Obama's approval sagging? Pollsters say

You cannot win elections with 28% self-identified Republicans (Gallup numbers). You need to attract Independents and Democrats.

With Tony Perkins throwing RNC Chair Michael Steele to the wolves ("If they want to be a big tent -- I'll put it this way -- if they want to be an empty big tent, then they just need to keep doing what they're doing."), the Party of No is rapidly being exposed as the Party of Intolerance. So far, the GOP can't even hit their 28% number, let alone put together a winning coalition. But just keep saying "no", and keep featuring social conservatives like Perkins, and let us know how that's working out for you.

President Obama's numbers are fine (sorry Wingnuts). In fact his numbers just keep going back and forth between "super incredibly unbelieveably popular and super popular...

Didn't W. give Americans a bribe right around this time in his first year? You remember the tax cut that was supposed to put "your money back into your pocket and out of the hands of government", or was it meant to prevent a recession, or was it meant to get us out of a Clinton recession? I actually don't remember which reason they tried to make stick. Kind of like the evolving reasons for invading Iraq.

This had to happen sooner or later. You can't fool all the people all the time.

Everyone knows (almost everyone) that campaign promises are just rhetoric to be left behind and forgotten.

The last presidential campaign however, was such a Fabulous Hollywood Extravaganza in which the great Obama traveled the World to spread the Hope for a NEW WORLD ORDER and deliver the mean, nasty, racist USA into the light.

Mos tof that campaign rhetoric has been left behind and what we're seeing in the first 60 days is not much like the Hope & Change bantered about so freely for 18 months leading up to the election.

Rasmussen is a crap Republican loving pollster and they always have been.
They were the only poll that showed McCain winning the Pres election a week before the actual election....and we all know how well that turned out for McCain...

Polling at this stage of a Presidency is ludicrous anyway. But we are all addicted, so we'll all keep reading Obama's up-one-point-down-two progress, as if it means anything.

The GOP's ratings? Maybe when the GOP gets its head out of its elephantine ass, their approval ratings will approach respectability.

Obama approval #'s are meaningless at this point. Bush at this time, before 9/11 was bouncing from 55% - 63%. And remember, that was at a time when half the country believed that he had not really been elected President. I would suspect that almost every President in modern times has that kind of high favorabilty during the first couple of months in office. Obama is right where almost any president is in the first couple of months, unless he makes a huge gaffe during the early days of his term.

In spite of the Tribune's best efforts, there are those of out here in the real world that know that Obama has surrounded himself with morons of the first order, or is that "odor"?

A Treasury Secretary that thinks summer camp is deductible.

An Education Secretary whose last job had a 60% drop out rate.

An Energy Secretary that did not know oil production was part of energy policy.

An Attorney General that is afraid to deal with his own racism and blames everyone else.

A Chief of Staff that paid no property taxes in Chicago for 5 years by claiming he was living in his non-profit house.

Obama is going to leave Iraq in 16 months, except for the 60,000 troops that will stay.

Obama will get rid of earmarks, after he signs the bill with his earmarks in it.

Obama will post all bills for 5 days, except for those that he does not want people to read.

We have no money, so we must spend even more. Maybe the Tribune should try Obama's economics to get out of it's own death-spiral. Then you can report back and tell us how well it works.

And yet the brain-trust at the Tribune is amazed that some people might be a little leery of what we are seeing.

I bet when Obama loses by 40% in the next election, we will here, "How can that be? Everyone we know voted FOR HIM."

Knew it would happen sooner than later. Mr. Obama is not the miracle man he promised, nor was John McCain. You all voted for him, now you have to live with him for 4 years. All big talk and no action, oh, except saying he's going to get out of Iraq by 2010. Horses!

Please....we're supposed to take seriously a "poll" that the Murdoch Street Journal and and Wingnut loving Scott Rasmussen did on President Obama?!?

Why don't they just directly ask Mullah Limbaugh what he thinks? It wouldn't be any different, he's full of the same kind of BS that this "poll" is.

