After the "Gates flap."<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/30/AR2009073004097.html</ref> [[Harvard]] Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested on [[misdemeanor]] disturbance charges. Prof. Gates told the arresting officer, "Do you know who I am?" Gates was a personal friend of Obama.<ref>http://gretawire.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/07/23/police-and-president-obama/comment-page-2/?action=late-new</ref> When asked about the incident at a press conference, Obama charged the arresting officer with "acting stupidly." Polls shortly after revealed Obama's personal popularity and approval ratings declined significantly across the board, on every major subject and among all demographic groups.<ref>http://people-press.org/report/532/obamas-ratings-slide</ref> Obama's approval rating is lower than that of his predecessor in 2001 despite liberals' demonization of [[George W. Bush]].<ref>[http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jOXgdP1BoxXRqTf4yf3BSFn2sa1Q Obama popularity lower than Bush's at six-month mark: poll]</ref> | After the "Gates flap."<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/30/AR2009073004097.html</ref> [[Harvard]] Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested on [[misdemeanor]] disturbance charges. Prof. Gates told the arresting officer, "Do you know who I am?" Gates was a personal friend of Obama.<ref>http://gretawire.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/07/23/police-and-president-obama/comment-page-2/?action=late-new</ref> When asked about the incident at a press conference, Obama charged the arresting officer with "acting stupidly." Polls shortly after revealed Obama's personal popularity and approval ratings declined significantly across the board, on every major subject and among all demographic groups.<ref>http://people-press.org/report/532/obamas-ratings-slide</ref> Obama's approval rating is lower than that of his predecessor in 2001 despite liberals' demonization of [[George W. Bush]].<ref>[http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jOXgdP1BoxXRqTf4yf3BSFn2sa1Q Obama popularity lower than Bush's at six-month mark: poll]</ref> |