FOURTH DAY IN A ROW – AT 10:46 A.M. ET:  We've been following the Rasmussen daily tracker very carefully this week, to see if the president's sudden drop in approval continues.  Thus far, it continues. 

Mr. Obama has been under 45% in approval for four days running, so it's unlikely that the first warning was merely a statistical aberration:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 25% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-five percent (45%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -20.

And...

Overall, 42% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president's performance. That too reflects a three-point drop since the speech.
Fifty-seven percent (57%) now disapprove.

It is the defection of the independents that should have the White House worried:

Among those not affiliated with either major party, 49% now Strongly Disapprove. That’s up five points since Tuesday morning.

Obama's handling of the oil spill – or as the White House will undoubtedly call it, the Bush-Cheney oil spill – is having its impact.  But I suspect it goes beyond that.  A lot of people just don't like Obama any longer.  He's not a very likable man, unlike the packaged candidate we were given in 2008.  Politics is partly based the same kind of emotional reactions we have to people every day.  Obama is losing the feelings race.

June 19, 2010