Republican stimulus graph/AP Photo
When even in the White House Press Corp, whose infatuation for Barack Obama has been an example of just how dead journalism is in the United States, begin asking the President hard questions, it seems he is being forced to face reality in the Age of Obama for the first time. Now even the infomercials posing as interviews on ABC TV may not be able to save him from the growing disquiet among Americans.
The reality is that Americans have begun to look beyond Obama's creative, glib oration and don't like what they see--too much taxing and spending, too much government control, too much debt, bailouts and too few jobs created by the hastily passed economic stimulus package.
Added to the list is the growing fear about health care reform with its trillion dollar cost and apprehension that 120 million Americans could eventually lose their private medical coverage and/or be taxed on the health benefits received from employers.
Recent polls increasingly show that a large part of the American public wants the government to slow down spending even if it means a slower recovery. Only 35 percent responded in a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll that stimulating the economy was more important even if it mean increasing the deficit.
More ominously, the polls showed continuing slippage in Mr. Obama's job approval scores. The New York Times/CBS News poll found 63 percent approved of the overall job he is doing, down from 68 percent in April. The Wall Street Journal poll showed his approval dropping to 56 percent from 61 percent in April. Only 51 percent approved of the way Obama was handling the economy, down from 55 percent in April.
The New York Times poll found that
A [63 percent] majority of people said his policies have had either no effect yet on improving the economy or had made it worse.
A Washington Post poll this week said "
Barely half of Americans are now confident Mr. Obama's stimulus spending will boost the economy. Many of these doubts are fed by exaggerated claims about the number of jobs that have been "saved or created" that have proven illusionary.
Brooks Jackson at factcheck.org says
"In fact, the original projections of Mr. Obama's economic aides have turned out to be off by a very wide margin,"
Obama's nationalized health care plan has resulted in just 33 percent who say say his plan is a good idea versus 32 percent who say bad idea, with 30 percent having no opinion. The cost hit home when it was revealed that it would cost between 1 trillion and two trillion dollars, would tax employer-provided health care benefits or a national sales tax would be imposed to try to cover its costs.
Most threatening to Obama and the Democrats who will be running for office in 2010 is that 61 percent of independent swing voters favor smaller government with few services. In a comparison, smaller government is found to be favored by a margin of 54 percent to 41 percent.
Once Americans stopped being starry-eyed about Obama's celebrity status, the reality check that overtook it could mean that like Jimmy Carter, Obama will be a one-time president as the facade slips away and take down the Democrats with him.
To read the entire article, go to
More articles about Obama and polling numbers, go to
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/us/politics/18poll.html
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25653936-23109,00.html
See also
Obama and the Next Great Depression
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Comments
Nice piece of tripe you wrote here. You neglected to mention that almost 80% of American's want Obamacare, as some of your ilk like to call it, with 50% of Republicans agreeing. Apparently, you pick and choose what statistics you want to pull from said polls. Nice try, though.
And ONLY 60+% of Americans approve of Obama. Stunningly awful number, that is. (/snark)
But keep beating that dead horse. The GOP brand is dying faster than this plant on my desk. At least I am actively trying to revive it. The GOP seems intent on killing itself.
No great loss. Maybe if they actively participated in government instead of blocking EVERYTHING that could benefit real Americans, they might not go the way of the Whigs. Unlikely.
"Obama luster fading..."
Yes. The "self proclaimed, would be emperor", is fast shedding his garments.
Martha, as I've commented before, American voters are dumb. But maybe not so dumb to not see through the charlatan efforts in DC. Many don't realize that after the inauguration, the Office of Management and Budget issued a recommendation against a massive stimlus, saying the economy would recover by itself along the same timelines we're seeing now. I wonderwhere Ms Joanne gets her 80% numbers? That's sure not what I'm hearing. Americans are traditionally opposed to ever-enlarging government. We don't need more industry czars, government control, a race toward socialism or an insufferably flaccid foreign policy. I think Americans are now wise to the ruse that all of this plus immigration "reform' that is designed to rope in more democratic voes. Want real change? Vote the "right" way in 2010!
MsJoanne says: You neglected to mention that almost 80% of American's want Obamacare.
What a CROCK! Can you produce any info to back that up? Or are you just spouting the LIEberal propaganda?
"The GOP brand is dying faster than this plant on my desk." MORE LIEberal nonsense.
www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx
Truth is sorely missing from MsJoanne's post.
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