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Poll Shows Obama Slipping on Key Issues
Washington Post ^ | July 20, 2009 | Dan Balz and Jon Cohen

Posted on 07/20/2009 1:55:27 AM PDT by Mount Athos

Heading into a critical period in the debate over health-care reform, public approval of President Obama's stewardship on the issue has dropped below the 50 percent threshold for the first time, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Barely more than half approve of the way he is handling unemployment, which now tops 10 percent in 15 states and the District.

The president's overall approval rating remains higher than his marks on particular domestic issues, with 59 percent giving him positive reviews and 37 percent disapproving. But this is the first time in his presidency that Obama has fallen under 60 percent in Post-ABC polling, and the rating is six percentage points lower than it was a month ago.

Since April, approval of Obama's handling of health care has dropped from 57 percent to 49 percent, with disapproval rising from 29 percent to 44 percent.

Obama's approval rating on his handling of the deficit is down to 43 percent, as independents now tilt toward disapproval (42 percent approve; 48 percent disapprove).

55 percent of Americans put a higher priority on holding the deficit in check than on spending to boost the economy, compared with 40 percent who advocate additional outlays even if it means a sharply greater budget shortfall. This is a big shift from January.

In the new poll, more than six in 10 oppose spending beyond the $787 billion already allocated to boost the economy.

Fifty-six percent are confident that his programs will reap benefits, but that is down from 64 percent in March and from 72 percent just before he took office six months ago.

Approval of Obama's handling of the overall economy stands at 52 percent, with 46 percent disapproving. Last month, 56 percent gave him positive marks on this issue.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bhojobapproval; budget; democrat; democrats; economy; impeachobama; obama; obamajobapproval; polls; taxes; taxpayers
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1 posted on 07/20/2009 1:55:27 AM PDT by Mount Athos
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To: Mount Athos

singing kumbaya songs goes only so far. people gotta eat.


2 posted on 07/20/2009 1:59:48 AM PDT by Ancient Drive (will)
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To: Mount Athos

Even ABC can’t hide the truth. I am sure Democrats are overweighted.


3 posted on 07/20/2009 2:00:23 AM PDT by Always Right (Obama: more arrogant than Bill Clinton, more naive than Jimmy Carter, and more liberal than LBJ.)
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To: Mount Athos

I’m beginning to think that elections for President, House, and Senate should ALL be annual. Multi-year terms were fine before the internet, the telephone, and even the telegraph.


4 posted on 07/20/2009 2:00:43 AM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: Mount Athos

Both CBS and now the WAPO are showing the Hussein under 50%, while Rasmussen has him at 51%. With the super lib bias of the media you can bet Rasmussen is a hell of a lot closer to reality then are the media polls. Also seeing as the Republicans have now gotten the upper hand in the minds of the voters as far as better being able to handle 8 of 10 critical issues, this adds weight to the accuracy of the steeply declining numbers of the empty suit.


5 posted on 07/20/2009 2:03:19 AM PDT by 101voodoo
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To: Arthur McGowan

yup. we have the attention span of gnats.


6 posted on 07/20/2009 2:04:05 AM PDT by Ancient Drive (will)
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To: Mount Athos

The less he does, the happier I am.


7 posted on 07/20/2009 2:05:02 AM PDT by Daisyjane69 (Michael Reagan: "Welcome back, Dad, even if you're wearing a dress and bearing children this time)
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To: Arthur McGowan

I must be more worried than you. I’m holding out for quarterly.

“One wrong vote, buster and you’re TOAST!!!!”

LOL


8 posted on 07/20/2009 2:06:47 AM PDT by Daisyjane69 (Michael Reagan: "Welcome back, Dad, even if you're wearing a dress and bearing children this time)
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To: Mount Athos

Although I certainly appreciate the fact that people are generally starting to realize that the emperor has no clothes, I really have to wonder why it is ever relevant to ask common people about issues related to long-term macro-economic events.

Employment is always a lagging economic indicator. Obama has been President for 6 months. There is really nothing one could expect otherwise. There is nothing he or any other President could have done at this point to change the employment figures. All that could be done would be to have had people more confident in him. The President could only create jobs by being even more socialist than he already is.

Asking people about macroeconomics is like asking them about nucelar physics.


9 posted on 07/20/2009 2:07:29 AM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit (Poverty on earth is easy to eradicate. Just kill the 5 billion poorest people.)
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To: Arthur McGowan

Elections each year for each office would be a disaster. Nothing would ever get done because there would be no time for anything except campaigning.

