by Mark Silva
Most people still worry that things are not going well in America, yet the number of Americans who say the nation is headed in the right direction has "roughly tripled'' since President Barack Obama's election, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll today shows.
"Obama continues to benefit from a broadly held perception that others should bear the bulk of responsibility for the severe economic problems that confront his administration.'' The Post's Dan Balz and Jon Cohen write.
. "Despite the increasing optimism about the future, the nation's overall mood remains gloomy,'' they note, "and doubts are rising about some of the administration's prescriptions for the economic woes.
"Independents are less solidly behind Obama than they have been, fewer Americans now express confidence that his economic programs will work, barely half of the country approves of how the president is dealing with the federal budget deficit, and the political climate is once again highly polarized,'' they add.
Yet the percentage of <strong>Americans surveyed in the new poll who view the country as being on the right track stands at 42 percent - the highest percentage saying so in five years in the Post and ABC surveys and "a sharp turnabout from last fall, when as many as nine in 10 said the country was heading in the wrong direction.''
Fifty-seven percent still consider the nation as moving on the wrong track.
Still, two-thirds of Americans surveyed approve of the way Obama is handling the country's top job, and six in 10 grade him well on the No. 1 issue, the economy.
Obama draws lower grades for dealing with the federal budget deficit, which he promises to cut in half by the end of his term but still has reached new records. Fifty-two percent back the president's approach to the deficit, with the president insisting that aggressive
Comments
Bad news for those wishing to harness populist anger. Just saying NO won't work with these numbers.
Posted by: bill r. | March 31, 2009 7:52 AM
The tide is turning.
No matter what cagey questions are presented, the people don't want to head in the direction Obama is taking them.
Debt till their grandchildren died.
Going soft on the safety of Americans.
Restrictions of freedoms.
Failure to recognize that Wall Street and Main Street are intertwined.
Deterioration of healthcare due to nationalization. Government deciding what healthcare procedures to which you are entitled (forget the CAT scans, MRIs, operations delayed, delayed. And if you're elderly certain procedures (heart especially) will not be available; ditto drugs for "life ending illnesses".
Decline, decline, decline with Obama.
He's so concentrated on those at the bottom that he fails to see what is floating downstream...his head is underwater...he'll be drowning in American dissatisfaction soon.
Posted by: Wrong headed | March 31, 2009 8:52 AM
The tide is turning.
Posted by: Wrong headed | March 31, 2009 8:52 AM
Proving their incredible insight....out they pop to remind us that the sun sets in the east, and up truly is down.
Posted by: bill r. | March 31, 2009 9:29 AM
President Obama might be the recepiant of high approval ratings at the current time but I am concerned about his backing away from promises he made during his campaign.
He promised the electorate that he would cut debt and the deficit and now he is increasing it at a record rate.
He spoke about eliminating earmarks and now he states some are good programs. He promised that "paygo" would be enacted for all government programs and that has gone by the wayside.
He indicated that he desired that the level of partisan bickering be reduced in Washington but forgot to tell his press secretary, Robert Gibbs, to follow his lead.
He is starting to look like a tax and spend Democrat to me!
Posted by: Pat H | March 31, 2009 9:44 AM
Here is all you need to know on why these poll numbers are the way they are.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm1KOBMg1Y8
Posted by: Terry | March 31, 2009 10:38 AM
He is starting to look like a tax and spend Democrat to me!
Posted by: Pat H | March 31, 2009 9:44 AM
Let's take a look at "the campaign". The world certainly seems to have changed a bit since the start of the campaign. Heck.....McCain was calling the fundamentals strong in July. As the republican reign of terror on the economy showed it's ugly head.....things were quite different. If you like to use the term "tax and spend", may I remind you that in that ridiculous budget that the republicans put forth, the answer was to triple down on tax breaks for the rich. Please.............that's how we got here.
Posted by: bill r. | March 31, 2009 11:02 AM