July 11, 2013
John Zogby's Obama Weekly Report Card is Featured in Paul Bedard's "Washington Secrets" Published weekly in The Washington Examiner On the thumbs up side, jobless claims are down again and signs are pointing again to slow but steady recovery. And the talk of Obama scandals has subsided and given way to headlines about weather and mayhem in Egypt.
Which brings us to the thumbs down side: Could the U.S. really have been blindsided by events in Egypt? The U.S. has the most sophisticated intelligence-gathering capacity of any nation in the world but it could not see a revolutionary moment ready to break in a big nation that is of huge strategic importance? Another problem for Obama this week: His retreat from instituting a key feature of his health care reform — the employer mandate — because the government is not sufficiently ready for it.
All of that comes as his approval numbers slide a few points down to the mid-40s. Even more ominous, the percentage of Americans who feel the country is headed in the right direction is down a few points to the 30% level. Mixed news but still not good this week.
Grade – C-/D+ (Summer School Recommended)
