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New poll spells doom for Obama? Nah, not really...

By Jimmy Orr / March 24, 2009

President Obama is experiencing a downturn in his approval rating according to a Zogby poll to be released later today.

Jake Turcotte

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"Put on your Sunday best kids, we're going to Sears."

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Those were the words of Mike Brady to all the Brady bunch when they set out to celebrate. Perhaps that's what some Republicans are doing this morning with word of a new poll showing President Obama's number slipping -- dramatically.

The Boston Herald, reports that a Zogby poll shows President Obama with only a 50 percent approval rating.

"The honeymoon is over, a national poll will signal today as President Obama’s job approval stumbles to about 50 percent over the lack of improvement with the crippled economy."

Doom

That means doom and despair for the president, right? And for the terrifying news to come up on the day he addresses the nation. Perhaps he's going to have to roll out the teleprompter after all.

Nah, not really.

Why? Four words: It's a Zogby poll.

Wrong

Nothing against Zogby polls. But as Comedy Central wrote last year (and you can quote Comedy Central if they're right), "Zogby polls are always wrong."

The left and the right will tell you the same thing.

Right

Although Glenn Reynolds touts the poll with only minor trepidation today, last August he was more blunt in his critique of Zogby reliability.

"Bad news for Obama: McCain Makes a Move, Takes 5-Point Lead Over Obama. ... The good news for Obama: It's a Zogby poll . . . ."

Left

Oliver Willis, in his entertaining "Like kryptonite to stupid" blog, provides his perspective.

"A Zogby poll is like Jim Cramer telling you to buy Bear Stearns but even less accurate," he writes.

Zogby

Although the poll hasn't been released yet, Zogby told the Herald that Obama's recent gaffes aren't the reason for the dip. It was more of a "combination of high expectations and that things aren’t moving fast enough with the economy,” he said.

Other polls

To be fair, it could be right. Even a broken clock is correct twice a day. And inevitably his numbers will go down. They always do. This poll just doesn't sync up with others.

Rasmussen's daily tracking poll shows the president enjoys a 56 percent approval rating. Gallup and CBS show a 65 and 64 percent approval rating for the president respectively.

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