blackascoal
The Force is With Me
President Obama’s standing with Americans has slumped significantly, as the public remains skeptical about his health care law and unsure about the economy, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
Forty-nine percent of the public disapproves of Mr. Obama’s job performance, and 43 percent approves, matching his worst measures in two years, the poll shows. Only 30 percent of Americans believe he cares “a lot” about their needs and problems, a figure that has fallen steadily from early in his first term.
Across the board — on foreign policy, including Syria and Iran; the economy; health care; and the federal budget deficit — more Americans disapprove than approve of the president’s performance.
Mr. Obama is being hurt by a public that has grown sour in the face of what people see as a stagnating economy: two-thirds of Americans say the country is on the wrong track, the highest number since early in 2012. And with Washington locked in yet another contentious debate over government spending, people are showing signs of exasperation about their elected leaders’ inability to reconcile their differences.
Nearly 9 in 10 Americans say they are frustrated about the prospect of the federal government shutting down. With the insurance marketplaces that are part of Mr. Obama’s health overhaul set to go into place next month, approval of the signature domestic initiative of his administration stands at only 39 percent, and it is viewed favorably by just over one in three independents.
“I voted for the guy, and I’m just very disappointed in the way things are turning out,” said Richard Ray, 52, an independent from Mitchell, Ind, in a follow-up interview. “I don’t like the health care plan. I’m seeing that it’s costing some of the people I’m working with to get two jobs now. Their hours are being cut back because companies don’t want to be responsible for health care.”
Yet even as his health law remains unpopular, Mr. Obama has a majority of the public on his side when it comes to the Republican effort to stop funding for the program. As some Congressional Republicans try to link spending on the health law to the Oct. 1 deadline for keeping the federal government running, 56 percent of Americans say they prefer that Congress uphold what has become known as Obamacare and make it work as well as possible.
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While Mr. Obama’s ratings sag, he can take some solace in the standing of the Republican opposition in Congress. Nearly three-quarters of Americans disapprove of Congressional Republicans. More of the public supports Mr. Obama than Republicans to make the right decisions on the deficit, health care and the economy.
“I would blame the Republicans for a shutdown,” said Barbara Nemeth, 70, an independent in Port Richey, Fla. “It’s not their job to stalemate the government. It’s their job to work cooperatively and compromise. That has been traditionally the American democratic way. They are acting like a bunch of overgrown, spoiled brats.”
But there is little doubt that the president is being hurt by questions over his health overhaul. Only one in five Americans say they expect to be positively affected by the law.
The survey also suggests that Republicans could pay a political price going into next year’s midterm elections if there is a government shutdown. Eight in 10 Americans find it unacceptable for either the president or members of Congress to shut down the government to achieve their goals during budget negotiations. And while half the country sees Mr. Obama as working with Republicans, only one in four Americans see Congressional Republicans as working with the president to get things done.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/u...wo-year-low-poll-shows.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0
Poll: President Obama nears all-time low
The poll’s numbers reflect Americans’ assessment of how Obama is handling the economy: Forty-four percent said they approved and 51 percent said they disapproved.
Pollsters also pointed to a drop in support among African-Americans as a possible explanation for Obama’s falling numbers, as 78 percent approve of Obama’s work, a 10 point drop since June and 15 point drop since April.
Obama’s approval rating is the same as George W. Bush's was at this point in his second term, while Bill Clinton’s approval rating was significantly higher, at 56 percent, during this point in his second term, The Journal said.
more
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/obama-approval-rating-poll-94659.html#ixzz2fzwmQLc0
Forty-nine percent of the public disapproves of Mr. Obama’s job performance, and 43 percent approves, matching his worst measures in two years, the poll shows. Only 30 percent of Americans believe he cares “a lot” about their needs and problems, a figure that has fallen steadily from early in his first term.
Across the board — on foreign policy, including Syria and Iran; the economy; health care; and the federal budget deficit — more Americans disapprove than approve of the president’s performance.
Mr. Obama is being hurt by a public that has grown sour in the face of what people see as a stagnating economy: two-thirds of Americans say the country is on the wrong track, the highest number since early in 2012. And with Washington locked in yet another contentious debate over government spending, people are showing signs of exasperation about their elected leaders’ inability to reconcile their differences.
Nearly 9 in 10 Americans say they are frustrated about the prospect of the federal government shutting down. With the insurance marketplaces that are part of Mr. Obama’s health overhaul set to go into place next month, approval of the signature domestic initiative of his administration stands at only 39 percent, and it is viewed favorably by just over one in three independents.
“I voted for the guy, and I’m just very disappointed in the way things are turning out,” said Richard Ray, 52, an independent from Mitchell, Ind, in a follow-up interview. “I don’t like the health care plan. I’m seeing that it’s costing some of the people I’m working with to get two jobs now. Their hours are being cut back because companies don’t want to be responsible for health care.”
Yet even as his health law remains unpopular, Mr. Obama has a majority of the public on his side when it comes to the Republican effort to stop funding for the program. As some Congressional Republicans try to link spending on the health law to the Oct. 1 deadline for keeping the federal government running, 56 percent of Americans say they prefer that Congress uphold what has become known as Obamacare and make it work as well as possible.
---
While Mr. Obama’s ratings sag, he can take some solace in the standing of the Republican opposition in Congress. Nearly three-quarters of Americans disapprove of Congressional Republicans. More of the public supports Mr. Obama than Republicans to make the right decisions on the deficit, health care and the economy.
“I would blame the Republicans for a shutdown,” said Barbara Nemeth, 70, an independent in Port Richey, Fla. “It’s not their job to stalemate the government. It’s their job to work cooperatively and compromise. That has been traditionally the American democratic way. They are acting like a bunch of overgrown, spoiled brats.”
But there is little doubt that the president is being hurt by questions over his health overhaul. Only one in five Americans say they expect to be positively affected by the law.
The survey also suggests that Republicans could pay a political price going into next year’s midterm elections if there is a government shutdown. Eight in 10 Americans find it unacceptable for either the president or members of Congress to shut down the government to achieve their goals during budget negotiations. And while half the country sees Mr. Obama as working with Republicans, only one in four Americans see Congressional Republicans as working with the president to get things done.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/u...wo-year-low-poll-shows.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0
Poll: President Obama nears all-time low
The poll’s numbers reflect Americans’ assessment of how Obama is handling the economy: Forty-four percent said they approved and 51 percent said they disapproved.
Pollsters also pointed to a drop in support among African-Americans as a possible explanation for Obama’s falling numbers, as 78 percent approve of Obama’s work, a 10 point drop since June and 15 point drop since April.
Obama’s approval rating is the same as George W. Bush's was at this point in his second term, while Bill Clinton’s approval rating was significantly higher, at 56 percent, during this point in his second term, The Journal said.
more
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/obama-approval-rating-poll-94659.html#ixzz2fzwmQLc0
