by Mark Silva
Don't let President Barack Obama's job approval - 66 percent in the latest Gallup polling - give you the wrong impression about how Americans feel about the way things are going.
Only 17 percent of Americans surveyed are satisfied with the way things are going in the country, Gallup's tracking from Jan. 27-29 found - and 80 percent are dissatisfied.
That's a notch higher than the 13 percent who said they were happy with the way things are going just before the presidential election in November, and also at the start of January.
But it's a far cry from the closing days of the Clinton administration, and even the early days of the Bush administration, when more than 60 percent said things were going right.
"Both the election of Obama on Nov. 4 and his inauguration on Jan. 20 appear to have improved Democrats' and independents' perceptions of the country,'' Gallup's Lydia Saad notes, "but they have had the opposite effect on Republicans.
"As a result, all three party groups now report similar levels of satisfaction: 15 percent for Republicans, 16 percent for independents, and 18 percent for Democrats. That contrasts with Gallup's pre-election polling, in which Republicans were significantly more positive than independents and Democrats.''
The public's sour mood about the economy remains "the primary driver of public attitudes about the country,'' Gallup notes. "Nevertheless, the arrival of a new Democratic administration has changed attitudes at the margins, making Democrats and independents somewhat more upbeat than they had been prior to the election, and Republicans less satisfied. ''
The numbers come from a survey of 1,560 adults conducted Jan. 27-29, with a possible margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Comments
Wonder if the voters are getting unhappy with the CHANGE THEY voted for?
Posted by: Inky | February 2, 2009 3:30 PM
Geee...maybe if gloom and doom Obama(D) didn't trash the economy every other day we might not be in a "sour mood."
A far, far cry from the great communicator, Ronald Reagan(R), who always delivered a positive message after inheriting Jimma Carter's 12% unemployment rate-
double digit inflation-and interest rates through the roof. This economy would be a cake-walk for Reagan.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | February 2, 2009 3:38 PM
The public does not want corrupt officials who do not pay their taxes.
Find someone else to serve.
Geithner and Daschle innately are corrupt. Despite their capabilities they are morally hollow inside and that will surface during their tenure.
GET RID OF THEM.
Find other people to serve.
Surely, the administration knew of these tax problems and just blew it off as "mistakes" and still went forward with these picks.
The public is sick of the crooks and this administration is not even a month into this new presidency and perpetuating greed, stealing, lying, and conduct unbecoming to a person nominated for a secretary position.
Sickening how this is condone.
That just tells the public there is cheating behind the scenes...and this administration says, it doesn't matter.
Posted by: Serious problem | February 2, 2009 3:44 PM
Labor organization lobby front group "American Rights at Work"(ARW) is organizing a rally at the Capitol for Wednesday to promote the anti-democratic Employee-Free Choice Act (EFCA). ARW launched a big ad campaign attacking employers as evil and exploitative and again using the Big Lie technique of claiming the EFCA doesn’t eliminate the secret ballot in union elections. Organized labor is playing workers and the public for idiots. ARW claims that the secret ballot still exists because unions could ask for an election after collecting signatures from 30 percent of a workplace’s employees. Once you reach 50 percent (plus one), card check calls for immediate representation without an election, but between 30 and 50 percent it’s still possible. Fat chance.
Unions do not file for an election with cards signed by only 30 to 50 percent of workers because workers who sign in front of an organizer often vote “NO” in the privacy of the voting booth. EFCA bars the NLRB from conducting an election if the union turns in cards from a majority of workers. There is no way unions will take a chance in an election if they have the cards.
Posted by: If you think people are unhappy now, just wait. | February 2, 2009 3:54 PM
I love Paulos' Ignorance is bliss post.
Posted by: bill r. | February 2, 2009 3:59 PM
Ref
Labor organization lobby front group "American Rights at Work"(ARW) is organizing a rally at the Capitol for Wednesday to promote the anti-democratic Employee-Free Choice Act (EFCA). ARW launched a big ad campaign attacking employers as evil and exploitative and again using the Big Lie technique of claiming the EFCA doesn’t eliminate the secret ballot in union elections. Organized labor is playing workers and the public for idiots. ARW claims that the secret ballot still exists because unions could ask for an election after collecting signatures from 30 percent of a workplace’s employees. Once you reach 50 percent (plus one), card check calls for immediate representation without an election, but between 30 and 50 percent it’s still possible. Fat chance.
Unions do not file for an election with cards signed by only 30 to 50 percent of workers because workers who sign in front of an organizer often vote “NO” in the privacy of the voting booth. EFCA bars the NLRB from conducting an election if the union turns in cards from a majority of workers. There is no way unions will take a chance in an election if they have the cards.
Posted by: If you think people are unhappy now, just wait. | February 2, 2009 3:54 PM
Sure hope Conress dosen't fall for it but on the other hand political donation talk..
Posted by: Inky | February 2, 2009 4:03 PM
Paulo is a dreamer. And delusional. But funny. "This economy would be a cake-walk for Reagan." Good one!
Posted by: mort | February 2, 2009 4:08 PM
The economy is in bad condition. We are in uncharted waters and thing are scary. Hopefully things will gradually improve over 2009.
Paula is a clueless fool. I wonder if Paula knows how many times Reagan increased taxes. Reagan is one of the reasons things are as bad as they are.
Posted by: Doug R. | February 2, 2009 4:48 PM
Obama has no interest in confidence building real leadership. He'd rather scare everybody to death with daily "it's worse than we thought" propaganda, so he can ram his socialist spending spree down our throats ASAP.
Fortunately, the GOP is starting to wake up, and theres' a political opportunity for them there, too... as there's an increasing number of voters who are starting to realize what an airheaded fraud this Obamamania really was... after only 2 wks in office.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com
Posted by: Reaganite Republican | February 2, 2009 6:23 PM
Sour? Try bitter. We had a LOONG election cycle---yalies versus harvard. This time the dems at Harvard won. And we gave billions to their FRIENDS and family (repug and dem).
AND NOTHING HAPPENED. No loans were given to the LITTLE PEOPLE.
And now--GM is spending 1 billion in ITS bailout money--not to hide it in a tax haven off shore--but to build a new auto industry in
WAIT FOR IT!!!!
BRAZIL!!!
I DO THINK OBAMA CAN HELP STRAIGHTEN THIS OUT. BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET VOCAL!
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=13325
Posted by: Well, excuse me if I don't see this as MARDI GRAS! | February 3, 2009 7:08 AM
Meanwhile, today's Gallup Poll shows that only 38% of the American people want Obama's so-called "stimulus" plan to be enacted.
Posted by: "Dissent is Patriotic" | February 3, 2009 8:36 AM