by Mark Silva
Both President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama come out pretty well, on a personal level, in the new poll that the Pew Research Center has produced today, near the First 100 Days mark of the Obama administration.
"The headline on this poll is that President Obama has very strong approval ratings, but even higher personal favorability ratings,'' says Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Center.
The president - with his job approval standing at 63 percent in this survey - enjoys a personal favorability rating of 73 percent. And the first lady's personal approval rating stands at 76 percent - with even Republican women voicing big approval: Indeed, at 67 percent, their opinion of the first lady is up 20 points from January.
"She has kind of taken the country by storm,'' Kohut said of the first lady, at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor today. "She is very impressive, she is very charming,'' he said, pointing to the one-word descriptions that people used to describe her in the survey - "all very positive.''
One of the notable results of this survey, like others, is the wide partisan divide in opinion about the president. But, looking more deeply at the split, Kohut points to another phenomenon:
"Republicans are as critical of Obama as they were of Clinton, but Democrats are so much more approving of Obama,'' which leads to the "huge gap'' between the way Democrats and Republicans rate the president's job performance. "The notion that he's polarized the country may be the wrong take on it... but rather that he has such high approval within his own party.''
"This is a president who the base really likes,'' Kohut said - and this could lend the president some latitude in dealing with the liberals who are pressing him to act on questions such as who might be held accountable for the "torture memos'' from the Bush administration that Obama has disclosed. (Indeed, Americans are fairly tolerant of any torture that may have been used against suspected terrorists). "I think he's got a fair amount of maneuvering room with Democrats.''
Another surprise:
"One of the consistent things we find about Obama is a large percentage of people think he is taking a new approach to politics in Washington,'' Kohut noted, despite the fact that surveys show Americans still view Republicans and Democrats in Washington as "squabbling, not coming together'' and people largely say Obama is listening more to the liberals than the moderates around him. Still, they say, "This guy is different.''
"I guess the most surprising thing is this notion of Obama still being seen as a politician, someone who is going to govern differently in Washington,'' Kohut said. "He has a lot of capital.... (People) have confidence in him to fix the economy.
"He's got a lot of cover.''
Asked about any potential storm warnings in this largely positive survey of opinion about the new president:
"The red flags are the high expectations about him, given the challenges he faces,'' Kohut said. "When he gets to health care and some of these other things, there is going to be a great deal of scrutiny.
"This situation is very much like it was with Reagan, back in 1981, with the public having confidence that Reagan would fix the economy,'' recalled Kohut, who has run the Gallup Poll and L.A. Times-Mirror polling in his time. "Things really only got bad for Reagan when the unemployment rose dramatically over the course of '81... It was 7 percent and it rose to over 10 percent...
"Reagan did OK and people were willing to live with their discomforts,'' Kohut added, "but when things got worse on his watch, rather than better, than things began to come apart.''
By the end of 1982, a majority of those surveyed no longer approved of Reagan.
At 63 percent job-approval today, Obama faces many months ahead in which the unemployment rate may still rise further
But he will move beyond is First 100 Days with a solid base of support within his own party, a lot of confidence generally in his ability to do something about the economy, a lot of people rooting for him to succeed - and a very popular wife as well.
"I think people are invested in Obama,'' Kohut noted. "They want him to succeed.... The basic question is, how long people will think this guy has the answers. Right now, a lot of people think he has the answers.''
Comments
Well, THIS is going to upset a lot of wingers. Couldn't you SAY that the whole country hates Obama, just to lower their blood pressure, Mark? Or is it that we'll find out that the poll is bogus and the results mean nothing? Time will tell, I guess.
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Seems to ME like the results of the poll don't really say a whole lot, actually. Of COURSE Obama has people on his side, and OF COURSE they'll stick with him until he starts making mistakes (assuming he will make mistakes). It would be very unusual indeed for his approval rating NOT to fluctuate over the next 4 years. And Obama may well not have the economy "fixed" in that time (I'd settle for a notable improvement).
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As I recall, that was pretty much the way it was with Bush (and I wasn't paying attention to blogs then, so I have only my recollection and what I heard from people I talked to at the time to go on). They/I may not have supported Bush, but he WAS the President and it made sense to give him the benefit of the doubt. Trouble with Bush was that when he made mistakes, he made BIG mistakes and he flat-out refused to acknowledge them or make any effort to correct them. THAT was when I stopped being able to trust a word he had to say. And if Obama falls to that level, he'll lose my support the same way and to the same extent.
