In a blog entry at the Washington Post, columnist Jonathan Capehart says that he believes President Barack Obama may be able to pull off an electoral victory in November because people still trust him enough to give him another chance. But he will have to fight for that chance.
New polls out this week show that the president’s retooled message found a responsive audience. Obama’s job approval ratings in August were terrible. Pew Research Center put it at 43 percent. The Gallup weekly average poll had it at 40 percent. Fast forward to this week. Both The Post-ABC News poll and the CNN-ORC International poll put the president’s approval rating at 49 percent. Since his change in tactics, Obama is now viewed more favorably than congressional Republican on handling the major issues facing the country. And his personal approval ratings remain high. The CNN-ORC International survey puts it at 76 percent.
Such high personal favorables, plus the low-esteem in which the Republicans in Congress are held, means the president’s advantages are plentiful and formidable. Sure, the raucous Republican caucus has aided in its own misfortune. But as it learned this week, when Obama fights he comes out on top.
Read Jonathan Capehart's entire blog entry at the Washington Post.