It’s become an article of faith in certain liberal circles that President Obama has triggered a racially motivated backlash among whites, which has contributed to his low approval ratings. But new Gallup data undermines that theory.
Of the course of its polling, Gallup asked Americans whether they approved or disapproved of Obama’s handling of 13 different issues. As it turns out, race relations was the one issue on which a majority of Americans –53 percent — approved.
Rounding out the bottom was immigration at 29 percent and the federal deficit at 31 percent. Just 40 percent approved of his handling of health care policy.
This poll suggests that Obama’s political problems stem from his unpopular agenda and the objectively bad economy, rather than race.
