Polls find rising concern with Obama on key issues

[coyotes_geek]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama faces growing concerns among voters over government spending, the auto industry bailout and other economic policies, according to two opinion polls released on Wednesday.

Obama, who took office in January, remains popular with Americans, although his overall job approval rating slipped to 56 percent, down 5 points from April, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

But 58 percent of respondents said Obama and Congress should focus on keeping the budget deficit down, even if takes longer for the economy to recover. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the federal deficit could top $1.8 trillion this fiscal year -- by far a record.

Nearly 70 percent said they had concerns about federal intervention in the economy, including Obama's decision to take an ownership stake in General Motors and the prospect of more government involvement in healthcare. Obama has made healthcare reform a top priority of his administration.

Just 37 percent of respondents said Obama was taking on too many issues and 60 percent said he had to focus on so many things because the United States was facing so many problems.

While Republican criticism of the Democratic president's policies may be scoring points with voters, the strategy does not appear to be benefiting the party.

A CBS News/New York Times poll also released on Wednesday found the Republican Party viewed favorably by only 28 percent of Americans, the lowest rating ever in the poll. In contrast, 57 percent had a favorable view of the Democratic Party.

The CBS/New York Times poll also found a distinct difference in Obama's overall standing and how Americans viewed his major initiatives.

Obama's job approval rating held steady at 63 percent from the previous poll last month, but fewer than half of respondents approved of how he was handling healthcare reform and efforts to save GM and Chrysler, according to the survey.

The poll also found that Americans were alarmed by the amount of money doled out to boost the economy and a majority thought the government should focus instead on reducing the federal deficit.

Both polls also found a majority of Americans opposing Obama's decision to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The NBC/Wall Street Journal survey of 1,008 adults, conducted Friday to Monday, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

The CBS/New York Times telephone poll of 895 adults was conducted Friday through Tuesday and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 points.

(Reporting by Joanne Allen; Editing by Peter Cooney)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090618/pl_nm/us_obama_polls_1

[Bender]

people (voters) are stupid, they can't see past the flash.

Now that the initial shine is wearing off, they start realizing what they voted for.

[Crookshanks]

This just shows that Obama is an empty suit with charisma who speaks well (at least when the teleprompter is around). People are unhappy with his policies, but they still admire the man - go figure. When they finally start to connect him to his failed policies, he's gonna be in deep trouble!

[LnGrrrR]

This just shows that Obama is an empty suit with charisma who speaks well (at least when the teleprompter is around). People are unhappy with his policies, but they still admire the man - go figure. When they finally start to connect him to his failed policies, he's gonna be in deep trouble!

So you're saying that the job approval rating of a President determines whether or not his presidency is a failure?

If so, I suggest you look at the approval ratings for one George W Bush.

[coyotes_geek]

This just shows that Obama is an empty suit with charisma who speaks well (at least when the teleprompter is around). People are unhappy with his policies, but they still admire the man - go figure. When they finally start to connect him to his failed policies, he's gonna be in deep trouble!

Clearly people like him more than they like his policies, but that doesn't mean he's in trouble. Don't forget the polls show that people don't like the republican party any more than they like Obama's policies.

That being said it should be concerning to Obama and the dems that his ideas are not being well received.

[ChumpDumper]

Yeah Crooks -- when did public opinion catch on the the fact that Bush's policies were abject failures? It should be easy for you to pinpoint a date.

[SnakeBoy]

Bush bad! Bush bad! Bush bad! Bush bad! Bush bad! Bush bad!

[ChumpDumper]

Bush bad! Bush bad! Bush bad! Bush bad! Bush bad! Bush bad!That is exactly what Crooks is saying.

[LnGrrrR]

Bush bad! Bush bad! Bush bad! Bush bad! Bush bad! Bush bad!

Hey, is it wrong for me to want Crookshanks to think critically when she speaks? :)

I mean, if I sat President A is bad because of X reason, and I support President B who also looks bad under X reason... *shrug*

For instance, you don't see me bashing Bush for his stance on warrantless wiretapping and then praising Obama for keeping it going.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Yeah Crooks -- when did public opinion catch on the the fact that Bush's policies were abject failures? It should be easy for you to pinpoint a date.
well if that's your logic then obama should be getting the same ratings as bush.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

.....and before you ask



For instance, you don't see me bashing Bush for his stance on warrantless wiretapping and then praising Obama for keeping it going.

[LnGrrrR]

well if that's your logic then obama should be getting the same ratings as bush.

"If A, then B" does not imply/mean that "if B, then A".

Example: "If I am a cat, than I am a mammal" does not mean "If I am a mammal, I am a cat."

"If a President's policies are a failure, then his ratings will be low" does not mean "If his ratings are low, then a President's policies are a failure."

That's our point. Non-approval of a President's policies does not necessarily mean that those policies are failures, especially when the poll is contemporaneous with the policy being implemented.

