http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=1085430A new poll finds President Obama's approval rating with independent voters has reached an all-time low. While Obama has lost support from both Republicans and Democrats, independents represent the largest group of defectors.
Last summer Barack Obama garnered a 56-percent approval rating with independents. But now, one year later, a report released by the Gallup organization reveals that only 38 percent of that same group approve of the president's job performance.
Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist and communication director to Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) and Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) in their former congressional leadership roles, cites Obama's handling of the economy and healthcare reform as major reasons for the declining numbers.
"For President Obama, it's the economy. Independents may not have a lot in common, but what they do have in common is they're very angry about the lack of jobs and the high spending and record debt," Bonjean suggests. "They were promised that something would be done about it, and so they're walking away from him."
Under George W. Bush's tenure as president, independents flocked to Democrats because of his support of the Iraq War. The Republican strategist believes Obama's 18-point slide reflects discontent among independents because they are not seeing a more centrist approach to policy decisions.
"When President Obama was elected, he decided to govern to the left instead of governing from the center," the communication director explains.
He concludes that many independents are disappointed that Obama has not made good on promises made to bring change to the Washington, DC, political culture. In the current heated political climate, some strategists believe that could be a promise too tall to deliver.
Topic: Obama's approval ratings show independents defecting (Read 677 times)