That’s the meme the wingnuts are trying to spin right now, following the lead of Byron York:

Vice President Joe Biden’s favorable rating has fallen to 42 percent in a new Gallup poll, down from a high of 59 percent just after last year’s election. Biden’s unfavorable rating in the new poll is 40 percent, up from 29 percent last November. (Eighteen percent of those surveyed say they have no opinion of Biden.)

Biden’s average favorable rating during his time in office so far is 45 percent — well below the average 65 percent favorable rating for Vice President Dick Cheney during Cheney’s first year in office. Vice President Al Gore’s favorable rating during his first year, 55 percent, was also higher than Biden’s. (Gallup did not measure vice presidential popularity before Gore.)

This really isn’t that shocking. Biden hasn’t been front and center on a lot of stuff. We just went from a period of imperial vice-presidencies, lead by Cheney, to returning the office back to it’s constitutionally intended place.

What’s really interesting though is how York finishes his post:

Finally, there is a greater gap between Biden’s favorable rating and President Obama’s than there was between Cheney and President George W. Bush and Gore and President Bill Clinton. Biden’s 45 percent average favorable rating this year is well below Obama’s average of 63 percent. Cheney’s 65 percent average was near Bush’s average of 69 percent, and Gore’s 55 percent rating was close to Clinton’s average of 57 percent.

Let’s examine what happened in the first years of all these presidencies. Clinton took office amid a recession, albeit a much more mild one as compared to the near depression level economy Obama had to contend with since day one. Bush and Cheney had something happen in that first year too. What was it? Apparently York has forgotten about it, but I don’t think none of us have. It was 9/11. Whenever a country is attacked people flock behind their leaders. Even the most bleeding heart liberals supported Bush and Cheney after the attacks.

So Byron – when Biden’s approval rating gets down to the 13% mark then I will grant you a victory lap.