Gallup: Obama Low In Popularity Among Modern Presidents [Updated]

220px-Richard_NixonPresident_Barack_ObamaThere was considerable coverage about the high popularity of President Barack Obama as he left office — often in comparison with the dropping polls of President Trump.  However, the White House pushed back on what it considered misleading poll stories.  Now Gallup may support the position of the White House — at least on the average of the Obama numbers.  Most polls show a surge of support at the end of Obama’s term.  Gallup shows Obama at relatively low polling numbers on average in comparison to past presidents.  This does not compare the polling at the time of his departure.  Indeed, even Nixon showed better polling numbers.  However, another poll this week shows Obama as just behind Reagan as the country’s greatest president.

The Gallup poll shows the following ranking since World War II:

  1.  Kennedy – 70.1%
  2. Eisenhower – 65%
  3. G.H.W. Bush – 60.9%
  4. Clinton – 55.1%
  5. Johnson – 55.1
  6. Reagan – 52.8%
  7. G.W. Bush – 49.4%
  8. Nixon – 49%
  9. Obama – 47.9%
  10. Ford – 47.2%
  11. Carter – 45.5%
  12. Truman – 45.4%

Only three presidents scored worse than Obama since Gallup started doing these surveys in 1945: never-elected Gerald Ford (47.2%), one-termer Jimmy Carter (45.4%), and Harry Truman (45.4%).

That means that only three presidents (Ford, Carter, and Truman) had lower polling numbers.

These polls can be obviously questionable on their conclusions like the greatest president determination.  The Quinnipiac University poll found 29 percent favoring Obama as opposed to  30 percent who cite Ronald Reagan.  That is not overwhelming.  Besides everyone knows that Madison is the greatest president.  That is the result of my personal poll which found that one out of every one professor in my home voted for Madison.

140 thoughts on “Gallup: Obama Low In Popularity Among Modern Presidents [Updated]”

  1. Sign on a bumper sticker forty five years ago:
    Don’t Change Dicks In The Middle of a Screw. Vote For Nixon in ’72.

    1. Along with this and other ‘breaking news’ the Republicans have been given a chance to keep their p?arty by showing they are no longer bed partners and no longer the right wing of the left. acting as their puppy dogs. I speak of the pending vote on Supreme Court Justices.

      Their choice is firmly stake their claim by thoroughly stomping Schumer and the NoLonger main stream remnants of the Democrat’s now clearly anti-Constitutinal socialst party by using dumb ass Schumer’s nuclear option. They don’t have to vote for Trumps choice but he’s got others to nominate and none of them are the lame stream that Schumer demands from his position of bluster.

      I recommend stick a pin in Schumer, vote to regain your independence as a party and then see what it can be turned into. But bear in mind McCollum until you prove yourselves you are still a target. Take a serious look at becoming the Constitutional Republic Party. You have a lot of dirt on your coat tails to clean off.

      Stomping the sociaist woud be a fine beginning they need a touch more encouragement as they form their new parties plural and since the white identify label has been firmly attached to the secular progressive extremists and their propaganda machine it’s a good time to kick ass until their are no names left to take.

      Then the Democrat Party can reform itself into something that can atone for it’s past as the Slave and anti civil rights party and their other splintered factions maybe get a seat at some coalitions table.

      Why not think about the Consitutional Republic centirst Coalition since we are busy doing the same thing?

      You see boys and girls the trouble with playing the race card or the sex card is when a parties whole history is rascist and sexist. Time for some to quit being ignored except on voting day and take over.

  2. No telling where this will end up as it’s an older topic but speaking of presidents

    Before Trump and before Obeyme and before George Washington there were a few others and notice the titles last five words.

    Presidents of the First and Second Continental Congress and United States Sitting In Congress

    Peyton Randolph Sep 5, 1774 to Oct 22, 1774
    Henry Middleton Oct 22 1774 to Oct 26, 1774
    Peyton Randolph May 10 1775 to May 24, 1775
    John Hancock May 24 1775 to Oct 29, 1777
    Henry Laurens Nov 1 1777 to Dec 9, 1778
    John Jay Dec 10 1778 to Sep 28, 1779

    Presidents Of The Congress of The Confederation or United States Sitting In Congress assembled.

