Obama's drop in approval rating is steepest since Truman

Yvonne and Odell Patrick attended President Barack Obama's inauguration last year along with members of their extended family. Staff photo by Chris Stewart

Chris Stewart/Dayton Daily News Staff Photogra Yvonne and Odell Patrick attended President Barack Obama's inauguration last year along with members of their extended family. Staff photo by Chris Stewart

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By Tom Beyerlein, Staff Writer Updated 12:40 AM Sunday, January 17, 2010

Gary Leppla remembers how disoriented he was as he exited the Washington Metro subway and moved through the early-morning chill into a sea of fellow humans. “It was completely dark,” the Dayton attorney said, “but the Capitol was out there glowing like ivory.”

A year ago Wednesday, Jan. 20, Leppla joined more than 1 million folks in the nation’s capital as Barack Obama took the oath of office as the 44th U.S. president. Since then Obama’s popularity, while still at 50 percent, dipped by 18 percent — a bigger first-year drop than any president has had since Truman.

Many of those who attended the inauguration, however, haven’t wavered in their support of Obama.

“Of course, the euphoria of the moment can’t be sustained,” Leppla said. “But what he’s done is nothing but the hard work. That makes him take some lumps and have some apparent defeats, but he’s dealt with the hard issues one after another, and that’s what we elected him for.”

Odell Patrick of Dayton, who took his family to the inauguration, said, “I feel he’s done a good job, with the economy the way it was when he came in. If you can stabilize that, you’ve done something. I would grade him a B. Now he’s got to work on the jobs.”

Maury Wyckoff of Troy went to the event with his dad Jim, then 84, who was an activist in the civil rights era. “Getting to see a black president elected was a very thrilling thing,” Wyckoff said. “I’m amazed at the breadth of the things he’s tackled, and he doesn’t seem to shy away from any of them.”

Tim Manuszak of Beavercreek said it was an honor for his son, 2008 Carroll High School graduate Josh Manuszak, a member of the Navy ceremonial guard, to serve as an usher at the inauguration.

But Tim is no fan of the president.

“The liberal agenda he’s pursuing is fast-tracking us to more government control and less freedom,” he said.

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