Does this surprise anyone? The people voted for this guy on his rhetoric and now when he has to produce, he's LOST. He is driving the country in the ground and spending everyone's money for self interest and wasted pork projects and their own interests. There was no benefit to the stimulis packages that our kids, kids will be paying for this decades to come. More and more people have lost their jobs, cars, houses, self respect and dignity. The American people have to come together and say enough is enough and take our country back before it is completely destoyed.

People are finding out he just may not be the Messiah. The folks who put this guy in the White House are a bunch of morons.

I don't think it's debatable that Obama is losing fans. If you read the whole article in the journal the two pollsters prove it very well.
The question is how low can he go before his handlers stop him from over-reaching and he slides back to the center from the far left precipice he has gone out on.
BTW the poll also showed the approval level for congress has gone up to 18% -lower than GW's lowest.

It's about time. Those numbers will continue to fall. Obama can't hide behind a mirage forever. The more we actually come to know this guy, the more we will realize how duped we were into buying his lofty rhetoric about bipartisanship, change, hope, yada yada.
The probably White House response to poll numbers? Flower up and power up those speeches (what president meets his speechwriter every single day)!! More speeches please!! Bring us back to those halcyon campaign days of make believe, if you can.

The Right beats up on him every day, so it takes a toll; funny how they talk when the stock market goes down, but when it goes up 4 days in a row, up 700 points (DOW), you don't hear a peep.

People have to stop drinking the Kool-Aid at some point and realize they made a big mistake by putting Obama in the White House. Pretty speaches only go so far. Pretty soon you're not going to be able to blame Bush any more. Hmmm....wasn't the congress dominated by Dems over the last 2 years??? Not to give the Republicans a free pass because they messed things up big-time as well. Sooner or later people have to wake-up and realize that we need a 3rd party that actually looks after the interests of the American Citizen. We could call it the American Party. And maybe we could find so people with a brain to serve!

Rasmussen is a total outlier on issue polls or personality polls such as these. I don't know why anyone is even quoting him any more. He says one thing and the other dozen pollsters are saying something else.

The only thing Rasmussen is good for is predicting election results using party preference polls.

Actually, what we see is the approval ratings for Obama haven't budged an inch. But the disapproval ratings have gone up as the conservative end of the Republican Party -- which these days is most of it -- has gone back on their reservation under Captain Limbaugh's command. The numbers for Obama are a little ahead of where Reagan was at this point, and I bring up that comparison because Reagan is the only other president of modern times to have broken as decisively with the past as Obama.

I will bet his approval ratings are higher with the Taliban now that he has decided that they are no longer enemy combatants. Probably higher with the people who gambled that the real estate market would always go up now that he wants us to make part of their house payment.

What a load of horse manure.

Dan C. Your points are accurate and well taken.Though these observations should be obvious to al by now it appears that many are either blinded by the messiah's light or in deep denial for some other reason which I can't fathom. Just one point. All of his staff picks whom you mention are human beings and the pronoun who should be used, not 'that". Sorry, but it grates on my eyes to read it.

I get my polling information from the RealClearPolitics website, which documents a number of polls and compiles an average. As of today, the RCP average is approximately 60 favorable vs. 30 unfavorable. The Rasmussen numbers are far of out line with the other polls.

As I recall, George the Lesser had a positive flow of money from Clinton's ride and there was no terrorists issue to worry about even though George II ignored all the signs and info passed on to him. Didn’t want to hear Clinton people; he just wanted his own cadre of the ignorant and arrogant, like Anti-Christ Cheney. So comparing Obama's entry into the presidency and Dip Stick in Chief Bush is not equivalent. Obama is performing under stress Bush didn't have the smarts to even be aware of. Bush just wants to rewrite history to suite his extremist ranters while Obama will write history. After some 50 days I admire the energy and the substance behind his moves. There may be warts, but I don’t see a McCain rising to the needs of the country at the same level.