[ChumpDumper]

well if that's your logic then obama should be getting the same ratings as bush.It's Crooks' logic. That's why we are asking her why it isn't so.

[LnGrrrR]

.....and before you ask

And yes, I think Obama has definitely made some huge missteps. He's walked back his gay rights rhetoric, and he's shown that he pretty much lied blatantly about wanting more transparency in government.

He's let banks suckle on the teat far too much, with repeated handouts, which looks worse than just one big one. Again, I can see why they kept the bank running to sustain wealth, but I don't agree with it.

Finally, I have no clue whether or not he should be trying to push so much in his first six months. It's one of those, "If it works, it's brilliant; if not, it's stupid" plays that big-time coaches are forced to make at times.

But I don't have a problem with some things, like talking about closing GTMO, or his stance on Afghanistan, or his willingness to let Iran work out their own issues.

[coyotes_geek]

well if that's your logic then obama should be getting the same ratings as bush.

Approval of the president himself and approval of his policies are two different things. Approval of the president is all about image, and right now the democrat who gives good speeches is going to be more popular than the republican who didn't. Doesn't matter how similar their policies are.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

"If A, then B" does not imply/mean that "if B, then A".

Example: "If I am a cat, than I am a mammal" does not mean "If I am a mammal, I am a cat."

"If a President's policies are a failure, then his ratings will be low" does not mean "If his ratings are low, then a President's policies are a failure."

That's our point. Non-approval of a President's policies does not necessarily mean that those policies are failures, especially when the poll is contemporaneous with the policy being implemented.
dude what i'm trying to point out is he's doing pretty much the same as bush. bush ratings sucked. obama is basking in praise. it's all image. nothing more. nothing less. we already have one chump, LngrrR

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Finally, I have no clue whether or not he should be trying to push so much in his first six months.

it's all image.

a line from white men can't jump comes to mind. something to the effect of "it doesn't matter if you win or lose, you always gotta look good".

[ChumpDumper]

When should a president take on issues?

a) When his public approval is at its highest.

b) When it is low.

[LnGrrrR]

dude what i'm trying to point out is he's doing pretty much the same as bush. bush ratings sucked. obama is basking in praise. it's all image. nothing more. nothing less. we already have one chump, LngrrR

True, but image can be useful. Let's put it this way... who do you think is going to get more job opportunities, the attractive chick or the ugly chick, given the same resume?

So, a good public image can be conducive to getting policy passed. A good public image can come about from positive effects of a policy, and the reverse CAN be true. But a President can also have crappy policies and still be liked, ESPECIALLY in the first year before people have a long body of work to put his actions/choices into perspective.

[SnakeBoy]

When should a president take on issues?

a) When his public approval is at its highest.

b) When it is low.

"I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it. It is my style."

[ChumpDumper]

"I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it. It is my style."Political capital is a little different from public opinion. Bush thought his political capital was enough to get his Social Security plan through after his second election -- didn't quite work out.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Political capital is a little different from public opinion. Bush thought his political capital was enough to get his Social Security plan through after his second election -- didn't quite work out.
:lmao that's funny. what political capital. he's been shat on from nov 5 2000.

[ChumpDumper]

Not by me. Dude fucked up with Iraq. That's when his public opinion and political capital went to shit.

His fault.

[Winehole23]

:lmao that's funny. what political capital. he's been shat on from nov 5 2000.Not quite.


http://www.hist.umn.edu/%7Eruggles/Approval_files/Approval_27267_image001.png

[SnakeBoy]

Not quite.


Just to add a little historical perspective to that.

http://online.wsj.com/media/info-presapp0605-all.gif

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Just to add a little historical perspective to that.

http://online.wsj.com/media/info-presapp0605-all.gifoh, what a little bloodshed will do to a person's approval rating

[SnakeBoy]

oh, what a little bloodshed will do to a person's approval rating

Except for daddy Bush. If you can kill them all video game style you get a nice bump.

[clambake]

this thread got sick.

[George Gervin's Afro]

this thread got sick.

it's the suck

[Bender]

Johnson must have been a crappy president, he was on a downhill slide from day 1...

why, vietnam? or maybe starting the Welfare State?

[Crookshanks]

My post wasn't referring to poll ratings when I said Obama would be in trouble. I meant that since the things he's trying to do aren't being that well received and people are pretty much against a lot of it - then when the people finally wise up and realize that Obama = his unpopular plans and ideas, then he's going to have a hard time getting people to believe him or go along with anything he says - and then I think he'll be viewed as a failure.

[Winehole23]

Johnson must have been a crappy president, he was on a downhill slide from day 1...

why, vietnam? or maybe starting the Welfare State?Civil rights. Very divisive stuff.

[Bender]

dang, I knew civil rights was going on too during his admin, just forgot to list it...

I was just a little kid during his administration.

That graph with all the presidents is pretty interesting.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Except for daddy Bush. he got that spike for desert storm.