President Obama’s approval rating jumped during the past couple of weeks to 48 percent, according to Gallup, but it’s not clear whether this was due to anything other that he was no longer around.
On December 17, as Obama prepared to depart for his 17-day Hawaii vacation, his approval rating stood at 42 percent, about his usual level. By December 29, it has risen to 48 percent – the highest level since mid-2013 – even though Obama hadn’t done a single thing!
And that is just the point. Unable to do further damage to the economy, race relations, international affairs, or anything else other than a delicate fairway, Obama became more popular. About six percent of Americans, it seems, had forgotten he was president.
Alas, by January 3, as he boarded Air Force One to get back to Washington and resume the mischief, his approval had inched back down to 46 percent. The amnesia, it appears, was wearing off.