Posted by: Op109 | April 23, 2009 10:30 AM
Republicans need to change their anti-Obama strategy, because it's clearly not working. Americans are embracing Obama's agenda. Big government is not the bogeyman anymore.
http://www.political-buzz.com/
Posted by: matt | April 23, 2009 10:50 AM
I am not disappointed in President Obama's agenda. He was pretty open with regard to his priorities and what he planned to do if he won the White House. I did not vote for him, because I did not like his agenda items. So as promised our country is in disarray due to his inexperience and idealogy. I know everyone wants to blame Bush, but some of this is Obama. Human nature does not handle a lot of change at one time. He is being very political by trying to get everything he wants while he has the approval ratings. I understand that too. Bottom line is that it is more difficult being the President, than campaigning to be the President. One area that I think is totally ridiculous is the issue regarding torture. Pres. Obama believes in partial birth abortion, but doesn't believe in torturing possible enemies of our country because of the moral issue. He may want to revisit that issue. And really I think he spends way to much time on television and so do his people. Please. Let us have a break from all this do-gooding being done.
Posted by: Darlene Krause | April 23, 2009 11:09 AM
that links retarded matt...so much for personal responsibility
Posted by: Nate | April 23, 2009 11:28 AM
WASHINGTON -- New jobless claims rose more than expected last week, while the number of workers continuing to filing claims for unemployment benefits topped 6.1 million.
Both figures are fresh evidence layoffs persist amid a weak job market that is not expected to rebound anytime soon.
I would guess that no one asked these guys how they felt.
Posted by: Greg | April 23, 2009 11:32 AM
President Obama's popularity comes from respect. He allows us to see his legitimate conflict on issues like investigating Bush officials for war crimes. President Obama recognizes that Justice is not easy. ............
Posted by: Ohg Rea Tone | April 23, 2009 11:39 AM
that links retarded matt...so much for personal responsibility
Posted by: Nate | April 23, 2009 11:28 AM
No doubt one of the largest complainers of the Special Olympics statement.
Posted by: bill r. | April 23, 2009 11:42 AM
Face it, Obama has it too easy; the opposition leaders: Rush, Beck, Joe the Plumber, Dick Cheney, Newt, John Boehner. I'd be at 60% with those morons bashing me every day.
Posted by: rupert | April 23, 2009 11:45 AM
Easy to print an article like this. They should be forced to also print the questions asked in the poll and what the demographics were of the population polled.
Posted by: Fred | April 23, 2009 11:46 AM
PEW polls are just as good as ACORN..
Its funny they couldnt manufacture a higher percentage but anything higher then 63% would look tampered.
Rasmussen's poll is about as accurate as the other widely depended on polls and they have Obama at 55% NOT 63%..
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
Posted by: Nick | April 23, 2009 11:55 AM
Greg,
I'd bet people being laid off from their jobs are grateful to have President Obama in the White House. He has pushed to extend unemployment benefits, provide a 65% subsidy for COBRA payments for 9 months, which makes it possible for cash-strapped families to still afford health insurance, and he has policies in place to create jobs. If a repug was in the White House, you can bet there would be little to nothing done to help American families facing hard times and unemployment.
Posted by: Patrick | April 23, 2009 12:07 PM
63% of whom exactly? Inmates in a mental hospital? Obama said he was going to use our money to stimulate the economy. How does giving BILLIONS of dollars to incompetent and corrupt state governments stimulate the economy? How does pouring BILLIONS of dollars into mismanaged and hopelessly weak companies help stimulate the economy. Obama is a liar and a fraud.
I'm embarassed to admit that I voted for this crook. In truth I voted against Sarah Palin. In retrospect I should have taken the chance that McCain would survive long enough to finish his term.
One day I may actually have the opportunity to vote FOR a candidate rather than against a candidate. Yeah right and one day I may sprout wings and fly.
America sucks now.
Posted by: James Sullivan | April 23, 2009 12:20 PM
Remember it can drop just as fast as the stock market.
Replicans are changing their strategy.
They are now opening fire on the cabinet secretaries.
They will never be able to knock Obama off the pedestal, but will attack the aides with feet of clay.
They will have to get some better performers, however.
Those staged exchanges at night on the House floor among Bachmann, Ginny Foxx and Ted Poe come across as , weeeellll,
the GRAND OLE OPRY.
Only without the music.
