand that while this was most certainly a tragedy, was this comparable to 9/11 where 3000 souls lost their lives? Are the Tucson shootings on the same level as the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941 where 2000 of our brave soldiers lost their lives in an attack on their Naval base? Is the Tucson massacre even on the same level as the Oklahoma City bombings where over 150 people (including 19 children under the age of 6) died and over 300 buildings were damaged or destroyed?

I simply cant see how anyone could answer yes to any of those questions.

Again… I am not trying to be mean, divisive, or garner a terribly negative response from those reading these comments. In addition, I am not trying to in any way shape or form marginalize the 6 poor souls that departed us last weekend at the whim of a madman. However, if you take away the fact that one of the people shot was a U.S. Congresswoman, what exactly do you have? You have another non-newsworthy act of violence that doesn’t even make AP’s top ten news stories of the day.

The incident, in my eyes, when compared to other historical acts of murder, just don’t seem as tragic in comparison to warrant the kind of moment Bill Clinton had with the nation following the OKC bombings, or the moments George Bush had following 9/11. If the moment is not as tragic, then there is really no “bounce” that can occur.

Does anyone at least understand where I’m coming from on this one? And please… no offense was meant to anyones sensibilities.

Patriot| 1.17.11 @ 6:24PM

The Tucson incident was plenty tragic, it's just Liberals can't control the political narrative so easily anymore. There's too much Conservative media to combat their lies and smears. It's a new day, better get used to it.

Dewey Beck| 1.18.11 @ 4:55AM

Yes, you are correct and I understand where you are coming from. But remember that the emotional tug of the heart and the disconnect of the brain seems to be the order of the day.