Even Obama's Oratory and Presence Aren't Helping Him Now

Pollster John Zogby updates our weekly Obama Report Card with a grade on the president's performance. Zogby uses his polling, expert analysis, and interaction with major players to come up with a grade and some comments that capture how he see's the president's week ending.

John Zogby on Week 45:

"There is no question that the president won a big victory when the Senate voted to push healthcare reform to a vote in December. Getting a bill to the floor for debate doesn't spell victory, but history is on his side. On the other hand, the left and the center of Obama's party remain deadlocked, and there is very little chance of bipartisanship. His announcement on Afghanistan is soon, which is sure to ruffle feathers on both sides of the aisle. The president is down, and even his oratory and physical presence don't seem to bail him out of this mess. And speaking of bailouts, most Americans continue to see those as a big turkey."

This week's grade: C-

Last week: C-

John Zogby is president and CEO of Zogby International, a public opinion, research, and business solutions firm with experience working in more than 70 countries. Founded and led by Zogby since 1984, Zogby International specializes in telephone, Internet, and face-to-face survey research and analysis for corporate, political, nonprofit, and governmental clients. The firm is headquartered in Utica, N.Y. John Zogby is also the author of The Way We'll Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream (Random House).