FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
While America's fixating on numbers from President Obama in his speech tonight on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, like how many troops are coming home and by when, the president and his re-election team are probably stuck on a very different set of figures.
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For example, 43 percent, the president's daily job approval rating according to Gallup. It's been moving down this week. And 49 percent, the percentage of Americans who disapprove of the job he is doing. They aren't very good numbers.
Here's another number that's probably going to keep the Obama reelection campaign awake at night: 30 percent. That's the very small percentage of Americans who say they are certain they would vote to re-elect President Obama come next November. And 36 percent, the percentage who say they definitely won't cast a vote for four more years of his presidency. These stats come from a new Bloomberg National Poll. Here's one more from the same poll, maybe the worst one of all: 66 percent of Americans think the country is on the wrong track.
It's a tight spot for President Obama to be in. So much of his sinking poll numbers has to do with the economy and the lack of real recovery we've seen during his term. But it also has to do with the four wars we are fighting and the nation's growing deficit too.
What it doesn't have much to do with is Obama's potential Republican opponents. No one in that lackluster field is really getting the voting population excited. And that might be the only thing that's keeping the president in the 2012 race at this point.
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Jeff in Bishop, Georgia:
Mr. Cafferty, any person who is at 45% or less doesn't deserve to be reelected, and the current dismal approval rating is an indication that the electorate is dissatisfied with this administration's policies that are only effective in driving our country into a deeper hole.
Stephanie:
Depends on how many "undecided" are among those polled. Thus far the president is polling better than the Republicans who have declared.
Larry in Georgetown, Texas:
He can get re-elected if Bachman, Palin or Paul get the GOP nomination but other than that, the only way he'll serve another four years is to have Mrs. Clinton as his running mate. More than likely he's history.
Dave:
Only if he gets the same minority vote he received in last election and that is doubtful with minority unemployment around 30%.
James in Greenville, North Carolina:
Jack, I am about as right wing as you can get without tipping over. I do not see any scenario in which Obama can lose. His approval rating may be low but the Republicans are once again going to run someone who cannot win.
Joe in Ohio:
Only if he tweaks his "yes we can" sound bite to "yes, we HAVE TO". I believe most Americans know nothing is going to change unless everybody pays a part of the bill. We all have to help. Yes, we have to address entitlements. Yes, we have to address military spending. Yes, we all have to pay more taxes. Yes, we have to stop blaming each other for our problems and fix them. We are in a lot of trouble, Jack. We don't care who is to blame anymore.
Dave in Orlando, Florida:
Your question assumes that he will be running against a viable opponent, in which case the answer would be "no." However, if the Republicans can't find anyone other than what is in the sorry sack of losers that are running around the country saying all those idiotic things now, then he has a chance. Personally, I intend to vote for "none of the above," unless Hillary runs.