by Patrick Appel
Nate Silver says Obama slipping under fifty percent approval isn't that worrying. But much lower than that and he might have trouble:
Against Sarah Palin, frankly, Obama could conceivably win re-election with an approval rating well into the 40's and possibly even into the 30's. He'll have less margin of error, potentially, if the GOP nominates someone like Mitt Romney (although if I were a Republican strategist, I'd still be holding out hope for none-of-the-above). But again, there's nothing particularly special that happens at 50 percent. Something like 45 percent, which is where Gerald Ford was when he lost to Jimmy Carter by two points in 1976, might be the more relevant number.
In other hoofed animal news, Ezra Klein continues the horserace discussion that Julian touched upon yesterday.
The Dish 