These people conducting these poll, can they find another job? They are just wasting tax payer money and pretending as if they are working and doing us good. No get a job and a life.

And we have the Republican leader, Rush Limbaugh, with an approval rating of 26 percent.

Jimmy Justice:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/general_election_match_up_history

Rasmussen had Obama ahead every week since mid-September.

Hey hulk smash,read jimmy justices post and then explain that intolerance thing again!!!Yea ok!! The tolerance party. What a laugh.Like keith olberman and matthews. You are an idiot.

Obama is doing just fine.

When I heard Salazar gave his ok to slaughter the wolves so all the ranchers could make more money, I lost my confidence in Obama. He used to vote correctly in my opinion while an Illinois Senator. Now he has too many people's palms to grease, I guess. What a disappointment.

Get a life. Get over it. American knows that our President Obama is doing a fantastic job. Rome was not built overnight. Nor will this lousey ass encomony he inherited be re built overnight.
Keep up the good job president Obama.

Wow that took no time at all. lol looks like the "messiah" is failing again.... He came from corrupt Illinois, what did you expect... Duh.

Obama has to undo what Bush did...even to the economy. Obama has to increase our debt...he was left with a problem. Bush began by giving back money that the government had when in good shape.

Obama is just like "Howdy Doodie" a puppet, but who is pulling the strings "Pelosi" maybe "Reid" the empty suit is being exposed.

People are finding out that Obama lied to them during his campaign. He is putting in his socialist programs as fast as he can and he will turn this country into another France or possible Cuba.

The problem here is that Obama talked a "moderate" game during the election - moderate rhetoric. Well, that all turned into extreme action once he was inaugurated. If the Kool-Aid drinking voters knew how to read they could have researched his past record BEFORE they voted for him and not act surprised now. The National Journal has most partisan senator for starts - his actions aren't moderate. OR all you would have to do to predict this fall of the "second coming" would be to look at his amazing track record in Illinois. Hmm.., no legislation (but two memoirs), highest tax rates in nation (but huge deficits and debt), highest murder rates, including of school children (but Chicago was rated "City with the Least Freedoms "by Reason Magazine), the list goes on and on and on... Maybe we should just be thankful he didnt put Bill Ayers or Jeremiah Wright in the cabinet.

It's not about "fooling" anybody as another poster suggested. It's the climate of instantaneous "change" that was created on the campaign trail that's going to be Obama's own worst enemy. I'm not sure why anybody would think this at this point, but so many believe that once he's president..that's it. Poof. It's Utopia. Problems solved. They want instant results and we ALL know by now that you NEVER get instant results when dealing with a hardcore bureaucracy like the federal government. People aren't realistic in their expectations in any way and blame whoever they can.

First of all, Scott Rassmussen is not a "Republican pollster." Second, Bush campaigned on a tax cut and gave ALL Americans a tax cut. One, the tax cut was because Bush believed in lower taxes. Second, we were in recession at the beginning of 2001 and the Bush tax cuts were part stimulus.
The hilarity is that these Lefties never liked Bush's tax cuts, but love Obama's. ALL Americans received tax cuts under Bush. Three times people got rebate checks. ALL tax rates were lowered under Bush, with the poorest getting the biggest cuts.

While I generally vote Republican (although neither party deserves support in my opinion, so I am an independent voter), I voted for Obama in the last election. He has made some decisions that I disagree with (and some I support), but I think it is way too early to start complaining on the major issues relating to the economy. Give it some time.

For you children on either side of the divide (you are both "wingnuts" to me, just on different sides), stop acting like children and move forward. Next year at this time, if the economy and country are in as bad (or worse) shape, then it os time to be critical. The guy just started, so give him a break. I supported Bush until the invasion of Iraq, but blame congress as an equal partner. In fact, seeing plastic Nancy Pelosi still turns my stomach (we need a more centrist leader in the house). Anyway, we are all in this together.

