I'm not usually a daily poll junkie but sometimes there are important inflection points that correlate with news events. Obama's approval numbers took a hit right around the Gates controversy. According to Gallup, he bottomed out last weekend at 52% approval, with 41% disapproving.
But since that time his net approval has jumped 11 points to 58 percent approving, with only 36% disapproving.
What could explain this reversal of fortune for Obama?
There are some mundane possibilities:
- As the Gates issue recedes people are less pissed off at him.
- Better economic data the last few days.
- Sotomayor's confirmation
- Cash for clunkers is a hit
- The Pakistani Taliban leader killed (though that was today)
But, I think there's another reason Obama has rebounded: the public is getting fed up with the town hall riots. I think the right wing strategy of disrupting the health care town halls is backfiring, especially as the media has done a decent job exposing the corporate and political plants at these events. The non-plants look like certifiable lunatics too, which makes supporters of health care reform look better.
I'm not sure if this is the reason for the turnaround, or even if it will hold up. But I get the sense that the right has failed to rattle Democratic Congressmen and the desperation among the teabaggers is making Obama look stronger by comparison.