"[418] Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."[419] Additionally, Obama has frequently been referred to as an exceptional orator.[420] During his pre-inauguration transition period and continuing into his presidency, Obama delivered a series of weekly Internet video addresses.[421]
According to the Gallup Organization, Obama began his presidency with a 68 percent approval rating[422] before gradually declining for the rest of the year, and eventually bottoming out at 41 percent in August 2010,[423] a trend similar to Ronald Reagan's and Bill Clinton's first years in office.[424] He experienced a small poll bounce shortly after the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011. This bounce lasted until around June 2011, when his approval numbers dropped back to where they were previously.[425][426] His approval ratings rebounded around the same time as his reelection in 2012, with polls showing an average job approval of 52 percent shortly after his second inauguration.