Instapundit links a news item about how Obama’s job approval rating at Gallup is still edging downward.

Heading into reelection years, pols want to be at least at the 50% level. A new Gallup Poll just out reveals that the ex-state senator’s job approval for his third full year is 44%.

That’s down from 47% in his second year.

That’s down from 57% in his first year.

It’s also down from the 69% approval he enjoyed on Inauguration Day.

► Exactly 3 years in, Obama’s job approval hits lowest level yet

Prof. Reynolds then observes: “What’s amazing is that he’s doing even that well.”

Not really, if you take into account that Obama is not like any of his predecessors; the other 42 men who have served as President of the United States were judged on how they performed their official duties as President of the United States.

Obviously, the majority of those asked are judging Obama on the same criterion, but there is a hard core of Obama supporters who are judging him on a criterion not unlike that used by the Nobel Peace Prize committee back in 2009. The Nobel committee gave him the prize for accomplishing one thing only: not being George W. Bush.

The job to which Barack Obama was elected in 2008 was not, in the minds of many of his voters, to carry out the official duties of President of the United States for four years with an option on four more—the job he was elected to do was be the first black President of the United States. Having accomplished that at noon on January 20, 2009, he immediately became, in the eyes of those voters, a success. They cannot withdraw their approval now because everything that happened after isn’t relevant.

They’re approving of his performance in the job as they’ve defined it.

Frankly, that’s been the story of Barack Obama’s life all along.
 

Corrupt Bastards Twenty Twelve