    Samuel Huntington Sep 28 1779 to Jul 10 1781
    Thomas McKean Jul 10 1781 to Nov 5 1781
    John Hanson Nov 5 1781 to Nov 4 1782
    Elias Boudinot Nov 4 1782 to Nov 3 1783
    Thomas Mifflin Nov 3 1783 to Jun 3 1784
    Richard Henry Lee Nov 30 1784 to Nov 4 1785
    John Hancock Nov 23 1785 to Jun 5 1786
    Nathaniel Gorham Jun 6 1786 to Nov 3 1786
    Arthur St. Clair Nov 2 1787 to Nov 4 1788
    Cyrus Griffin Jan 22 1788 to Nov 15 1788

    I count sixteen and Hancock served twice and these years lasted through the Revolution against Britain. Yet these were the years that established the nation and then established the first Constituion of it’s kind and the longest living constitution in the world s recorded history. It also established the principle of self government and the citizens as the ultimate source of power.

    1. And Mike Conners ( Mannix) died yesterday at age 91.
      He was billed as “Touch Conners” very early in his career…..the nickname came from his talent as a college basketball player.
      Saw an old ’50s movie once with the “Touch Conners” billing…..looked it up and it explained the “Touch” name.
      He was on a “2 1/2 Men” episode several years ago….hadn’t seen him in decades, and he looked about the same ( on TV, anyway).

      1. I guess that was before my time. Perry Mason was running twice a day on METV, and I loved it. My father had a bunch of Perry Mason books, and I have even read a few of them. The dust jackets were to die for! Plus, did you know Erle Stanley Gardner was like the best selling author of the 20th century? He even had a “Project Innocence” type thing going called “The Court of Last Resort.” I looked him up once, and he had an interesting life.

        Squeeky Fromm
        Girl Reporter

        1. Squeeky,
          All I knew about Erle Stanley Gardner was that he created and the Perry Mason character and wrote numerous Perry Mason books….I don’t know if he was directly involved in the TV series.
          I think I saw that the Mannix series is now showing on MeTv as well.
          Conners’ final role….a cameo appearance on Two and a Half Men….is on youtube.

          1. He was a consultant to the show, at least at the beginning. Raymond Burr had auditioned for a different part and Gardner persuaded the producers to cast him as Perry Mason.

            1. DSS…
              – Good casting.
              Raymond Burr was a guest on The Jack Benny Show at least twice.
              In one skit, he parodied the Perry Mason image by ineptly defending Jack Benny in court.
              He got Benny into deeper and deeper trouble with every statement or motion he made.

              1. tnash – if you can find a link to that episode, post it. I would love to see it.

                1. Paul Schulte….
                  – I can’t post links on this site….tried and failed….limitations with my smartphone and/ or me.
                  – jJust google “Jack Benny, Perry Mason”,
                  Or “Jack Benny goes on trial for murder”.- Another of my favorite Jack Benny episodes is when he runs into Jimmy and Gliria Stewart in a restaurant, and offers to pick up the check.

                    1. Paul Schulte…..Glad you enjoyed it.
                      The one withJimmyt Stewart in the restaurant iz a classic, too.
                      stewart was Jack Benny’s friend and neighbor….he did several guest shots on Benny’s show.
                      Dan Duryea was great, too, in an episode where he held up Jack’s diner.

                    2. Would you mind sharing your best sources for some those mentioned? I ahve a new 500 gByte external and was wondering what next to collect. For the record I purchase then make a backup and it takes less space on the boat – using the computer as an all purpose any time anywhere tool. The sister unit handles storage of the full size DVD, CDs, Vinyl, books etc. although some books I’m never without.

  3. Ambrit, a very interesting article on the Guardian by John Harris about Trump possibly going for nothing less than a revolution. If true, we will all be eating our hats.

    [SNIP …]
    Put simply, Trump and his people want to eat the American left’s lunch. At the same time, they intend to shred the Republican party’s ingrained belief in laissez-faire economics, reset rightwing politics – somehow bagging “60% of the white vote, and 40% of the black and Hispanic vote” – whereupon a new dawn will break and “we’ll govern for 50 years”. The quotes come from the interview Trump’s infamous strategist Steve Bannon gave to the writer Michael Wolff, a few days after Trump was elected. “Like [Andrew] Jackson’s populism, we’re going to build an entirely new political movement,” he said. “It’s everything related to jobs. The conservatives are going to go crazy… With negative interest rates throughout the world, it’s the greatest opportunity to rebuild everything. Shipyards, ironworks, get them all jacked up … It will be as exciting as the 1930s, greater than the Reagan revolution – conservatives, plus populists, in an economic nationalist movement.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/27/jobs-for-all-tested-to-destruction-trump-full-employment

    Wow!! But even Harris points out that a good deal of the jobs that left America can no longer be re-shored here. Automation has made them disappear and that phenomenon is now happening exponentially – much like memory and cpu have each year for the last 20. An example is Ford Motor company that is rebuilding a plant in x where only 400 workers will be employed and who knows for how long before their jobs are automated.

