AP Photo/Steve Parsons
A CBS/New York Times Poll released today show that Americans are feeling somewhat more confident about the economy than they were before President Obama was inaugurated. In February only 8 % of respondents thought the economy was getting better while this weeks' survey revealed that 20% of respondents believe the economy is getting better.
President Obama is enjoying a 66% approval rating by respondents as opposed to 64% in March.
Republicans didn't fare as well in the poll. 63% of Americans feel the President is more likely to make the right decisions about the economy than the Republicans in Congress. Only 20% of Americans believe the Republicans in Congress is more likely to make the correct decisions.
Congressional Republicans got the lowest approval rating in 25 years with only 31% of respondents giving a favorable review of the GOP.
The Republican party is struggling and that is reflected in the New York Times/CBS poll. The poll mirrors a growing dismay over how the GOP is handling its affairs. The party seems leaderless and without direction. Republican ideology has lost its appeal for moderate Republicans and independents who are concerned about the unfettered fiscal spending that occurred during the Bush years. Moderates and independents are equally dismayed by what appears to be the hijacking of the party by Evangelical right wing conservatives.
The November, 2008 elections were devastating for the Republican party. The party's reaction has been to become obstructionist to the new Obama administration and they are now known as the "party of no."
In response to accusations that they didn't have an alternative plan to the President's budget proposals, the party hurriedly wrote out a Republican budget that relied heavily on cutting taxes for the wealthiest corporations and individuals even further than they were cut under the Bush administration.
The at best, haphazard, at worst, obstructionist, strategy by the GOP has only dragged the party down even further than it was in November. The Republican party had one chance, and only one chance in the first couple of months of the new Obama administration, to at least partially recover from the blow dealt by the November elections. During the campaign, President Obama reiterated time after time that he wanted to work in a bipartisan fashion should he be elected. He planned to reach out to the other side, the Republicans, not merely out of friendship, but for the benefit of the nation. It seemed that Americans wanted nothing more than for Republicans and Democrats to set aside their differences, both personal and ideological to work together to solve the economic crisis. As President, Obama fulfilled his promise and went to extraordinary lengths to show he was sincere once he entered into office. He appointed Republicans to cabinet positions, asked for their input, and listened. Items in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act were changed as a result.
But the Republicans still hadn't learned what the November elections meant. They missed their single chance to redeem any shred of dignity or sincerity they had left. They had one opportunity to show that they were sincere about doing what is best for America but they chose obstruction over construction. At every turn since the new President was sworn in, the GOP has shown that they have no intention of working with Democrats and the President to address the needs of the nation. They have instead played bully politics like 12 year old boys on an extended recess. The nation was hoping for the Republicans and the Democrats to work together to fix the economy. Instead, the onus of the burden has been on President Obama and the Democratic Congress because the GOP has been busy kicking sand in the faces of those who would try to put people back to work. The Republicans in Congress didn't understand what the American people so resoundingly tried to tell them in November. America is in the midst of its worst crisis in 75 years and what Americans want is for the President and the Congress to work together to fix the problem. And it is clear that the President and the Democratic Congress is doing their part. But the Republicans have become the party of no, the party of obstructionism and nothing is more frustrating for Americans in trouble. And that is why they have the lowest approval rating they've had in the 25 years since the New York Times/CBS poll has been asking the question.
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Comments
What a shock - Republican approval taking a nosedive. The Republicans have proven time-after-time, day-after-day, that they are clueless, totally clueless. Their budget plan was hilarious and was further proof of their disconnect with the middle class and evinces their zealous grab to enrich the rich - the Anti-Robin Hoods. All I can say is that the USA is lucky McCain was not elected because if he was we'd be talking about the DEPRESSION not a recession.
Confidence! So glad to hear we are getting some national self-esteem cooking.
Talk about a SHOCK - I participated in this poll and what comes through to me is the media's favoritism toward the Democratic Party. (In this case, the NY Times and CBS News) Leave it to the NY Times to write an article that focuses on Republican's approval rating when 95.5% of the questions dealt with the performance of the Democrats and the Administration. I can tell you that neither of the aforementioned scored high marks from me. For more info, click on the link New York Times/CBS Poll.