Nate Silver over at 538.com makes the point that Rasmussen's numbers are a bit wonky compared to the other major pollsters. In fact, the RCP average you display here on The Swamp shows an average Obama disapproval rating 13 points lower than Rasmussen claims.

He took over an impossible task and he doesn't lie to us.

W inherited a strong economy and no mess, courtesy of Clinton. Of course his numbers were 'f*cking good. He hadn't done anything, and he had nothing to do. Then he kindly left the next guy a huge f*cking mess. I'm suprised Obama's numbers are still as high as they are.

C'mon Mark!

Yesterday the Swamp pushed a bogus Nancy Pelosi story that was made up by Fixed News channel and today you're pushing a "poll" by one of the worst pollsters in America (Rasmussen), in combination with the idiot ideologe Murdoch and his Republican Street Journal?

George W. Bush did not have high approval ratings until after 9/11, so Rasmussen's entire premise is wrong and not worthy of further comment.

The messiah really shouldn't be hailed as God then. Dummycrats becoming wise? Or did the kool-aid run out finally. This was bound to happen. You can only run on hope and "It's Bush's fault" for so long. As his buddy, the Rev. said, the roosters are coming home to roost! Inexperience, ignorance, and incompetence is shining through as hope fades. Our children and grandchildren face a a $50-70 trillion deficit. Facts don't lie, Democrats and liberals do.

Sorry...WSJ is owned by Rupert Murdoch. The same one who just happpens to own FoxNews. Or FoxNoise. Or FauxNews. You pick.

/ignore.

Bush in his first months in the White House wasn't cleaning up after a Bush presidency. If the current administration turns this mess around, there will still be naysayers like Dan.

One thing they need to make a priority is healthcare. In this economy, the insurance companies are refusing to pay claims and finding all kinds of excuses not to pay. We can start by getting rid of the pharmeceutical representative and the administrative overhead in doctors' offices.

Just wait until Easter.

Hey Jimmy Justice, a quick search shows Rasmussen had McCain ahead by 1 point on September 17th and never again.

Better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you're a fool than open it and remove all doubt.

+1 Dan C

Obama's braintrust, Pelosi and Reid, have done as as much as he has to cause this precipitous descent. Wait until 2010 midterm elections and these polls will be borne out by a massive turnover in Congress.

the american people are starting to realize what we know here in chicago but most are willing to put a blind eye to. the way the stimulus is going in regard to earmarks, business goes to political friends. I remember him saying that wouldn't be the case. I'm used to hearing that though.

I think your wrong. Our President's deserves our support, now and for at least a number of years. I took bush and his cronies eight years to destroy our economy and our constitution.
Give him a break and stop with the polls, period. The ones that are responsible for our situation are or have been receiving help from the govt. Many of them should be in jail. Again, stop the polling, it serves no purpose. wgm

Leave our President alone. It took the thieves and crook and cheats with the help of president bush to destroy our economy. They needed eight years to do this

Let's give our new President a few more months to get things going. Most Americans support our president and his policies. We and they do not need the help of polls.

wgm

Nothing to report here. Obamas luster is wearing off. His true colors are coming out. Tax and spend and spend and spend. By the end of the year, his poll numbers will be where they should be, in the 30s.

This is another Obama hating Poll that does not reflect the average Amerikan. Our leader and Great Teacher President Obama is loved by most people except facist Rush Lovers. By 2011, all 57 states will demand Pres. Obama be appointed for a third and 4th term! We love our President! He knows best! We are his children!
Hail Hail o yez Hail!

jimmy justice has his facts all wrong...ergo, they are not facts.

Rasmussen had the most accurate numbers throughout the recent election cycle, including the most accurate spreads leading up to the final week. Rasmussen was rated the most accurate pollster during both the 2004 and 2008 elections.

Check your facts jj.

Obama has never had anything to offer besides a smooth line of talk, talk, talk and he has nothing to offer now.

He is a socialist without the ability to accomplish anything.

Has there EVER been a socialist system that has succeeded?

No!