I think there should be term limits. I think both the House and Senate should have 4 (maybe 5) year term limits imposed with this difference. They may only serve 1 term but after not being able to serve a second term consecutively they may run again. They will then have a record for people to see and judge them on, but will lose the power of incumbency which keeps so many failed legislators in office simply by name recognition.


10 posted on 07/20/2009 2:09:35 AM PDT by 101voodoo
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To: Mount Athos

0 doesn’t care about his numbers. All he cares about is traveling around the world apologizing for America. The elbow elephant has joined him in apologizing for the US as well.

Is it 2012 yet? Are we still called America? Sick SOB’s.


11 posted on 07/20/2009 2:12:09 AM PDT by VicVega (Join Jihad, get captured by the US and resettled in the best places in the world. I love the USA)
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To: Mount Athos

One thing the article points out is that people of lower income are for government health care. Gee, how surprising. They know they won’t have to pay for it. People will always vote for free things. They shouldn’t be allowed to vote in national elections if they are not paying taxes. This is just robbery.


12 posted on 07/20/2009 2:12:50 AM PDT by Rocky (OBAMA: Succeeding where bin Laden failed.)
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To: 101voodoo
Elections each year for each office would be a disaster. Nothing would ever get done because there would be no time for anything except campaigning.

Make up your mind.

13 posted on 07/20/2009 2:13:42 AM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: Ancient Drive
It isn't just Obama's poll numbers that are slipping.

Biden is slipping too.


14 posted on 07/20/2009 2:14:42 AM PDT by Mount Athos (A Giant luxury mega-mansion for Gore, a Government Green EcoShack made of poo for you)
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To: Daisyjane69; Arthur McGowan

It’s not the frequency of voting that’s the problem. It’s the intelligence of the voter. Since we can’t have a poll tax, maybe we should try...

1. The same, “strict” identification standards required to pay by check at a grocery store, to get on an airplane, and to generally conduct life in the USA.

2. Ballots in English only.

3. The ability to pass the same test required for citizenship (when not granting amnesty) in order to secure a voter registration card.


15 posted on 07/20/2009 2:15:47 AM PDT by Entrepreneur (The environmental movement is filled with watermelons - green on the outside, red on the inside)
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

I would agree with you 99.99% of the time. That is the traditional, classic, and reliable characterization of employment as a lagging indicator.

However, we are in uncharted territory now. Because we now have the most HOSTILE president (to business and entrepreneurs) prolly in our entire history.

I’m here in S. Utah. We have NO large businesses here, other than branches of national chains. I can’t think of a single large firm headquartered here, in fact. This place is loaded with small mom & pop businesses. They are laying off PREEMPTIVELY! (something I’ve not seen before!) They are absolutely terrified. Not only not hiring people, but stripping their workforces of all but the most necessary of employees, in fear of what is to come from this WH. This isn’t hard to learn; you go in stores that you frequent, wonder where so and so is (who waited on you last time) and the owner comes from behind the counter and says what I just did. One couple that owns a local sewing shop got rid of everyone, telling me “We don’t wanna get caught holding the bag!” They called their kids back from college and run the store as a family.

Every day, I see at least another 4 businesses that are empty now, with a For Lease sign outside.

Scary times, folks....


16 posted on 07/20/2009 2:21:21 AM PDT by Daisyjane69 (Michael Reagan: "Welcome back, Dad, even if you're wearing a dress and bearing children this time)
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To: Daisyjane69; Ancient Drive

17 posted on 07/20/2009 2:24:07 AM PDT by myknowledge (F-22 Raptor: World's Largest Distributor of Sukhoi parts!)
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To: Mount Athos

What does Obamanus care about poll numbers?

He’s going to ram his agenda down the people’s throats like it or not.


18 posted on 07/20/2009 2:26:04 AM PDT by PanzerKardinal
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To: Rocky

Indeed.


19 posted on 07/20/2009 2:28:28 AM PDT by myknowledge (F-22 Raptor: World's Largest Distributor of Sukhoi parts!)
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To: Mount Athos
If the LameStream Media merely told the TRUTH about Obama, his numbers would only be in the 20s.



If the LameStream Media treated Hussein like they treated Bush, his numbers would be in the 10s by now.

20 posted on 07/20/2009 2:35:04 AM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
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