by Mark Silva
President Barack Obama's handling of the swine-flu outbreak - oops, H1N1 virus situation - is getting good grades, a few days into the "emerging'' situation, as Obama calls it.
Two-thirds of those surveyed Tuesday night by the Gallup Poll said they approve of how the president is handling a situation that burst onto the national scene as a public health emergency on Sunday.
Just one in five of those surveyed worry about getting this flu.
The government reported 20 confirmed cases of swine flu around the country early Monday - cause for "concern,'' but not "alarm'' the president said then -- triple the next day and more than 90 today - including the toddler from Mexico who died in Houston this week, more than three weeks after arriving in the U.S. from the neighboring nation where more than 150 have died of the flu.
"This is obviously a serious situation -- serious enough to take the utmost precautions,'' the president said today.
Last night, before news of the first fatality in the U.S. arrived, 66 percent of those surveyed by Gallup said they approve of Obama's handling of the situation - pretty much on par with Obama's 63 percent overall job approval rating in Gallup Poll daily tracking conducted Sunday through Tuesday.
The April 28 poll on swine flu was conducted the same evening that former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius was sworn in as Health and Human Services secretary.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Dr. Richard Besser, acting director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had been the administration's "public face on the outbreak,'' Gallup notes - though the president had spoken out, too.
As of Tuesday night, Gallup found 22 percent saying they personally worried about getting swine flu - but even this group gave the president good marks -- 64 to 67 percent.
"Not surprisingly, approval does vary by political orientation,'' Gallup notes - 47 percent of Republicans approve of the administration's handling of the swine flu outbreak, and 83 percent of Democrats approve. Independents have the average outlook: 66 percent approval.
The survey of 1,021 adults carries a possible margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Comments
Your headline say's it all Mark!!...It is absolutely impossible for this guy to do anything wrong. The media refuses to criticize the Messiah for anything...If this happened on GWB's watch...I can guarantee the media would find someone to blame. Remember Obama played golf on the day his administration declared this a "national emergency."
WHAT ABOUT THE STUPID FLY OVER OF NEW YORK CITY???? IT BARELY EVEN MADE THE NEWS!!!!!!!!! MY GOD!!!......WAKE UP AMERICA!!!
Posted by: Joe | April 29, 2009 4:37 PM
Rock On, President Obama!
Posted by: Mick Satisfaction | April 29, 2009 4:50 PM
This just in:
"People who like how Obama is handling his job like how Obama is handling his job."
Stop the presses!
Posted by: Bemused | April 29, 2009 5:07 PM
From cnn.com, a May 1, 2001 article:
"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- ...
But at the 100-day mark of his tenure, ... Bush enjoys high job approval ratings -- higher than Bill Clinton at a similar juncture in his presidency -- and even the question of vision that plagued Bush's father does not appear to be an issue.
In a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll taken April 20-22, Americans gave Bush a 62 percent approval rating. That figure compares with 55 percent for Clinton in 1993 and 58 percent for Bush's father, former President George Bush, in 1989. "
That's right--Obama's poll approval numbers, numbers Obama partisans in the media gush over, are the same as George W. Bush's for the same 100-day period. Not that Obama's partisans, doubtless suffering from amnesia, will remember that, or point it out.
Posted by: Party gal | April 29, 2009 5:14 PM
That's right--Obama's poll approval numbers, numbers Obama partisans in the media gush over, are the same as George W. Bush's for the same 100-day period. Not that Obama's partisans, doubtless suffering from amnesia, will remember that, or point it out.
Posted by: Party gal | April 29, 2009 5:14 PM
*****************
Teresa,
Shouldn't you be out Teabagging with the other extremist nuts in the Limbaugh party today?
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULSWCwzQu9I
Posted by: huh? | April 29, 2009 5:33 PM
Your headline say's it all Mark!!...It is absolutely impossible for this guy to do anything wrong. The media refuses to criticize the Messiah for anything...If this happened on GWB's watch...I can guarantee the media would find someone to blame. Remember Obama played golf on the day his administration declared this a "national emergency."
WHAT ABOUT THE STUPID FLY OVER OF NEW YORK CITY???? IT BARELY EVEN MADE THE NEWS!!!!!!!!! MY GOD!!!......WAKE UP AMERICA!!!
Posted by: Joe | April 29, 2009 4:37 PM
Wish we knew how Obama keeps the media BLACKMAILED, could be though the unions.
Posted by: Inky | April 29, 2009 5:35 PM
This just in!
Americans like Venezuela and Russia more than they like the Republican party! News at 10.
.
http://www.pufferfishblog.com/weblog/2009/04/republicans-less-popular-than-venezuela.html
.
Posted by: Albert Heartbreaker | April 29, 2009 5:38 PM
Just remember their is only four ACES in a deck and Obama is playing his four mighty fast and when the JOKER pops up watch then liberal media swoon.
Posted by: Inky | April 29, 2009 5:51 PM
What exactly has Obama done here in regard to the swine flu? I'm not knocking him or praising him in this regard, just wondering what has he done? He's said a few words and that is about it. The thing has just started and at this point is still pretty benign. Good grief!
Posted by: John D | April 29, 2009 6:30 PM
Just remember their is only four ACES in a deck and Obama is playing his four mighty fast and when the JOKER pops up watch then liberal media swoon.
Posted by: Inky | April 29, 2009 5:51 PM
**********
Yeah, the South is going to rise again!
Ha ha ha !!!
Posted by: Bl!nky | April 29, 2009 7:06 PM
Obama hasn't done anything with regard to the swine flu.
Proof right there that people are sheep.
Obama will never achieve Bush's highest approval rating of 92%....which happens to be the highest of any president ever.
Posted by: UnfrozenCavegirlBlogger | April 30, 2009 2:39 AM
Obama has been working to pacify the intense situation. However we should also take preventive measures and keep ourselves updated.
I have found a way to track Swine Flu cases in all neighborhoods through a tracklet that gives updates at http://www.trackle.com.
Posted by: alba mayor | April 30, 2009 7:37 AM