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Obama's approval rating is dropping
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Douglas E. Schoen, a former pollster for President Clinton, and Scott Rasmussen of Rasmussen Reports, in a piece entitled "Obama's Poll Numbers Are Falling to Earth," say it is wrong to conclude President Obama's popularity is indicative of public confidence in the work of his administration:
The American people are coming to express increasingly significant doubts about his initiatives, and most likely support a different agenda and different policies from those that the Obama administration has advanced.
As I wrote in the Obama half-time report, Obama's approval rating is dropping. According to Schoen and Rasmussen, Obama's approval rating is below where President George W. Bush was in an analogous period in 2001:
A detailed examination of presidential popularity after 50 days on the job similarly demonstrates a substantial drop in presidential approval relative to other elected presidents in the 20th and 21st centuries. The reason for this decline most likely has to do with doubts about the administration's policies and their impact on peoples' lives.
Schoen and Rasmussen also tell us that notwithstanding what Obama claims that taxes will be decreased for 95% of Americans, polling indicates that the people "sense" taxes will increase for all Americans because of the stimulus. You still can not fool all of the people all of the time.
Recent Gallup data shows concerns about Obama's radical left-wing agenda:
- Eighty-three percent say they are worried that the steps Mr. Obama is taking to fix the economy may not work and the economy will get worse.
- Eighty-two percent say they are worried about the amount of money being added to the deficit. Seventy-eight percent are worried about inflation growing, and 69% say they are worried about the increasing role of the government in the U.S. economy.
- When Gallup asked whether we should be spending more or less in the economic stimulus, by close to 3-to-1 margin voters said it is better to have spent less than to have spent more.
- When asked whether we are adding too much to the deficit or spending too little to improve the economy, by close to a 3-to-2 margin voters said that we are adding too much to the deficit.
Rasmussen data is similar:
- People now actually oppose Mr. Obama's budget, 46% to 41%. Three-quarters take this position because it will lead to too much spending
- By 2-to-1, voters reject calls for a second stimulus package.
- While over two-thirds support Obama's plan to help homeowners refinance their mortgage, a 48%-36% plurality said that it will unfairly benefit those who have been irresponsible, echoing Rick Santelli's call to arms on CNBC.
- Forty-five percent do not have confidence in Obama's goals and overall direction.
- Less than half would support increasing taxes to pay for an expanded health-insurance program - 17% less than the percentage that supported government health insurance when Bill Clinton considered it in March of 1993.
- Fifty-six percent of Americans oppose giving bankers any additional government money or any guarantees backed by the government.
- A solid majority now opposes the bank bailout, and only 20% think it was a good idea.
- Less than a quarter of Americans believe that the federal government truly reflects the will of the people.
While the polling data is terrible for Obama and the Democrats, there is bad news for the Republicans as well. Schoen and Rasmussen credit "a good measure of the confidence and support the Obama administration has enjoyed" to fact that they are not Republican. More than eight in 10, blame Republicans for the current economic woes, and the only two leaders with lower approval ratings than Democrat leaders Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are Republican leaders Mitch McConnell and John Boehner.
Despite the best efforts of Obama and the extreme left-wing Democrats, we are still a center rifgt nation.
Special Report: Obama's First 100 DaysExclusive examiner.com coverage of the Obama administration's promise to bring about change.