Once again the hypocrisy of left is on display in all it's glory. So when polling favors your man, that's the end-all be-all, yet when the numbers are slipping polls are irrelevant.

Perhaps, people are seeing the fruition of the most inexperienced POTUS ever and are finally seeing the error of their ways.

Maybe, they aren't buying the fact that healthcare is the greatest threat to the economy like our President believes.

James Carville was quoted as saying "it's the economy, stupid". Perhaps he should mention that to Obama next ime rather than focus on a radio host.

Even the Gallup poll identifies problems with Obama:
"Recent Gallup data echo these concerns. That polling shows that there are deep-seated, underlying economic concerns. 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.'

There is more to the numbers than just Presidential approval ratings, as stated in the original article.

It may be useful to read the original article to get a real sense of the numbers, rather than report on a small portion. But, I suppose the writer of this short story wanted to point out "Scott Rasmussen, pollster-president of Rasmussen Reports and a surveyor whose numbers tend to not favor Democrats." to, perhaps imply the entire article is suspect and the great Obama is still the gift to humanity, short story writers, and former television "news" readers.

Wow this is news to me.

Hasn't Obama made clear his views regarding:

1) Closing Guantanamo - nope not going to happen
2) Freeing those held illegally - well maybe it is legal...
3) Bringing all US troops home in 18 months - except for 50k.
4) Rejecting earmarks - well, only the bad ones

What's not to love about the guy.

He's the embodiment of "Change [of views] we can count on!"

He and GWB are going to be best buds.

The Obama Deception is a hard-hitting film that completely destroys the myth that Barack Obama is working for the best interests of the American people.

The Obama phenomenon is a hoax carefully crafted by the captains of the New World Order. He is being pushed as savior in an attempt to con the American people into accepting global slavery.

We have reached a critical juncture in the New World Order’s plans. It’s not about Left or Right: it’s about a One World Government. The international banks plan to loot the people of the United States and turn them into slaves on a Global Plantation.

Covered in this film: who Obama works for, what lies he has told, and his real agenda. If you want to know the facts and cut through all the hype, this is the film for you.

Watch The Obama Deception and learn how:

- Obama is continuing the process of transforming America into something that resembles Nazi Germany, with forced National Service, domestic civilian spies, warrantless wiretaps, the destruction of the Second Amendment, FEMA camps and Martial Law.

- Obama’s handlers are openly announcing the creation of a new Bank of the World that will dominate every nation on earth through carbon taxes and military force.

- International bankers purposefully engineered the worldwide financial meltdown to bankrupt the nations of the planet and bring in World Government.

- Obama plans to loot the middle class, destroy pensions and federalize the states so that the population is completely dependent on the Central Government.

- The Elite are using Obama to pacify the public so they can usher in the North American Union by stealth, launch a new Cold War and continue the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The information contained in this film is vital to the future of the Republic and to freedom worldwide. President Barack Obama is only the tool of a larger agenda. Until all are made aware, humanity will remain captive to the masters of the New World Order.

Nothing to report here. Obamas luster is wearing off. His true colors are coming out. Tax and spend and spend and spend. By the end of the year, his poll numbers will be where they should be, in the 30s.

Scrubbles (sounds like a flatliner name),
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The 2001 rebate check was not a bribe, it was giving back taxpayers money that was overcollected in previous years. President Bush knew it would be better spent by those that earned it instead of being spent on another wasteful gov't program.
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Too bad the poll couldn't have been conducted by say someone who let the current chief of staff stay with him rent free.
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Mort,
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maybe the DJIA is going up because BO's poll numbers are going down? What do you think?

I just looked at the real clear politics polls. It's interesting that the right track/wrong track poll average says 54.7% think we're on the wrong track, with the far left Daily Kos poll showing 60% think we're on the wrong track.

And yet the koolaide drinking Obama worshipers expect us to believe he has a 60%+ approval rating.

