When you track President Obama’s job approval on a daily basis, people sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations that they miss the bigger picture. To look at the longer-term trends, Rasmussen Reports has compiled the numbers on a full-month basis, and the results can be seen in the graphics below.

The data shows that, after falling during June, July and August, the president’s ratings have stabilized in September.

In fact, the numbers for September are virtually unchanged from the month before. In September, 31% Strongly Approved of the president’s performance, while 39% Strongly Disapproved for a Presidential Approval Index rating of -8. In August, those numbers were 30% Strongly Approve and 39% Strongly Disapprove for a Presidential Approval Index of -9.

Also in September, the president’s total approval remained unchanged at 49%.
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During September, support for the president’s health care plan fell to the lowest level yet recorded with just 41% in favor of the current plan. However, a longer look at the trends suggests that there has been very little movement since the public became engaged in the debate during July. Despite presidential speeches and press conferences, town hall protests and congressional hearings, support for and overall perceptions of the proposal have varied little.

Other measures of the president’s performance can be found on the Obama by the Numbers page. Consumer and investor confidence improved during September to the highest levels of the past year.
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Currently, Republicans have a modest lead on the Generic Congressional Ballot. But the good news for Democrats is that they have 14 months to do some damage control before voters render a judgment.