Obama: Nowhere to Go But Up

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (UPI) —
With his job approval rating hovering around 40 percent, U.S. President Barak Obama told Barbara Walters he’s confident of a comeback.

An ABC-Washington Post poll released last week found the president’s approval rating at an all-time low of 42 percent, down 13 percent from January when he began his second term. His job approval was down 6 percent in the last month following the faulty rollout of the heathcare.gov website and revelations of the extent National Security Agency surveillance programs.

Recent polls indicate Obama is also at career lows for leadership, honesty and trustworthiness, and understanding the problems of average Americans.

Obama was excoriated for his pledge that all Americans who like their current heathcare plan could keep their policies, a proposition that proved untrue for plans that didn’t meet requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has said the glitch-plagued website that went live Oct. 1 should be working as promised by week’s end.

Obama noted approval ratings for President George W. Bush were about the same at the same point in his presidency and said he was glad he had time to restore the nation’s trust during his second term.