It seems to me that “We The People”; don't understand that the media is just another front for the Lobbyist in this country to manipulate our politicians and the general public. You have to ask yourself, how does the media really pay their bills... Sure, we buy their papers and watch their programs, but it's the advertisements that really pay the bills.
The bottom line is that this country is headed in the same direction that many of the countries in Europe have already reached. If any of you out there think that we have a payment plan in place yet for all of this spending, you’re sadly mistaken. What you all are signing up for is an enormous tax bill that will probably hit about the time Obama leaves office and will last for a lifetime.
You said "By more than three to one, voters said they trusted Mr. Obama more than they trusted Congressional Republicans to make the right decision about the economy."
But a more accurate statement would have been:
"By more than four to one, voters said they trusted Mr. Obama more than they trusted Congressional Democrats to make the right decisions about the economy."
Obama had 63%, Republicans had 20%, and Democrats had a saultry 16%.
Furthermore, you site Republicans not faring so well by pointing out the 20%, but neglect the Democratic statistic that fared much worse.
You are just as bad as FOX news when they propped up Bush and Cheney's message of war, while pretending to be fair and balanced.
Troy – Great points… Another example of media favoritism…
I dare say though, that forty years from now, Americans (if there is still such a thing), will be grateful for the strides made in the Middle East by the Bush Administration (...and I'm sure Fox News will take some credit too, if you want to pass some their way). I'm sure it'll be somewhat representative of the rest of the world instead of how it's been since the beginning of mankind.
On the other hand, you, your children, and your grandchildren will all be bitchin' and moaning about the exorbitant tax bill they are still paying from the Obama years.
Troy,
a more accurate statement would be that you have no freakin' idea how to read poll numbers. The 16 percent number was the percent of Democrats who have a favorable opinion of the Republican party. The number of overall respondents who looked on the Democratic party favorably was 56%, and the number of Republicans who looked favorably on the the Democratic party was 8 percentage points higher than vice versa.
Jeff, you're so confused it's funny.
As steve pointed out, Troys 'poll analysis' is completely incorrect. so before you take people's arguments at face value to support your own, make sure they make sense.
Secondly, I dont think it makes sense to claim that in the future Americans will be grateful for events in the middle east when you don't even seem confident in our national integrity.
Finally, one of the dumbest statements I have ever hear:
'I'm sure it'll be somewhat representative of the rest of the world instead of how it's been since the beginning of mankind.'
Errrrrrrrrrr..... What do you mean 'representative of the rest of the world'? Besides its characteristic Islamic religious beliefs, the whole Middle East is not 'less representative' of the economic development level of the world, than any other region. Do you propose EU or China, as fair representatives. Or would you describe South America, or Caribbean, or South East Asia, or East Europe... do you see less conflict, poverty, or human rights abuses in these places?
Or would you propose the 2nd largest continent on Earth, Africa, as the best representative of the average level of economic development in the world?
Do you see how ludicrous and arbitrary and narrow-sighted that statement is?
You could never objectively use "representativeness" to judge the quality of the results of past policies. Is South Africa's Apartheid excused by, what I bet you will find to be, it's current representative status of an economically developed country?
Now, as the final proof that what you said is a categorically dumb statement, could you explain how the Middle East 'has been since the beginning of mankind'? You mean warring, and barbaric, and primitive, and in need of invasions?
Cuz let me tell you, the birth and growth of western culture, thought and knowledge took place there, for 4 millenia, and the only reason Europe got out of the Dark Ages was because the Arabs kept alive and developed the classical knowledge left by Greeks and Romans. Just research the word 'algebra'.
I really hope you read this.
Mike from NYC, you must be a Republican.
Surprise! The republicans allow themselves to be represented by a bunch of screamers like Limbaugh, Coulter, Malkin, Hannity and the FOX5 spinners, and they're surprised to find a poor rating.
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