The question of Obama's continuing ability to instill hope in the hearts of the American public remains an important political one, however fickle voters can be when it comes to their emotional support for a candidate or elected leader.

Congress' passage of health care reform in March seemed to restore momentum to a presidency that had appeared to be on the rocks when that signature issue was stalling months earlier. The impetus seemed to pick up in the weeks that followed, as Democrats trumped Republicans in the effort to enact changes to regulation of Wall Street and the banks.

But then the BP oil spill hit the Gulf of Mexico, a problem that became worse as weeks went by without a company or government solution. It fouled the surrounding waters and shoreline, and the can-do claims of the Obama administration as well.

Not surprisingly, Obama's popularity ratings at the end of May fell to a new low, according to the weekly polling data of Gallup.

Obama's approval rating was at 46 percent. That compares with 77 percent in May of the second year for George W. Bush and 51 percent for Bill Clinton.

On a more positive note, Ronald Reagan's approval rating in May of his second year looked even worse at 45 percent, yet his popularity and emotional tie with voters later soared into history.

Pundits in the media keep urging Obama to be more forceful as a leader while addressing the issues that plague the White House - BP, the war in Afghanistan, the economy, health care reform, Wall Street reform, etc.

But a retired military leader told Arab News anonymously that military people recognize and respect Obama's quiet strength and demeanor, and thinks it would be unadvisable  if the president  tried to change his image from "no drama Obama" to something more dramatic.

In fact, Obama currently holds an edge over each of his potential Republican challengers in 2012, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey this week.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee runs closer to Obama than any other Republican in the field, taking 44 percent of the vote to the president's 46 percent. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney trails by a slightly wider margin, taking 42 percent to Obama's 45 percent.

Huckabee and Romney are at this point the strongest challengers to Obama, according to the national survey of 650 adults.

Sen. John McCain, Obama's 2008 rival, is the third top opponent for the president, drawing 42 percent support but trailing Obama by seven percentage points.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is the next strongest Republican against Obama, down eight points against to the president. Following were former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who was behind 50 percent to 41 percent, and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, 46 to 36 percent.

But the news isn't all good for the president, as the five potential Republican presidential candidates - McCain is not expected to run again - are viewed more favorably than he is by independents. Obama is viewed negatively among unaffiliated voters by a 17-point spread. Among all voters, Palin had the highest unfavorable rating of the groups, with 53 percent expressing a negative view compared to 34 percent who said they see Palin favorably.

In a Fox News poll released on Thursday, American voters said they find the Obama administration's response to the BP oil spill lacking, and a majority thinks the administration is in over its head, according to a Fox News poll released Thursday.

Fifty-seven percent think the administration could have done more and reacted more quickly to the spill in the Gulf of Mexico. That's 20 percentage points higher than the 37 percent who think the administration did as much as it could as fast as it could.

Not unexpectedly, most Republicans (72 percent) think the administration could have done more. A majority of independents (63 percent), as well as a substantial minority of Democrats (43 percent), agree.

And while many voters - 36 percent - think the Obama administration is "up to the job" of fixing the problem in the gulf, a 54 percent majority thinks the administration is "in over its head."

And finally, Shepard Fairey, the artist whose iconic, Warhol-style "Hope" poster became one of the most enduring images of the 2008 presidential campaign, seems to think so. In an interview appearing in this month's Angelino magazine, Fairey says the president he helped elect is "not pushing hard enough."

"I had a lot of hope for Obama, but it's not panning out," he says.