    Still, Trump could cotton on to this and come up with alternate solutions.

    I have heard others, such as Bill Black, considerably less optimistic even about the possibilities, suggesting instead that most of what Trump wants to accomplish is further enrichment of private enterprise by public/private partnerships along the lines of the parking meters in Chicago. Yikes!!!

    Lots of noise, little to go on. We’ll see.

      1. BB – I knew you meant me — no worries! Have to admit “Ambrit” is a new moniker – I’m been called “Amber” and “August” often =) LOL

    1. McCain upset TPP was trashed. He and all his parasitic corporate coherts. Term limits

        1. Paul, can’t y’all get rid of him? He must be AZ’s answer to our Lindsey Graham. Both corporate tools and warmongers.

          1. Autumn – I fear the only thing that will get McCain out of the Senate will be his death.

            1. I’m not hostile to McCain (though I find his stance on immigration enforcement baffling), but I do wonder why he wishes to end his days in the Capitol. He has large pensions due from 20-odd years in the Navy and 30-odd years in Congress, his wife’s business and private income is quite large, and Arizona has towns and cities of nearly every size to which to retire (quite apart from the fact that his wife can well afford to ‘follow the birds’ as the Queen Mother once put it). You cannot really accomplish much in Congress and the churchyards are filled with indispensable men.

              1. DDS – for some insane reason McCain feels that there is no one in Arizona capable of replacing him. He is like the bank embezzler who refuses to take a vacation because someone else will see the books.

      1. Oh they are very happy with the Goldman government and will adjust their investments accordingly.

      2. Bernie Sanders ‏@SenSanders 1h1 hour ago

        Bernie Sanders Retweeted NYT National News

        What a shock. Despite Trump’s assertions that he would stand up for working people, Goldman Sachs is running the the Trump administration.

      3. No one knows that yet. It’s premature to say that none of Trump’s Executive Orders are not unconstitutional. None of them have even been challenged yet.

  4. I’m wondering why we haven’t seen any blog posts about the many Executive Orders that Trump has been signing, considering the concern Jonathan Turley had expressed over the EOs by Obama.

        1. It is YOUR opinion that Trump is violating the emoluments clause. Because of the screwy way you are defining an “emolument” as basically any money coming to a President from a business enterprise.

          Which, if you wish to be consistent, then you would believe that Obama also violated the emoluments clause. Because on a salary of $400,000 per year (or $3.2 million in salary over 8 years) somehow the Obamas became worth $24 million by the time they left the White House! It looks like he was worth about $6 million when he came into office. Sooo, where did the money come from? Here’s how:

          How exactly did Obama grow his fortune? Here’s a timeline of his earnings over the years, as Chronicled by Business Insider:

          2004: He earned a salary of $80,287 from the Illinois State Senate and $32,144 from the University of Chicago Law School, where he taught. The president also had assets in four financial funds worth between $50,000 and $100,000 each.

          2005: Obama signed a multi-book deal with Random House and received a $1.9 million advance for “The Audacity of Hope,” plus royalties, following his appearance at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Also that year he earned just over $847,000 off another book advance, plus $378,000 off additional book royalties. Meanwhile, his investments grew with the addition of a Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund valued between $50,000 and $100,000. He also reported deposit accounts valued between $150,000 and $350,000.

          2006: Obama reported book royalties of just under $150,000, plus $425,000 off an additional book advance. He also acquired publicly-traded assets worth tens of thousands, including funds with Goldman Sachs and Vanguard.

          2007: Obama earned $3.3 million off book royalties from Random House and $816,000 from Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. He acquired a Northern Municipal Money Market Fund valued between $1 million and $5 million, in addition to U.S. Treasury notes valued between $500,000 and $1 million. For his daughters, he invested in two 529 college savings plans valued around $200,000 each.

