The media's obsession with negative Obama approval polls...

[Drunken Irishman]

As I'm sure you're all well aware, the other day ABC News released a poll where Obama's approval hit a new low. How could you not know? It was everywhere!

It'd take a hermit to miss these headlines:

Behind Obama's falling poll numbers (FOX)
What Obama's Dropping Numbers Mean (Wall Street Journal)
Obama Approval Hits Career Low, Poll Finds (Newsweek)
President Obama approval dips (MSNBC)
Obama's approval is collapsing, and he's taking Dems with him (Washington Post)

All those headlines come from one poll - that ABC News poll that had his approval at 41%.

Yikes!

Now, there is no question Obama's approval ratings are below average. He hasn't been popular since midway through the first year of his second term. But there is a considerable negative tilt within the media to push a narrative that Obama's approval has 'collapsed' (who says the WaPo is liberal), when in reality - it hasn't.

But one poll indicates his numbers have slipped and the media pounces.

The thing is, the media also ignores the positive polls and rarely ever use one poll to suggest his ratings are improving. Instead, it's the opposite - if one poll shows a significant dip, it's their proof, if, however, one poll shows a rebound, it's buried until there is a larger consensus. In reality, the latter should be employed all the time - not just with positive approval polls.

The facts? Obama's approval is better today, on the whole, than it was in March, February and December, 2013, when his average approval was just 40% (it's 44% right now). So, no, the average doesn't suggest Obama's approval is at an all-time low.

It's dishonest to say so. But the media has never been honest.

What isn't mentioned is Obama's steady improvement in Gallup's Daily Tracking Poll. Today, he's at 46%, the highest he's been in that poll since summer of last year.

Guess how many stories there were about that?

Zero.

Hm...

It's like the media has an agenda or something!

[monmouth3]

1. I think it was Monday when Joe Scarborough was commenting on Obama's numbers and he was

just gleeful. No one else said much but Joe just couldn't contain himself...

[Fred Sanders]

2. The media know if they covered both sides equally it would be a Dem. blowout, there go the ad $$$$$$

[Jamaal510]

3. Even supposedly-liberal MSNBC has been doing it.

For example, they were just on and on about it on The Cycle today. "What does this mean for the midterms?" "Are Americans becoming distrustful of both parties?" "Has Obama been a disappointment?" Etcetera.
If each of these alphabet soup networks really care about informing their viewers (which seems doubtful in many cases), then they should focus more on exactly who has been responsible for the gridlock and what everyone can do to change it instead of trying to promote more hopelessness and painting both sides with the same brush. And like you mentioned, they deliberately ignore the positive approval ratings for him, and the fact that his is still over four times higher than that of Congress.

[Tarheel_Dem]

5. +1

[Cha]

4. Of course it's the gopropaganda media machine's agenda.