The Wall St. Journal was recently bought by Murdoch, the big lover of the Republican party, and owner of Fox News (FAUX News, the big PROPAGANDA MACHINE - pfff, "Fair and Balanced" my arse.)

The Wall St Journal has lost a chunk of credibility with regards to anything related to politics. It is going to become another Fox, another propaganda machine for the WingNUTS. Mark my word.

Despite all these positive Obama stories and negative republican stories; the elections in 2010 and 2012 will lower the number of democrats elected.

The presses ranting fooled the public one time, but will not fool them again.

No to new taxes.

Vote out democrats who tax and spend.

These numbers are going to go a LOT lower.

Bottom line is the O-Team must believe these polls. They pulled a 180 on tone about the economy this week. A month ago we were in the "worst economic crisis since the depression". Yesterday it's "not as bad as it seems". What? Did the 25 jobs he "saved" in OH last week suddenly turn things around?

His numbers are certainly going down, and the way this administration is going Obama will have to get a latter to kiss a snake crawling on the ground before its over.

you shold not be calling him christ we are the oeople and we did vote him in and i do think we will find soon that Bush was not to blame we have a congress and seanet thaey are the ones who want do anything to help our econnemy we need a changewe need to see people working and we cant keep waiting this has to be done. lets get reel banks dont loan money many people cant buy a housecars cant be sold and that is where we are we need obahama to llok at the people the congrees the seanet to look at america and do something to get us back we need god first we need people to get back to church and we need prayer back in our schools we need christans to take a stand and say enough is a enough that is why we are here God has tried to give us awake up call and now we are are you going to wake up are keep looking for someone to blame God is in control so let us put him back to first instied of where he fits in

Real,
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As adaily reader of the WSJ for 15 years, I can tell you the paper hasn't changed its approach, with the exception of a few more pictures. The news reporting is accurate and objective and the editorial page is still conservative, with the exception of Thomas Frank on Wdenesday's (he pretty much replaced Al Hunt).

Just another overinflated bubble bursting and another sign of the times. It's no surprise that some of BO's enablers are having second thoughts as he actually formulates the various policies that affect them in a direct fashion.
Remember, America is a really big community to try organize for any man competent or not. In fact, the results achieved from either are likely to be indistinguishable from the other.

Obama's numbers will be up and the numbers will be down.

He will not be re-elected. That fear has already taken hold and a grass-root movement (Unity 2009) is being created to pressure politicians in all states, counties, cities that don't adhere to what the Obama administration wants.

Get in line?...no way. Soon Obama and his group will deny voters a secret ballot in elections.

No to democrats in 2010 and 2012.

Democrats raise your taxes.

Can you afford more money going to the government?

Can you afford more money going to the state, county, city in which you live?

Dont' you want to keep the money you earn; instead of turning it in to the government?

Vote to cut taxes, vote republican in local, state and federal elections.

Cut taxes at all levels of government. The spending can't go on.

I don't know of ANY Democrats who call him "the Messiah"...only smart a***ed Republicans. Can't you come up with ANYTHING ELSE besides these worn-out names of "the messiah" and the phrase "drinking the kool aide? In reality, it WOULD take GOD HIMSELF TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE MESS LEFT BEHIND BY YOUR beloved Bush in the time frame YOU think it should be accomplished!!!

Mary- How does an "Unqualified Success" grab you?

* * * * *
Posted by: Mary | March 15, 2009 7:54 AM
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No one claims that Democrats call Obama the "Messiah." The problem is that Democrats appear to think and act like he IS a Messiah of sorts (albeit a secular one). Obama has gotten a considerable amount of adulation and hero worship from the beginning of his campaign to the present time. It is also obvious, after consideration of his actual accomplishments and experience, that all of this adulation and hero worship is largely unjustified. It is this irrational hero worship of Obama and the equally irrational (even angry) response of Democrats to criticism of Obama’s actions that have caused non-Democrats to dub him your Messiah. If you don’t like it, then treat Obama like a normal man and invite constructive criticism of his behavior and that of his underlings.