The Shine is Definitively Off of Obamamania

Barack Obama is one year into his historic term as the first African American president. One year ago, the excitement that the election yielded could be measured on the Richter scale; now, support has dwindled quite a bit. One of the most surefire signs that the proverbial shine is off? The souvenirs that marked the election, from buttons to t-shirts and posters to bobbleheads, are largely unseen on the streets of Washington, D.C., as vendors aren’t finding buyers for the trinkets. A vendor identifying himself only as "Dick" noted of his Obama items, "They stay in the truck. They don’t sell anymore."

Right after being elected in January, Obama enjoyed an approval rating of 70 percent. Several months later, in April, the president still enjoyed a relatively positive outlook, posting approval ratings greater than any president for the past 20 years after 100 days in office. As continued questions about the economy, and the president’s ability to get the country off a collision course with financial disaster, Obama’s approval rating dipped below that of George W. Bush’s at the same point in the latter’s first term. Now, and since the middle of last month, the approval rating has been around 50 percent."

Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup Poll, noted, "In general, this puts Obama’s current ratings slightly below average for all US presidents since World War II. Overall, Americans are not highly satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S." As it turns out, Obama is immensely popular around the world, so there is hope yet for those souvenir salesmen.