President Barack Obama at a town hall meeting at Tophane Cultural Center in Istanbul, Turkey, today, closing his European tour. (Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais) / AP)
by Mark Silva
The unemployment rolls may be growing -- but so is American optimism about the economy and the direction of the nation in the 11 weeks since President Barack Obama was sworn in - according to the results of a New York Times, CBS News survey.
Americans approve of Obama's handling of the economy, foreign policy, Iraq and Afghanistan, and fully two-thirds said in this survey that they approve of his overall job performance.
Just 31 percent of those surveyed said they held a favorable view of the Republican Party, the lowest in a quarter-century that the question has been posed in New York Times/CBS News polls.
"It is not unusual for new presidents to enjoy a period of public support,'' the Times' Adam Nagourney writes. "Still, the durability of Mr. Obama's support contrasts with that of some of his predecessors at the same point in their terms. It is also striking at a time when anxiety has gripped households across the country and Mr. Obama has alternately sought to rally Americans' spirits and warn against economic collapse as he seeks congressional support for his programs.''
Most people -- 70 percent - remain concerned that someone in their household might be out of work in the next 12 months.
Yet, the share of people who say the country is headed in the right direction has jumped from 15 percent in mid-January, just before the president's inauguration to 39 percent today.
"It's psychology more than anything else," Arthur Gilman, a Republican from Ridgewood, N.J., surveyed in the poll, explains. "President Obama has turned around the negative feeling in this country. He's given everything an impetus because he's very upbeat, like Roosevelt was. It's too soon to tell if the spending stuff works, but some things have improved."
The survey of 998 adults conducted Wednesday through Sunday has a possible margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Comments
I believe this is where bubba and the rest post to proclaim the sun is the moon and up is down and report his numbers "are dropping like a rock". The insight by them is simply amazing.
Posted by: bill r. | April 7, 2009 8:19 AM
It is all about 'consumer confidence.' This is a critical time in our country, in human history, and we have to fight off the pundits quest for ratings with rants of pessimism. ..........
http://thefiresidepost.com/2009/04/07/does-our-economi-attitude-matter-a-hole-in-the-bucket/
Posted by: Ohg Rea Tone | April 7, 2009 9:10 AM
The great Sandman Obama
How many campaign promises has the puppet broken?
No lobbyists or Washington Insiders will be in this Administration?
Geitner and the Goldman Sachs crew? Bernanke, Robert Gates - are these all fresh faces or Sacred Cows?
No piece of legislation will be rushed across my desk? - Why did the second stimulus need to be signed without anyone getting a chance to read it? Absorb it? Question it?
Bush sold the fear of terror,
Barry is selling the fear of financial ruin
Wake up and question the game
Posted by: karl | April 7, 2009 10:19 AM
>>How many campaign promises has the puppet broken?
I don't know about any puppets. I would assume zero.
However, I *can* answer the question, "How many campaign promises has Obama broken?" The answer is four.
You need to look no further than the "Politifact Obameter" website at http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/?? for all the details.
They have painstakingly recorded over 500 campaign promises made by Obama, and they are tracking progress on each and every one. So far, Obama has kept 22, compromised on 4, stalled on 4, broken 4, with 56 'in the works', and no action so far on 421.
According to Politifact, here are the 4 campaign promises broken so far:
No. 234: Allow five days of public comment before signing bills
No. 240: Tougher rules against revolving door for lobbyists and former officials
No. 505: Create a $3,000 tax credit for companies that add jobs
No. 511: Recognize the Armenian genocide
Posted by: mlhradio | April 7, 2009 11:35 AM
What BS, I am not buying a new car because I know with all my heart that the Democrats will tax the crap out of us under 80K wage earners. Watch and see
Posted by: Bob Steeb | April 7, 2009 12:10 PM
Also, no tax increases, then an increase on cigarette taxes. What's next?
Posted by: Bob | April 7, 2009 12:30 PM
In my 67-years,I have never been as pessimistic as I am today. Sorry, I vote "no confidence" for the current government.
Posted by: terry dudas | April 7, 2009 12:37 PM
Why don't you post the sampling used to come up with this cooked book poll? When 2/3 of the people you talk to are all Democrats, OF COURSE this will be the answer you get. And it ruins the basis for your so-called "story". Idiotic.
The sooner the Times goes out of business the better, since it's only a propaganda arm for The Messiah.
Posted by: clyde | April 7, 2009 12:40 PM
Mark,
You may want to look to more than one [skewed] source before posting a "news" (I use the term loosely) article. If you look at any of the real polls his approval is dropping like a rock with very few spikes (usually when he doesn't act). The general populous does NOT approve of his hostile takeover of private enterprise. CBS News (READ: puppetry) is a large Dem. propaganda machine. Read. Think. Compose.
REAL POLLS:
Gallup: http://www.gallup.com/poll/113980/Gallup-Daily-Obama-Job-Approval.aspx
Rasmussen:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
Posted by: Enlightened | April 7, 2009 1:41 PM
Hmmmmmmm......
I'd love to know the sampling of respondents who identified themselves as Republican, Democrat, and Independent.
Until the sample size data is acknowledged, this "poll" really doesn't have any validity whatsoever.
Posted by: Chris | April 7, 2009 1:45 PM
Was that "67% of Obama voters are still confident?"
Strange how the Trib cites a New York Times poll as if it was gospel. Would they think of commissioning their own poll?
There was also a poll of top CEOs out today (The Business Roundtable CEO Economic Outook Index) saying that they are pessimistic about the outlook. They are usually the first ones to lead a cheering section for the economy.
I wonder who I should believe, the Times poll, or them?
Posted by: ttj | April 7, 2009 2:24 PM
A poll of 998 does NOT justify that Obama is actually receiving a higher approval rate. Does that number even account for 1% of our population??? I agree with Chris and Enlightened, all I have heard is how disappointed America is in Obama and how his approval rating has done nothing but sink....and you bet he will sink our country with him...why do you think the stocks are down? It was his lovely visit with the Mid-East, "consumer" confidence just keeps dropping as Barack looks like nothing more than a "rock star." I want a President, not a celebrity!!!!
Posted by: Aly | April 7, 2009 2:38 PM
All I have seen is a lot of talk but no action from President Obama the Unqualified. He is way over his head. Yep, he sure did hit the ground running - running all over the place and not getting anything done!
Posted by: Darkwater | April 7, 2009 2:41 PM
So - I guess what they're saying is that only 67% of barry supporters are still on board. I doubt they ever asked a republican or any non-democrat any questions.
Barry is a failure, and the country overall is the loser in all this.
Posted by: moreofthesame | April 7, 2009 3:17 PM
Note to Aly: ignorance of polling technique and probability theory as well as selective reading of poll results (a la Rush Limbaugh) guarantees your political irrelevance. You are in an increasingly small circle of those who throw tantrums to express their unwillingness to deal with reality.
Have fun in your echo chamber.
Posted by: Limbaugh cheese | April 7, 2009 3:27 PM
What about the Pew poll that shows he has the greatest confidence gap of all modern presidents? Also, I just can't take seriously any poll that comes from the Stalin and Castro loving NYT (Remember?) rand Dan Rather's CBS. I mean there is a real confidence and credibility gap there too.
Posted by: Walter | April 7, 2009 3:46 PM