          2008: When Obama was selected as president, he owned somewhere between $1 million and $5.1 million in U.S. Treasury bills.

          2009: Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, which came with a $1.4 million award. He donated it to an assortment of charities.

          2009-2015: Obama earned $400,000 a year as president and continued to earn book royalties, as well as interest on his investments.

          https://www.gobankingrates.com/personal-finance/barack-obamas-net-worth-54-happy-birthday-mr-president/

          Sooo, were people buying Obama’s books an emolument??? And exactly how many books did he sell to get to $24 million from about $6 million while he was President? 2% interest on T-Bills of $5 million is about $100,000 per year, sooo that is about a million over 8 years. But that still leaves about $17 million to be accounted for.

          Squeeky Fromm
          Girl Reporter

          1. Since when is investing only in Treasuries required? Believe general indexes or non-industry specific mutual funds are generally considered acceptable separation. By your misunderstood rules, every modern president is violating the emoluments clause

            What should not be acceptable (and might not have been until the republican congress loosened ethics rules after gaining control in 2010) is buying a stock at a special insiders price and then putting forth legislation to specifically benefit the narrow part of the industry that stock operates in. But that conflict is seemingly what we have with Trump’s Health & Human Services cabinet nominee. If someone is that corrupt as a congressman, imagine the carnage he’ll do if/when approved.

            Even less acceptable (and likely not a thread on biased blogs), is the Mar Largo doubled increase in fees to gain special access to the fake news trump. LOCK THE CROOK UP!!!!!!!!

            1. Huh? It’s not. That was where Obama had his money. There and the money market. How did it grow $18 million or so in 8 years? How much of the growth was the sale of books? Because if getting a hotel room revenue, run thru a corporation (a separate entity) is an emolument, then certainly getting revenue from the sale of a book, directly from a publisher to a sole proprietorship,or to one’s Sch.E, would be an emolument.

              IMHO, neither of them are emoluments. And yes, Congress was wrong to basically OK insider trading for members of Congress.

              Squeeky Fromm
              Girl Reporter

              1. It’s in his tax returns where he made his money. You must know tax returns? Those wily documents that are part of the financial disclosures that more honest (madoff is likely more honest then trump) candidates show to the public. Am guessing trumps’ russian ties and much lower net worth will prevent Americans from ever having any disclosure from one with so much to hide.

                Maybe Obama should have pulled his book when he became president? At least he signed his book deal long before being president. And did not use the bully pulpit saying “buy my book” to further enhance his wealth. No such modesty from our carnival barker president. And Trumpy’s recent Mar largo activities (doubling the fee?) seem to be a DIRECT BENEFIT of his office and those seeking to have access. He should be impeached! and then locked up!

                As for his corporate separate entity? you’re kidding me right? And pretty much everyone thinks trump should totally divest. having his kids supposedly run things is nowhere near a reasonable separation of one’s financial interests. Especially as they now say they want to expand hotels to every sanctuary city. Wonder what kind of deals (can you say extortion?) they’ll demand? As for his foreign entanglements, we are already seeing the danger with Russia and putin (who owns the naive, actually seemingly stupid, trump). He would have already lifted russian sanctions if not for push back from eventually, we’ll see foreign policy issues in Turkey, azerbajian, etc……. due to many of those hotel ownerships involving ruling party family members….or ones trying to get into power (trump just slaps his name on them). he is simply the most selfish, corrupt individual we’ve seem in many a year.

                And that trumps cabinet will not sign the same ethics statement that obama’s cabinet is another crime. price, tillerson, devos, sessions, mnuchin, etc…..is the swampiest cabinet ever. They’ll be loyal crooks. But swampy nonetheless. Guess another campaign lie from our liar in chief

                btw – from the white house leaker, it appears his administration is already falling apart. Good thing our military is on guard. because like trumps wall and mexico trade policy (could someone be that stupid and not know a tax on imports would ultimately be born by the American consumer? that is scary stupidity and naivete!) trump’s state dept. is a total mess. Putin is laughing at his puppet.

  5. Is that what this about? average approval ratings?

    Obama’s higher exit approval rating has conservatives trying to adjust the metrics so that junior Bush (who left an economy after 8 years without negative private job creation and started a war based on his own lies) can seem more popular then the dog poop he was in November 2008 and Nixon before exiting the office in disgrace.

