Hope-n-Change futures are down across the board

29Oct/0914

Hope-n-Change futures are down across the board

When asked how all that hope-n-change is working out, the answers that Americans are giving should give Mr. Obama and Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill cause for concern.Â In fact according to the latest WSJ/NBC poll, for the first time in the Obama presidency, a majority of Americans say the US is headed down the wrong track. The wrong track/right track split is 52/36, and the same poll indicates that an overwhelming majority of 80 % of the public is at least somewhat dissatisfied with the state of the economy.

Another poll, conducted by Gallup/USA Today, which compares fundamental attitude and issue questions asked a year ago to the same asked recently, clearly shows erosion of both support and confidence in the President.Â For example, in November 2008 the question of, "Will the country be better of 3 to 4 years from now", the split was 65/25 (better/worse), but the same question recently split 58/37 (better/worse).Â When asked about Obama's policy agenda, in November 2008 the responses split 43/45 (Liberal/Moderate) while recently the split was 54/34 (Liberal/Moderate).Â These are just a couple of highlights of the questions and I encourage you to check out the interactive data for the suprising shifts in the publics attitudes, especially the priorities and the policy expectations.Â But based on the results it's becoming clearer that the public perception of Obama 1 year ago is vastly different from the President the public has come to know.Â In fact, to use the formula of the President himself, the public thinking is, "This is not the Obama we thought we elected."

And of course, what would a poll results post be without citing the Rasmussen daily Presidential tracking poll.Â Overall his approval/disapproval is at 48/52; but the Presidential approval index, at -11 today, has been negative since the beginning of the summer and shows no outward sign of reversing.

Â I'll bet if he announced tomorrow that he was scrapping the public option and concentrating on a truly bi-partisan Health reform bill that focused on curtailing medicare fraud, tort reform, and did away with the restrictions on insurance companies working across state lines Mr. Baucus could write a bill that would pass the Senate in a week.Â If he did this, sent McChrystal his requested reinforcements, and took a strong stance with Iran, the Presidents numbers would probably increase by 15 points in what seemed like overnight!Â I hope that he has the good sense to realize what's good for the country and his popularity, and that he has the will to make it so!

Rocketman

Tagged as: Gallup, NBC, Obama, Polls, Rasmussen, USA Today, WSJ Leave a comment

Comments (14) Trackbacks (1) ( subscribe to comments on this post )

carin
October 29th, 2009 - 05:18

Last week, Victor David Hanson asked the question if O! would pull a Bill Clinton and save his presidency. But, O! doesn’t have Dick Morris; he’s rather in-deep with Rahm Emmanual, and I just don’t see that happening.

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- Bob Reed
  October 29th, 2009 - 05:42
  
  He’s gonna ride Obamacare and cap-n-trade all the way down, with an assist by mishandling Afghanistan and Iran. You’re right that he doesn’t have a Morris to pull him back to the middle; he’s surrounded by far-left guys!
  
  I mean, in the midst of deflating poll numbers, and a clear sense of buyers remorse as indicated in the Gallup/USA today poll, you’ve got Rahm handing out books on Vietnam and reminding everyone that LBJ’s “progressive” agenda “crashed on the rocks of public opinion” due to that war…
  
  It’s really stunning.
  
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carin
October 29th, 2009 - 05:21

Of course, they still LOVE Obama in Detroit, where unemployment is over 27%.

Detroit is gearing up for an election next week, and the City Council member race is “interesting.” A good number of those running have been/are currently in SERIOUS financial trouble. Voters are being told (I heard the other day) the this DOESN’T matter. It’s a personal thing. They can still make good financial decisions for the city.

Sigh.

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- Bob Reed
  October 29th, 2009 - 05:44
  
  That’s breathtaking. Even though they can’t manage their personal finances, you’re supposed to trust them with the public purse-strings!?!?
  
  That doesn’t bode well for the next city council.
  
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  - carin
    October 29th, 2009 - 06:01
    
    It’s interesting, because I’m reading this book that discusses the importance of choosing leaders who are able to make good choices in their private life – and I’m thinking back to all the times people have said that private and public are separate things. I don’t care what so-and-so does in his private life, yada yada yada.
    
    It’s idiotic. The founding fathers believed that we should pick leaders who had their private shit TOGETHER because it was an indication of their decision making abilities.
    
    I fear people don’t get that. That’s why we keep picking, in Detroit, POS. Kwame. Monica Conyers. Etc.
    
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Enoch_Root
October 29th, 2009 - 05:27

carin –

1 – [insert hate diatribe here from Thorazine]
2 – skip to next commenter

Detroit is a wasteland because the only people left in Detroit don’t have the good sense to leave it behind. I think they call them the dregs.

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carin
October 29th, 2009 - 05:36

Enoch, that’s not entirely true. I mean, I know it’s the popular line, but some people want to remain in, or around Detroit.

Most of my family is unable to leave the area because they own homes they cannot sell. Before this, they had no desire to leave because – well, the entire family lives here.

In addition, Detroit has enclaves of vibrant communities and they’ve been trying for years to build upon that. Grow, improve. Urban farmers and artists. Lots of creative people.

The sad part is that despite having people who are willing to work and live and improve the city, the city government is about as broken as you get. No good ideas, corruption, etc. Any time someone attempts to tell it like it is, the entrenched folks merely call them a racist (code word in Detroit is an “outsider”) and people fall for it. DAve Bing (current temp mayor who is facing election next week) is currently being accused of being “friends” with Republicans. We’ll see how this turns out.

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- Bob Reed
  October 29th, 2009 - 05:46
  
  Michigan, very much like NY and Ca, have essentially chased away industry through a combination of tax policy and union empowerment.
  
  And major industry is not coming back until that changes. It’s up to small business people like yourselves.
  
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carin
October 29th, 2009 - 05:37

Of course, if anyone on this blog has spent more time in Detroit than me, feel free to correct my mistakes on the Detroit situation.

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- RC
  October 29th, 2009 - 06:42
  
  Sometimes the only rational choice is to leave the slopes of Pompeii.
  
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- Huck Williams
  October 29th, 2009 - 09:49
  
  Stir my Detroit highball and I’ll see if I can’t find a extra few coins for your genius. Haha.
  
  Maybe you spent too much time in Detroit, cause and effect, yada, yada, etc..
  
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Dan Collins
October 29th, 2009 - 05:54

So much depends
upon

An unfinished
waffle

Drizzled with
syrup

Something Afghan-
istan

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carin
October 29th, 2009 - 05:58

Bob, you’re right. Of course. And small businesses are up against those same forces.

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carin
October 29th, 2009 - 06:07

This is Just to say

I have eaten
the waffle
that was on
your plate

and which
you were probably
hoping
to eat instead of making a decision

Forgive me
but it’s time
to decide
what to do about Afghanistan

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