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Quinnipiac poll: Obama Approval Dips Below 50% For First Time
Quinnipiac University Polling Institute ^ | November 18, 2009 | Staff

Posted on 11/18/2009 7:34:00 AM PST by MaestroLC

President Barack Obama's job approval rating is 48 - 42 percent, the first time he has slipped below the 50 percent threshold nationally, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Support for the war in Afghanistan and approval of President Obama's handling of the war also is down in the last month, and Republican support for the war is more than twice as strong as Democratic support.

American voters say 48 - 41 percent that fighting the war in Afghanistan is the right thing to do, down from 52 - 37 percent in an October 7 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University. Voters disapprove 49 - 38 percent of the President's handling of the war there, down from 42 - 40 percent approval in October.

But voters say 65 - 29 percent, including 68 - 25 percent among military households, that eliminating the threat of terrorists operating from Afghanistan "is a worthwhile goal for American troops to fight and possibly die for," compared to 65 - 28 percent last month.

Voters say 47 - 42 percent that President Obama should send 40,000 more combat troops to Afghanistan as the military commanders on the ground have requested. Only 27 percent of Democrats want more troops, compared to 68 percent of Republicans. Similarly, 68 percent of Republicans, but only 31 percent of Democrats, think the United States is doing the right thing fighting in Afghanistan.

"Increasingly, the President finds himself with two different coalitions, one that backs him on domestic matters and a completely different one that backs him on Afghanistan. That could create a challenge to his considerable political skills," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Most American voters, 55 percent, say the U.S. should keep troops in Afghanistan for two years or less, up from 49 percent last month. Only 27 percent of voters say keep troops there as long as it takes, down from 30 percent. And 35 percent say the U.S. is getting into a situation like Vietnam, up from 32 percent last month.

"Although President Obama's job approval rating is below 50 percent for the first time nationally, it is not statistically different from his 50 percent approval rating in October. Nevertheless, in politics symbols matter and this is not a good symbol for the White House," said Brown. "Moreover, the percentage who approve of the way he is handling the economy has dropped from a split 47 - 46 percent approval in October to 52 - 43 percent disapproval today."

The President has a yawning gender and racial gap, with women approving his job performance 52 - 37 percent, compared to men's 47 - 44 percent disapproval. He gets 89 percent job approval among blacks and 62 percent approval among Hispanics while white voters disapprove 49 - 41 percent. His support also wanes as you go up the age and income scale.

"Overall, the new numbers on Afghanistan show an almost across the board erosion of support for the war and worries about getting too deeply involved there militarily. But when the focus is on fighting terror, American resolve remains strong," Brown said.

"Still, these results are an indication that there is not much stomach for a long-term U.S. commitment there and the number of Americans who feel that way is growing.

"One reason the President's approval for his handling of the Afghanistan situation may be falling is the criticism he is not deciding on troop levels quickly enough."

American voters trust Obama 53 - 42 percent to make the right decisions about troop levels, down from 55 - 38 percent in October. Voters trust the military 77 - 18 percent to make the right recommendations on that question, compared to 81 - 15 percent last month.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections; obama; poll; quinnipiac
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To: JIM O

LOL hes been below 50% for QUITE some time now, in the Rasmussen poll, which is the most accurate poll going...

I’m guessing the MSM pollsters no longer could carry on the charade that Zero is still popular in this country.


21 posted on 11/18/2009 7:49:04 AM PST by HailReagan78
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To: MaestroLC
I remember when Clinton dropped to 50% Time Magazine had a small picture of him on the cover (June, 1993) with the caption "The Incredible Shrinking President."

Should we expect the same now with Barry Soetoro?

22 posted on 11/18/2009 7:49:56 AM PST by paddles
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To: MaestroLC

he is in for a long decline
he will be praying for bush numbers in one year.


23 posted on 11/18/2009 7:51:12 AM PST by genghis
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To: television is just wrong

“...he is incompetent, no leadership abilities, and all around buffoon.”

And those are his positives!


