According to a
new poll out yesterday from CBS News/New York Times -- hardly a conservative pollster -- President Obama's personal favorability numbers have now, for the first time, gone underwater, with only 39% of Americans viewing him favorably, while 42% view him unfavorably. Personal favorability is usually thought of as a ceiling for a Presidential candidate's ultimate vote, since while people will vote for people they don't think have done great jobs if they still like them personally, they won't vote for anyone they do not like personally. Obama's incompetence at his job has dragged his job approval numbers down already, but his personal favorability has always been higher. Not anymore.
Why has this happened? Well, it's not simply the economy. To me, Obama has increasingly become a bore, strident, mean-spirited, blaming others, not taking responsibility, not admitting mistakes, vilifying enemies, lying about and caricaturing political adversaries, etc. As Dennis Miller said this week, "Obama doesn't like me, and half the country." So why should we like him?
In short, I think his real character as a narcissistic, self-absorbed asshole is starting to come out. Not sure how his handlers can put that genie back in the bottle.
