Watch CBS News

Obama makes the case for a second term

President Obama: The full "60 Minutes" interview
Steve Kroft interviewed President Obama about his administration's accomplishments and challenges as he begins his quest for re-election. CBS

With polls showing President Obama's approval rating in the mid-40s, he is making the case for a second presidential term - and says that come 2012, he thinks the American people will trust in his vision for America.

In a "60 Minutes" interview with Steve Kroft airing Sunday, Mr. Obama says he's focusing on getting the economy back on track - not polling numbers or critics.

"I don't spend a lot of time worrying about the criticisms day to day," Mr. Obama told Kroft. "What I do spend time worrying about is making sure that we're getting the policies right that will help people succeed, and give Americans the tools they have to navigate a new economy that is global, that is skills based, that is knowledge based. And we're doing that."

Less than one year out from Election Day 2012, voters remain overwhelmingly pessimistic about the economy, and their concerns are taking a toll on President Obama's re-election chances. According to a recent CBS News poll, just 41 percent of Americans think Mr. Obama has performed his job well enough to be elected to a second term, whereas 54 percent don't think so.

Mr. Obama's overall approval rating is lower than the approval ratings of Mr. Obama's four presidential predecessors at this point in their first terms. His approval rating is dragged down by his poor marks for his handling of the economy - which, at 33 percent, is the lowest rating of his presidency in CBS News polls.

Even so, Mr. Obama told Kroft that in the absence of a presidential competitor, he's "being judged against the ideal."

"You know, [Vice President] Joe Biden has a good expression. He says, 'Don't judge me against the Almighty, judge me against the alternative,'" Mr. Obama said.

He argues that the criticism being leveled against him is nothing new or notable in history - and that he's not intending to spend his time dwelling on it.

"This all comes with the territory, but this isn't about me," Mr. Obama said. "This isn't about me... if my goal was to maintain the extraordinary popularity that I had right after I made my convention speech in 2004, then I would have never left the Senate. I would have been sitting on 70 percent approval ratings. I wouldn't have been leading this country, but people would be really attracted, because I wouldn't have had to make any choices and make any decisions and exercise any responsibility."

"I took a different path," Mr. Obama said. "I don't spend a lot of time worrying about the criticisms day to day. What I do spend time worrying about is making sure that we're getting the policies right that will help people succeed, and give Americans the tools they have to navigate a new economy that is global, that is skills based, that is knowledge based. And we're doing that."

Even while conceding his approval ratings reflect the "difficult time" America faces, Mr. Obama insisted he's turning things around.

"Look, we've gone through an incredibly difficult time in this country. And I would be surprised if the American people felt satisfied right now," he said. "They shouldn't feel satisfied. We've got a lot more work to do in order to get this country and the economy moving in a way that benefits everybody, as opposed to just a few."

Ultimately, however, Mr. Obama says it's his vision for America that voters will remember on Election Day.

"I think when it comes to election time, what the American people are gonna be asked is: Does the vision I'm putting forward have a better chance of succeeding than the vision that the other side is putting forward? And it becomes a choice."

And he's confident the choice will tilt the election in his favor.

"I think our ideas are better," he said. "I'm very confident that the choice is one that we can win."

And despite the apparent emergence of frontrunners in the field of Republican presidential contenders, Mr. Obama says he's not spending his resources worrying about which one ends up the ultimate nominee; in his eyes, he says, they all look the same.

"We haven't spent a lot of money going after anybody," he said. "We've spent a lot of money building grassroots support and rebuilding the incredible infrastructure we had back in 2008. But I'll tell you, Steve, whoever the Republican nominee is, they all seem to have the same philosophy."

"It doesn't really matter who the nominee is gonna be," he added. "The core philosophy that they're expressing is the same. And the contrast in visions between where I want to take the country and where they say they want to take the country is gonna be stark."

At the end of the day, Mr. Obama says he thinks Americans will realize he's on their side.

Citing his and his wife Michelle's own modest economic backgrounds, Mr. Obama vowed to work to make sure "every kid in America has the same opportunities that I had."

"I don't think there's gonna be anybody out there who feels that more passionately or more personally, and who's gonna fight harder for those families, because they're my family," he said. "They're my family's family. And they're Michelle's family. And ultimately, I think that the American people, as frustrated as they are, are gonna say to themselves, 'You know what? This guy's on our side. He's fighting for us.' Because I am."

More from the "60 Minutes" interview:

President Obama: The economy, the Congress, the future
Obama: GOP nominee "doesn't matter"
Watch the segment: President Obama, pt. 1
Watch the segment: President Obama, pt. 2

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.