FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
President Obama has the most polarized approval ratings for a second-year president since Dwight Eisenhower.
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A new Gallup Poll shows 81% of Democrats and 13% of Republicans approved of the job Mr. Obama was doing as president during his second year.
This 68-point gap is up from a 65-point gap during Mr. Obama's first year as president. That was also a record.
Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton are the only other presidents who had gaps of at least 50 points between party approvals by their second year in office.
This isn't to say that Mr. Obama is the most polarizing president ever. That award goes to President George W. Bush. He had three years in office with a gap in party ratings that topped 70 points.
But Bush's earlier years in office were less polarizing - mostly due to the support he received after the 9/11 attacks.
As for President Obama, he arrived in Washington full of talk about unity and bipartisanship. And his initial approval ratings were among the highest for any post-World War II president. But Mr. Obama quickly lost most of the Republican support, while maintaining high ratings from Democrats.
It's worth pointing out that this isn't just about Pres. Obama. Our country seems to get more polarized every year. On average, nearly all of the presidents since Reagan have more polarized ratings than those before him.
And we can probably thank hyper-partisan news on cable, the Internet, and talk radio for some of the growing divide.
Here’s my question to you: Why is President Obama such a polarizing figure?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Michele writes:
I blame the right wing media for throwing chaos into the mix by pumping the public with lies and manipulated information. I believe fear is their motive. Fear of this new guy who threatens to work for the middle and lower classes. And best of all is fear of the color of his skin. I really don't know how they sleep at night.
Paulo in Sheridan, Oregon writes:
Pres. Obama's polarizing effect is easily explained by the 80/20 Rule. 80% of Republicans and right-wing media blowhards expected Obama to clean up Bush's mess within 20 months. The remainder, like Limbaugh and Beck, expected it within 20 minutes.
Seth writes:
Egocentric attitude on display. His answer to O'Reilly's question yesterday asking what was the "worst thing about the job". Instead of the obvious...visiting wounded warriors, meeting parents of soldiers killed in action, etc., he said it was being in a bubble where the couldn't do things like have a regular conversation because everything he says is analyzed, critiqued, reviewed. etc. Self-absorption is a polarizing characteristic.
Paul writes:
I think the majority of Americans are center-right. I believe most people don't agree with President Obama's policies. The direction he would like to take our country in is not in step with most Americans.
Dave in Phoenix, Arizona writes:
I don't think he is. I think FOX News makes him out to be.
Richard in Kansas writes:
Because he is an intelligent black man who also represents the changing demographics and cultural identity of the country. And that scares the hell out of a lot of white people.
Maje in Vancouver writes:
It's not that President Obama is polarizing, it's that the country is bi-polar: Republicans-Democrats, Christian Right-Everyone else, folks who like Sarah Palin-folks with brains, kids who are naughty-kids who are nice. If Santa Claus was in the Oval Office, his polls would be evenly split.