President Obama won the 2008 election with 53 percent of the vote. His approval rating in the latest Research 2000 poll stands at 53 percent. I guess it’s safe to say that Obama is unpopular with the people who never voted for him (I’m one of them, BTW).
Public Policy Polling (PPP) ranks Obama at 49 percent, which represents no change from their previous poll. But then they claim the President has “declining support”:
Perhaps the greatest measure of Obama’s declining support is that just 50% of voters now say they prefer having him as President to George W. Bush, with 44% saying they’d rather have his predecessor. Given the horrendous approval ratings Bush showed during his final term that’s somewhat of a surprise and an indication that voters are increasingly placing the blame on Obama for the country’s difficulties instead of giving him space because of the tough situation he inherited.
“Horrendous” is right, because Bush’s approval in some polls reached rock bottom at 19 percent– the worst-ever polls for any president. Then they conclude:
Finally 20% of voters, including 35% of Republicans, support impeaching Obama for his actions so far.
I don’t know where they get these numbers. It is interesting that for so long it was almost impossible to find a poll that asked about impeaching President Bush, yet now a supposedly reputable pollster is asking the question in Obama’s first year!
Meanwhille, CNN’s polling reports 52 percent support for Obama’s Afghanistan war plan and also found:
A vast majority of Americans, 79 percent, also appear to be confident that Obama will improve foreign relations, with 74 percent confident he’ll improve economic conditions and 68 percent optimistic about Obama keeping the country safe from terrorism.
It’s not possible to reconcile these numbers with PPP’s claim that 44 percent of Americans would rather have Bush in the White House.
UPDATE: PPP is the same pollster that asked this question: “Do you think that Barack Obama legitimately won the Presidential election last year, or do you think that ACORN stole it for him?” Among Republicans, 52 percent answered that ACORN stole it.
#1 by Ken on December 11, 2009 - 9:21 am
Jimmy Carter should thank Obama for nocking him out of 1st place as being the worst President in History.
#2 by Richard Warnick on December 11, 2009 - 9:30 am
I’m reminded of the exchange from “The Simpsons Movie” (2007). Bart declares that today has been the worst day of his life, but Homer corrects him: “It’s the worst day of your life… so far.”
George W. Bush was the worst-ever President of the United States. By any measure. So far. Thanks to John McCain, it’s possible to imagine President Sarah Palin.
#3 by Cliff Lyon on December 11, 2009 - 9:35 am
One of the challenges in a democracy is the power of popularity. One can easily accept the idea that sometimes leaders must make unpopular decisions which are in the end, in our best interest.
In such cases, we should expect popularity polls to reflect that. But this is not high school Ken.
Turns out Carter was right about a lot more than he was able to get done.
I sort of wish the adults at the time had paid more attention to his energy and environmental policies. We might not be in the fix we find ourselves today.
#4 by shane on December 11, 2009 - 11:56 am
I don’t care who you are, that is funny! With a field packed with competitors like Nixon, Reagan, and dubbaya the dumber, you choose Obama and Carter! It is like your some kind bizarro world politician!
…and no Ken, i am not laughing at you. I am laughing near you. At what you said.
I needed that, it has been a long week…
#5 by cav on December 11, 2009 - 1:41 pm
Part of Ken’s glee comes from the tables being turned -he get to get his ‘raspberry’ on, much like we libs did when the chimp was made to step forward and show us what a real ‘war presnit’ should look like. Now the shoe’s on the other foot, and while the policies cannot change fast enough for me – we all know the monstrosity cannot be turned on a dime even if there were power-mongers with that kind of bend. So, somewhere in the next seven plus years, it shouldn’t surprise any of us if a shoe or two weren’t justifiably thrown at the ‘O’man. It’s the nature of the beast.
Leadership, as we now know it, should be downgraded greatly, since those unpopular decisions that ‘leaders’ have to make always seem to reflect the fact that they really are just bought and paid for by the wealthy corporate types, or, that they have no empathy for the hard working man / woman.
In the present instance, where Obama, for whom I voted, doesn’t seem to be getting too much of our mandate right, I almost wish McCain / Palin had won the nod. It would have been so much easier to just hate on McCains antics – since they’re really not that much different from ‘O’man’s.
IOW, Obama HAS lost some of his popularity with me, and from what I glean as I go around, many others. And while there’s momentum to overcome, appointment holdovers, and all the rest of the rationale for continuing to be supportive, there is also an awakening to the sense that we really were unrealistically hanging a bunch of our dreams on him.
I guess we, the people, will once again have to earn the peace prize for its nominal recipient.
Go forth and create Peace, if that is your wish. And don’t let this ‘leaderhip’ hierarchy keep you from those actions.
#6 by Richard Warnick on December 11, 2009 - 2:58 pm
McCain is the flip-flop KING! In the 2008 presidential campaign, he completely reversed his position on almost every issue (vis a vis his 2000 campaign)– except for climate change. Now, he’s a global warming denialist.
#7 by cav on December 11, 2009 - 6:58 pm
Er, I momentarily forgot just how bad the GOPpers really are, and failed to factor in how success in furthering any progressive points is dependent on the quality of the massage given to the bluedog scum.
#8 by Larry Bergan on December 12, 2009 - 1:34 am
I guess registering people and stealing elections are the same thing. They never proved ACORN was throwing away republican’s ballots, but they DID catch republicans throwing away democrat’s ballots.
Up is down. Always remember that and you’ll be more likely to succeed.
#9 by cav on December 12, 2009 - 7:17 am
Occasionally, my hope is restored:
President Obama took aim at “fat cats bankers” in an interview airing this Sunday on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” slamming the financial services sector for failing to learn the lessons of the recession.
“I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch of fat cat bankers on Wall Street,” Obama told Steve Kroft, who interviewed him earlier this week.
The president expressed concern that banks are returning bailout money to the government simply so they can pay out massive end-of-year bonuses without restraint.
“I think that in some cases, [to be able to pay bonuses] was the motivation,” he said. “Which I think tells me that the people on Wall Street still don’t get it…They’re still puzzled why it is that people are mad at the banks. Well, let’s see. You guys are drawing down $10, 20 million bonuses after America went through the worst economic year…in decades and you guys caused the problem.”
And besides, it is the holiday season.
#10 by Richard Warnick on December 12, 2009 - 9:16 am
Larry–
The Republican concern about Democrats stealing elections, however unfounded, may stem from guilty consciences. They are masters at projection.
#11 by Glenn "No Fewer Than 10 Voices in My Head" Hoefer on December 12, 2009 - 10:18 am
Ocaasionally hope is restored, and then you awake with a hangover. When the sycophants roll, too soon the bell toll. This poll is wishful thinking, don’t believe it anymore than Obama.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/31234647/obamas_big_sellout/print
#12 by Larry Bergan on December 12, 2009 - 1:55 pm
cav:
Thanks for that. I’ve been feeling pretty down since Obama decided to send more troops. He is utterly surrounded by warmongers in congress, the military and the media. I’m not sure what options that leaves him at this point, but it sure is good to hear him bashing the bankers and their bonuses.
#13 by Larry Bergan on December 12, 2009 - 2:00 pm
Richard:
I do believe you’ve hit the nail on the head. Projection is a factor in wars and elections. The damage to our own is incalculable.