Obama ranks high among final approval ratings for presidents dating back to FDR

[OriZ 3,157]

Ya I think you can't assume the poll means anything other than what it asked. 

 

To me it would make sense that FDR would have a high approval rating when he "left office". He died in office about a month before WW2 ended. I'm sure a lot of the country "approved" of him by that point.

 

Now how Kennedy does poorly is a little confusing to me. I feel like in general the poll should be invalidated for Presidents who died in office. Comparing the last poll about them to Presidents who left office is a little like apples to oranges (or at least different varieties of apples). I guess if the poll for Kennedy was "closest to being assassinated" but NOT after being assassinated, you can see why it may not be that high. At the time of the poll, people didn't know he was going to be shot and killed so it was easier to think about maybe some of the not so perfect things he did. I'm not familar with what the public knew about FDR and his declining health but just before dying he went to the Yalta conference which would have easily been seen as a "high point" since it was clear by that point that the allies were going to win.

 

So I would probably take FDR and Kennedy out of the list completed. That would make Obama 3rd. Not bad. Of course this isn't saying "Obama was the third best President since FDR". It is merely saying that at the time of leaving, Obama is approved of by more people than every other President since FDR except for Clinton and Reagan. Approval rating at the end of a Presidential term I think can be influenced by a lot more than just "how good was he". I think the incoming President-elect can influence it as well. Not to mention there is likely a greater focus on things done very recently, as opposed to assessments of "best Presidents" that try to think of the entire period of the Presidency as a whole.

 

I think alot of it has to do with the fact that all 3(Reagan, Clinton and Obama) left office with an economy doing seemingly well. I say seemingly because in neither of the 3 was that actually the truth, but that's what people perceieve/d at the moment. I think alot of it also has to do with their personal likeability rather than the job they did. All 3 were pretty well liked even by many of those who opposed their policies. Not to mention the fact that a couple decades could change perceptions drastically. 

Edited January 19, 2017 by OriZ

[bcking 3,157]

10 minutes ago, OriZ said:

 

I think alot of it has to do with the fact that all 3(Reagan, Clinton and Obama) left office with an economy doing seemingly well. I say seemingly because in neither of the 3 was that actually the truth, but that's what people perceieve/d at the moment. I think alot of it also has to do with their personal likeability rather than the job they did. All 3 were pretty well liked even by many of those who opposed their policies. Not to mention the fact that a couple decades could change perceptions drastically. 

I'm actually surprised about Clinton though considering the personal issues. It's been awhile now but wasn't the Monica stuff still quite an issue as he was leaving office? Maybe I'm remembering wrong.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Clinton's personal issues were a big deal, but mostly to those who this election cycle were apoplectic over the thought of Hillary Clinton becoming President. Many of the 'good people, the best people really' President elect Trump surrounds himself with such as Newt 'sorry you are sick honey, gotta go' Gingrich and the like, hated Bill with vitriolic malice. But most Americans had an otherwise favorable view, the Lewinsky scandal to some extent excluded. So much so the haters were willing to hold their noses and elect:

 

 

Edited January 19, 2017 by ready4ONE
because I can

[Dakine10 5,452]

12 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

I remember the same thing when Obama took office except it was Bush's face.  Maybe the Daily Show could get some fresh writers rather than rehashing outdated material.

  Nobody missed Bush! Republicans did everything they could to distance themselves in the 2008 campaign. He was persona non grata well before his term ended.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

3 hours ago, Dakine10 said:

  Nobody missed Bush! Republicans did everything they could to distance themselves in the 2008 campaign. He was persona non grata well before his term ended.

Completely and utterly disagree.  I know many who do and did.  

[ready4ONE 5,400]

1 hour ago, Transborderwife said:

Completely and utterly disagree.  I know many who do and did.  

I didn't care for a number of his policies but personally I liked George Bush, and really liked Laura as First Lady, she was and is a class act. Ditto his dad and Barbara though I think dad was a better President.

 

Donald Trump seems like a sick joke taken way too far. Still waiting for him to pivot into Presidential mode but I'm guessing that's not ever going to happen.

 

 

[Transborderwife 4,666]

7 hours ago, ready4ONE said:

I didn't care for a number of his policies but personally I liked George Bush, and really liked Laura as First Lady, she was and is a class act. Ditto his dad and Barbara though I think dad was a better President.

 

Donald Trump seems like a sick joke taken way too far. Still waiting for him to pivot into Presidential mode but I'm guessing that's not ever going to happen.

 

 

Absolutely love Laura Bush, don't know too many who don't.  He just seems like your crazy uncle George who always does something crazy at a family event.