MSNBC's Evan Puschak looks at the theories about why the president's approval has gone untouched despite government scandals.
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A Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Obama's approval rating holding steady at 51%, the same as it was a month ago. Gallup shows the same trend: in their poll Obama has remained at 49%. A CNN poll has even shown a 2-point uptick since April, from 51% to 53%.
This doesn't mean Americans don't care about the scandals — quite the opposite. The Washington Post poll finds that 56% believe the IRS deliberately harassed Tea Party-related groups in their crackdown on illegitimate 501(c)(4)s. On Benghazi, 55% believe the administration is trying to cover up some facts about last year's embassy attack. And on the Department of Justice's secret collection of Associated Press phone records, 69% are at least somewhat concerned that the government is improperly intruding on freedom of the press.
Why does Obama go untouched while Americans fault the government on these scandals? There are a number of theories, some of which are borne out in the data. Looking at partisan divides on the poll questions asked above, the expected splits are apparent.
Read Evan Puschak's entire piece at MSNBC.
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