Obama Approval Below 50% For First Time in Gallup Poll: Blame Sarah Palin

Gallup shows Obama's approval dipping below 50% for the first time making his fall the fourth fastest drop below majority among post World War II presidents.

But Gallup doesn't want the devoted Obama flock to worry:

Thus, Obama's descent below 50% is an important symbolic milestone in his presidency, but history suggests the odds of his regaining majority approval are high, and he could do so relatively soon, particularly since the individual nightly numbers for him in recent days have been right around the 50% mark. History would suggest his current loss of majority approval bears little relation to his chances of being elected to a second term in 2012.

Nor does Politico:

 UPDATE: The Gallup data is now online. Gallup notes that Obama fell below 50% at almost the exact same mark in his presidency that Reagan did, and attributes the drop -- most of which took place over the summer -- to the economy and to the health care debate.

See it is all going to work out just as it did with Reagan.  Here's a hitch, in my opinion, Reagan's policies worked and the economy rebounded.  I personally don't see Obama's policies working nor does the  growing majority of Independents who seem to like Obama better than his policies.  Whether he regains a majority approval will depend entirely on whether his policies are perceived as improving things rather than making them worse.  Thus far, he is clearly losing that battle.

In the mean time, another star appears to be shining brighter than Obama.  Conservatives 4 Palin predicted that Obama's approval would dip below 50 when Palin began her book tour:

I seem to recall a bunch of folks in the media and the Republican party establishment insinuating that Governor Palin becoming more visible would distract from efforts to politically damage Obama. Well, what are they going to say now that Obama's worst week of polling since his inauguration coincides with Palin's increased visibility?

Ironically, Ann Althouse who is by her own admission not the strongest Palin advocate, made a similar point in a divalog debate with Michelle Goldberg yesterday.   Her point was the Palin star power has sucked all the oxygen out of the political room this week leaving Obama in touring China and Asia with very few paying attention.  Historically trips like this might have given Obama a bit of a bump in the polls, instead he has a slide.  Certainly his efforts to hightail it out of town while Eric Holder announced the decision to criminalize the war on terror did nothing to help his fading star power.  He has to be a bit miffed that the media, for better or worse, is paying more attention to Palin than the young president's trip to Asia.  I am sure he loved being asked whether he would read her book too.

Ed Morrissey points out "Organizing for America" admits the book tour is "dangerous"  and is asking supporters to help raise $500,000 to "push back against Sarah Palin and her allies:"

Remember, this is the person who coined the term 'Death Panels' -- and opened the flood gates for months of false attacks by special interests and partisan extremists.

"Whatever lie comes next will be widely covered by the media, then constantly echoed by right-wing attack groups and others who are trying to defeat reform."

Now when exactly did Obama's poll numbers start to take their big tumble?  If you look at the Gallup chart above, the heated health care debates of the summer were the catalyst.  Sarah Palin made the death panel statement on August 7, 2009.  Interesting coincidence?  It doesn't seem that Organizing for America thinks it is.

Hat Tip:  Memeorandum