By KEVIN FRIEDL
The first 100 days of modern presidencies have usually been a wait-and-see period in the court of public opinion. Most presidents since Kennedy have seen their approval ratings remain relatively steady during the three months following their inaugurations, reflecting the so-called "honeymoon period" during which voters (and the press) wait to see how the new chief executive will govern.
Two notable exceptions to this trend were Ronald Reagan, whose approval ratings rose from just over 50 percent in January to near 70 percent in May, and Bill Clinton, the only president on this list whose support fell below half during his first 100 days. (Lyndon Johnson's "first 100 days," it's worth pointing out, actually weren't; he had already been president for more than a year by the time of his second swearing-in, in 1965.)
The 100-days yardstick may have outlived its usefulness in an era of complex global challenges. But Barack Obama's poll numbers during this period will be worth watching nonetheless as the first test of whether his sky-high post-election approval ratings (subscription) survive the inevitable mistakes and compromises of actual governance. Based on the trend among post-war presidents, voters will probably give him the benefit of the doubt.
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