Republicans Beware, Obama is at his Best in a Campaign

There will be a long debate about President Obama’s place in history, but his re-election and daily tracking polls confirm that what he and his team are really good at is campaigning.

Watching the six-year track of approval polls show the rapid drop from his inaugural highs, through the health care passage in early 2010, the continuing weak economy, and into the debt ceiling debacle in mid-2011 – a clear pattern developed that governing left more voters disapproving than approving his performance.

But in late 2011 the campaign began, and by mid-2012, the political recovery was on. Obama hit his highs from the election to his inaugural in January 2013. But once the governing started, it’s been all downhill with the crash in December of last year from the effects of the botched ACA introduction when some polls showed approval dropped below 40 percent.

But, the campaign is back on and Obama’s approvals have ticked up since December to near the mid-40s today. With a little help from the economy and fewer foreign crises, he could, if not become an asset in the 2014 election, at least be less of a burden. And, although the ACA moves the Republican base, the issue is getting long of tooth and may be less the silver bullet it appeared a month ago.

Govern, who knows. But campaign, you bet.