Posted by: ornery | April 23, 2009 12:33 PM
Impeach the TRAITOR NOW!
Posted by: Darkwater | April 23, 2009 12:35 PM
This Kool Aid is grrrreat! Time for an abortion!
Posted by: Dyslin's Mythic Liberal | April 23, 2009 12:42 PM
I'm trying to think of anything that Obama has done, outside of the sales arena, and I can't think of anything.
Anything he has accomplished comes from the spreading of the cash that he borrowed. And that we can thank the Chinese for.
If Obama can do something within his sphere of experience it seems to be that he could convince the Chinese to forgive our debt.
How about it Comrade?
Posted by: Tim | April 23, 2009 12:48 PM
All presidents get generally high numbers at the beginning. But methinks his numbers will begin to fall. Many people are very uneasy about big government, as atested to by the hundreds of thousands who attended the Tea Party rallies. When people also begin to see how much a big government will cost them, many will decide it's not worth it.
But Obama's "cover" as noted in this article comes from an adoring and fawning press.
Posted by: John D | April 23, 2009 12:50 PM
Fantastic journalism Mark!
Any chance of you reporting the respondents' political party affiliation for this 'poll'? Hopefully the respondents' political party affiliation was weighted to the same proportion as perhaps Congress.
When you write stories like this, do your editors simply ignore all the heart shape doodles next to Obama's name?
Posted by: Chris | April 23, 2009 1:02 PM
This Kool Aid is grrrreat! Time for an abortion!
Posted by: Dyslin's Mythic Liberal | April 23, 2009 1:06 PM
Repubs have no credibility. NONE. The overwhelming majority of the country has tuned them out.
They have no message, no ideas. Their "leaders", like Limbaugh and Palin, are laughingstocks, national jokes.
I and, for one, have never felt as much schadenfreude in my entire lifetime.
The Dems are also doing a brilliant job of marginalizing them and painting them as crazies.
See y'all at the next tea-baggin' !
Posted by: Repubs are losers. | April 23, 2009 1:10 PM
First medias claim that she is a fashion 'icon'
(when 75 percent of America does not find her pretty)
Now they say she gets 79 percent approval
Was an Obama convention polled?
Can the misinformation and pro-bama propaganda stop?
Posted by: gb | April 23, 2009 2:12 PM
Silly little Goober (2:12). Where do you get your statistics from.....a cracker jack box? Can the pugs be any more fictitious than this? Do all you fools just sit in your basements and decide which numbers to fabricate today? Maybe whats-his-name is posting here again.
Honestly, who besides the press and politicians believe in polls anyways? I said this durring the election and I keep saying it.....people are sheeple, and sheeple listen to other sheeple.
It must be a VERY slow news day today trib......
Posted by: Xcellentform | April 23, 2009 3:12 PM
Republicans refer to torture as a walk in the park, and then wonder why the other guy is popular; righties have a 'just say no' strategy and then wonder why the President has such high approval numbers.
Posted by: mort | April 23, 2009 4:00 PM
BO has favored liberals?? Which liberal did he appoint as a cabinet member? NO-ONE, what's who.
He has met with Republicans more than once [once he met with them alone - no Dems at all] - Pretty sure he's never met with the liberal wing of the party though.
BTW, the Republican party began polarizing the political arena during Reagan and haven't stopped since [recall the meme about Democrats being hit and knocked sense into.....THEN becoming Republicans?].
They really should not try blaming the Dems or Obama when it has been they who spent 40 years criticizing their opposition WITH the full help of their Presidents. At least Obama tries to talk about POLICY instead of morals and who has more than who.
A grade school game :( seemingly endorsed by republicans.
BO has favored liberals?? Which liberal did he appoint as a cabinet member? NO-ONE, what's who.
He has met with Republicans more than once [once he met with them alone - no Dems at all] - Pretty sure he's never met with the liberal wing of the party though.
BTW, the Republican party began polarizing the political arena during Reagan and haven't stopped since [recall the meme about Democrats being hit and knocked sense into.....THEN becoming Republicans?].
They really should not try blaming the Dems or Obama when it has been they who spent 40 years using one liners mostly, belittling and demonizing their opposition [WITH the full help of their Presidents, too].
At least Obama tries to talk about POLICY instead of morals [and who has more of them :(].
That is purely a grade school game :( which is seemingly endorsed by republicans.
Posted by: mfpdx | April 23, 2009 5:07 PM