Barnicle on Obama and new NBC/WSJ poll, Americans just want their President to 'go to work'

September 23, 11:28 AMWichita Independent ExaminerGeoff Caldwell

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A new NBC/Wall Street Journal  poll on President Obama's job performance hit the airwaves this morning and as usual the devil is in the details.

Those siding with the President take heart with the poll showing 51% of Americans generally approve of the President's overall  job performance.  A far cry from the 68% favorable from the heady days of March but at least stable for the past two months.  

While the President's personal approval still holds a slim positive margin, the number of Americans who feel his healthcare plan is a bad idea  holds the majority at 41% to 39%.

Coming off his unprecedented weekend media blitz of appearing on five different Sunday talk shows and an after dinner drink with David Letterman on Monday night, the President does not seem to be in danger yet of the much touted Washington beltway "over exposure".  54% of those sampled feel they hear and see the President "about the right amount", with 34% feeling his exposure is "too much".

So if Obama's still viewed favorably and over half the country feel he's not overexposed, why the push back from so many Americans? 

What's behind the questions and underneath the numbers that the poll isn't addressing?

Three and a half minutes into the video discussion above Mike Barnicle points out:

..."But the President when he's on TV most of the time in the last 4 to 5 months....he's on TV in a campaign mode......

....Most people get up each and everyday and go to an office or go to a work place and go to work, and they have to stay at their place of employment for 8 to 10 hours and work, and that's how they get paid."

"I think there are people out there wondering when's the guy going to work?..."

As Barnicle himself points out, it may not be able to be addressed by a poll or even exist "coast to coast", but that sense of feeling certainly seems to be there.

The last national election cycle was the longest and most media intensive of any in history.  Americans were bombarded with attack-counter attacks, speeches, rallies, debates, town halls, infomercials, and interviews by the hundreds.

If the President is truly serious about his ambitious agenda, he and his advisers would do well to "stop the bombing" and heed Barnicle's advice and just "go to work".