A year on from a historic election, the spirit of popular goodwill that yielded America’s first black president has retreated to tepid support for Barack Obama as he presses his change agenda.
Since the November 4 poll, Obama’s visage has been everywhere, conspicuously on the streets of the nation’s capital where millions of foreign and domestic tourists have visited over the past year, many of them snatching up poignant souvenirs.
A quick look around downtown Washington confirms that Obama trinkets are still on sale, but several street hawkers have found little point in displaying the t-shirts, posters, and “Yes We Can” buttons bearing the new president’s image.
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Indeed, Obama’s honeymoon with the American people lasted less than six months.
In the aftermath of his inauguration in January, Obama’s approval rating soared to 70 percent.
Early on, he tested Americans’ faith by diving headlong into controversial programs to rescue the economy, including bailing out sinking US auto manufacturers and unleashing a 787-billion-dollar stimulus plan.
In late April, at the end of the first 100 days in office, Obama still enjoyed more positive reviews than his predecessors in the previous 20 years.
But the fall was soon to come as questions started simmering about the president’s ability to pull the US economy out of a nosedive.
In July, his popularity dipped even below that of predecessor George W. Bush in the same period of his presidency.
Since mid-October, it has hovered just above 50 percent, a “significant drop” from his earlier numbers, according to Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup Poll.
“In general, this puts Obama’s current ratings slightly below average for all US presidents since World War II,” Newport told AFP, noting that the ongoing economic problems are contributing to the curb in enthusiasm.
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Whatever people think back home, Barack Obama’s popularity abroad is irrefutable, argues Professor Clyde Wilcox of Georgetown University in Washington.
He is “the first African-American president, a young man who has won many honors and done great things. He is a cultural phenomenon in the US and around the world,” Wilcox said.
As such, the conditions remain ripe for more sales, according to Lian Nelson, another street vendor in Washington, who hangs Obama t-shirts alongside those featuring another prominent African-American hero: Michael Jackson.
Who is outselling whom? According to Nelson, the “King of Pop” is well ahead.