    Sadly slanted thread JT

    1. oops! Bush had negative private job creation over his 8 years. believe the only president ever with that embarrassing distinction?

      1. There are certainly many reasons to criticize Obama (sucking up to Israel and Saudi Arabia in Syria is likely near the top) or any politician. But one administration created millions of private sector jobs …… and one, Bush, had negative private sector job creation over his 8 years. In a fake news world, imagine that sounds about even to some.

            1. Awww, Bannon would be proud of you. You know he likes those whitei identity politics.

    2. Bogs slants toward the pro torture and man made climate denying Trumpians. Breitbart seized upon this poll, also. Go figure. 🙂

        1. How about about some serious criticism of our new dictator? He is busy signing all kinds of executive orders. Am pleased that there are a couple of leftists like Jill, Steve and BB that post here amid the sea of far right pro torture Trumpists.

            1. I didn’t realize that Steve Groen, David Benson, Isaac, Bill W., etc. were all part of “the sea of far right pro torture Trumpists”.
              Joe needs to read the comments more carefully before making inaccurate, blanket statements.

              1. Schlorrs might consider them to be Obama supporters 🙂 I mentioned Steve with the leftists.

                1. Joe….
                  My bad…Steve was already mentioned by you.
                  I think I found 8 “non-Trumpists” without reviewing all of the comments hers….I found that many juat scanning a section of these comments.

                2. Joe….
                  My bad…Steve was already mentioned by you.
                  I think I found 8 “non-Trumpists” without reviewing all of the comments hers….I found that many just scanning a section of these comments.

  6. I was the subject of an unbelievably biased “push poll” several years ago. That was when I decided I was done with polls. I realized pollsters were intruding on MY time for THEIR benefit. So the next couple of times I was polled (not push polls, legitimate pollsters) I answered the exact opposite of my true feelings. But I didn’t like being dishonest so now I just hang up and refuse to participate.

    The polling industry, IMO, has ruined itself with oversaturation and not respecting the public. Democrat polling outfit Public Policy Polling asked people:

    “Do you believe that shape-shifting reptilian people control our world by taking on human form and gaining political power to manipulate our societies, or not? 4% said yes. I can’t really blame them. Who wants to waste their time and dignify ridiculous questions like that with an honest response?

    http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP_Release_National_ConspiracyTheories_040213.pdf

    1. Scott – I take regular polls on YouGov, usually two a week. I build up points for each poll taken and then with enough points different prizes are available. These are all on the computer and a lot of them are commercial. Some are political. When they are political, I am Latino, so I qualify for the survey. 😉

      1. Schulte–via the Latin world I guess?! Where can I sign up! Franconia isn’t that far off is it?? Bwhahaaaaa… I miss all the good stuff…

        1. slohrss29 – YouGov.com. I found if I was white it would shut me out of the political surveys. However, once I decided to be Latino, I was in like Flynn. 😉

          1. I do the same YouGov polls (as well as the daily push poll they do on their mobile platform). I have not noticed them screening me out because I’m White. However, I have been screened out of polls because I do not have children. I assume those were marketing polls for products aimed at parents and/or kids.

        1. Again, I’m just surmising, but for a Constitutional law prof, being the father of the Constitution trumps all.

  7. I would love to read an essay or article on your evidence of Madison being the greatest president.  I am not disagreeing with you at all, just curious about your opinion. Thanks.

    From: JONATHAN TURLEY To: maysbythebay@bellsouth.net Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2017 11:38 PM Subject: [New post] Gallup Polling Contradicts Widespread Claims of the Popularity of President Obama In Leaving Office #yiv6247474733 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv6247474733 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv6247474733 a.yiv6247474733primaryactionlink:link, #yiv6247474733 a.yiv6247474733primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv6247474733 a.yiv6247474733primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv6247474733 a.yiv6247474733primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv6247474733 WordPress.com | jonathanturley posted: “There was considerable coverage about the high popularity of President Barack Obama as he left office — often in comparison with the dropping polls of President Trump.  However, the White House pushed back on what it considered misleading poll ” | |

    1. Dare I suggest presidential substance, solutions & results out weight ‘popularity?’ Are polls not often conducted by predisposed, political, people? Thus, are many polls not pointless? Others are frequently on the edge & periphery of truth. Thus, many polls are monotonous & diluted in nature. In short, skeptical of all polls designed to influence your opinion.

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Res ipsa loquitur – The thing itself speaks

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