by Mark Silva
Who would have thought that President Barack Obama, who campaigned with pledges to bring American troops home from Iraq and offer health care to millions of more Americans, would face growing public support for his decision to deploy more forces in Afghanistan and dwindling support for his offer of health care?
But those are the conflicting trends revealed in two recent polls, as Bloomberg News' Jeff Bliss notes today:
-- The president's approval rating for his handling of Afghanistan stands at 52 percent in a new Associated Press-Gfk poll. That's up 10 points from last month, before the president agreed to deploy an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.
-- The president's support for his health care initiative is down, a new Wall Street Journal / NBC News poll shows. Thirty-two percent of those surveyed call his health-care plan a good idea, while 47 percent now call it a bad idea.
The Journal/NBC poll also shows discontent with the president's handling of the economy: 51 percent disapproving, 42 percent approving.
The Journal/NBC survey measured 47 percent approval for Obama's overall job performance -- Pew and the Battleground Poll this week put it at 49 percent. The AP poll put it at 56 percent -- perhaps the high outlier in the recent run of surveys.
The AP-Gfk survey of 1,001 adults was conducted Dec. 10-14, with a 3.1 percentage-point possible margin of error. The Journal/NBC survey of 1,008 was run Dec. 11-14, with the same margin of error.
Comments
When President Obama listens to the middle of the country he receives bipartisan support.
This is why he receives approval on his Afghanistan policy.
When he listens to the far left he loses support.
An example of this is health care plan.
He should try to follow through on his campaign promise and craft bipartisan solutions to the problems facing the nation.
Posted by: Pat H | December 17, 2009 10:49 AM
Maybe this morning's news (so far, unmentioned in The Swamp) has something to do with Obama's declining numbers:
"WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week as the recovery of the nation's battered labor market proceeds in fits and starts.
The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of new jobless claims rose to 480,000 last week, up 7,000 from the previous week. That was a worse performance than the decline to 465,000 that economists had expected."
Posted by: Bruce | December 17, 2009 10:51 AM
Well, with Corporate America beating the war drum, led by that illustrious war hero, " Crash " McCain, it is no wonder, the war plans are up and our plans to care for our elders, our sick and our dying are down. The amount of profit is far greater with munitions than with our people's illnesses, or their sicknesses, though the Healthcare Corps seem to be able to eke out a " modest " profit level from our sick and dying !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | December 17, 2009 11:01 AM
Obama's sell out ?
http://www.thomhartmann.com/2009/12/15/healthcare-first-they-came-for-the-banksters/
Business as usual..why who would have guessed an election even took place .
Posted by: writerofwrongs | December 17, 2009 12:02 PM
Republicans concerned about reforming Health Care you say?Republicans would support Health Care Reform if it allowed products and services to be sold across state lines you say? Well we know this is pure garbage and nothing but a lie. We know this because Republicans fought tooth and nail against Democrats who want to make it legal to buy prescriptions from Canada. Just more proof Republicans are in the pockets of Insurance companies and drug manufacturers and the mouthbreathing dolts and TeaBaggers who carry their water are too stupid to know they are fighting against their own interests.
Posted by: Saluki Slayer | December 17, 2009 12:43 PM