Sword and Sextant

So Gallup has a poll showing something quite different than the frenzy of positive spin that we get from the mainstream media.

Here you go.

Here’s a quote from the WashTimes:

According to Gallup’s April survey, Americans have a lower approval of Mr. Obama at this point than all but one president since Gallup began tracking this in 1969. The only new president less popular was Bill Clinton, who got off to a notoriously bad start after trying to force homosexuals on the military and a federal raid in Waco, Texas, that killed 86. Mr. Obama’s current approval rating of 56 percent is only one tick higher than the 55-percent approval Mr. Clinton had during those crises.

Needlessly digging up Clinton’s ghosts aside, this is a pretty interesting result. I have heard that Obama’s approval remains very strong despite what is a bad economy, and laggy stimulus response, and other rotgut. I thought everyone loved the guy? I figured I was alone, shouting at a hurricane of political capital?

Let me be clear, I don’t view his popularity as any direct measure of his lawmaking. I’m only bringing this up because it makes every argument that is used in Obama’s favor that enlists his approval rating stink like shit. His actual approval rating is fair at the most optimistic viewing, and has fallen a ton since entering office. I’ll save further analysis for other posts.

One more thing: Hand-in-hand with the overinflation of prObama views, is the necessary marginalization of the resistance. The facts are building, though. Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” is back in the top 50 on Amazon, Mark Levin’s “Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto” has enjoyed a huge run of months atop the NYT and Amazon lists, despite never being reviewed by the Old Gray Lady, the infamous tea party movement coalescing from nothing, and Rush Limbaugh enjoying the greatest ratings of his radio career. FNC is still kicking the hell out of the other cable networks, but that’s nothing new, although their market share has increased since January 20. Specter being forced to the Dems just to have a better shot against Toomey and a new challenger for McCain is just more smoke from the fire that’s building. Obama would do very well to quash this tide with simple lip service acts, but I doubt he considers it a threat to his greatness.