24 posted on 11/18/2009 7:53:26 AM PST by Buck W. (The President of the United States IS named Schickelgruber...)
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To: BP2
Image Hosting by imagefra.me


"And who's mistake/burden on society/carbon foot print/additional cost to public healthcare are you?"

25 posted on 11/18/2009 7:53:41 AM PST by pke
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To: television is just wrong

His dream has become OUR nightmare.


26 posted on 11/18/2009 7:53:41 AM PST by HerrBlucher
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To: MaestroLC

Rasmussen is trending well (or bad for Him). Looks like he is at an all time low for ‘Strongly Approve’...

Obama is doing so well, he should take a bow!


27 posted on 11/18/2009 7:55:49 AM PST by lacrew (The 274th trimester is a very late procedure)
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To: MaestroLC
"That could create a challenge to his considerable political skills," said Peter Brown

Wow... I didn't know "dithering" and voting "present" now count as "skills"...

28 posted on 11/18/2009 8:03:46 AM PST by NorCoGOP (Recession: friend loses his job. Depression: You lose your job. Recovery: Obama loses his job.)
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To: Ikemeister
I guess some people need to be hit in the head with a 2x4 before they start paying attention.

Nah, that group is the brain dead nitwits that are on the take, getting freebies, or just too ignorant.

29 posted on 11/18/2009 8:04:47 AM PST by Logical me (Oh, well!!!)
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To: pke
"And who's mistake/burden on society/carbon foot print/additional cost to public healthcare are you?"

Very clever!

You should put that caption out so it reaches a broader audience!

30 posted on 11/18/2009 8:07:51 AM PST by fortheDeclaration ("Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people".-John Adams)
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To: NorCoGOP
Wow... I didn't know "dithering" and voting "present" now count as "skills"...

Oh, he's got a bunch of them, reading from a teleprompter, bowing and scraping, apologizing, covering up records of his past, throwing away taxpayer money hand over fist. He's so wunnerful, I get a thrill up my leg...

31 posted on 11/18/2009 8:08:50 AM PST by chimera
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To: Mac from Cleveland

I don’t know - black unemployment is abyssmal.


32 posted on 11/18/2009 8:09:04 AM PST by FroggyTheGremlim
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To: basil

They were much better then odumbos after 9 months lol


33 posted on 11/18/2009 8:13:00 AM PST by italianquaker (“Every inch of this Administration is rife with corruption and cronyism.” --- Michelle Malkin)
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To: Dr. Ursus
How do you think he’ll do with the 40 to 50 women’s vote after the latest breast cancer recommendations?

It's a great question but I don't know the answer. Hopefully, memories will be long.

34 posted on 11/18/2009 8:18:27 AM PST by freespirited (Liberals are only liberal about sex & drugs. Otherwise, they want to control your life. --DHorowitz)
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To: MaestroLC


With credit to The Peoples Cube.
35 posted on 11/18/2009 8:19:44 AM PST by ketelone
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To: JIM O

“Is it me or have his poll numbers dipped below 50% for the first time about 5 times so far?”

To date, Obama’s job approval numbers have dipped below 50% in the following polls:

Zogby - first time on 3/23 (likely voters)
Rasmussen - first time on 7/24 (likely voters)
Fox News - first time on 10/14 (registered voters)
Quinnipiac - first time on 11/16 (registered voters)

In Gallup’s daily tracking poll of adults, Obama’s approval number dropped to 50% yesterday for the *11th time*, yet it has not dipped below that mark even once (which I find very suspicious). If Obama ever starts to drop below 50% in Gallup and the biased drive-by media polls, he could be in real trouble!


36 posted on 11/18/2009 8:20:33 AM PST by DestroyLiberalism
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To: MaestroLC

Shocking that it has taken so long. Americans truly are a patient people. sarc/off


37 posted on 11/18/2009 8:28:10 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
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To: eCSMaster
I don’t know - black unemployment is abyssmal.

50% of black males in Milwaukee are unemployed. That sounds unbelievable, but I read it in the paper in the last month. Yet, they'll keep on voting Dem.

38 posted on 11/18/2009 8:31:13 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
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To: Col Frank Slade

I’m trying to square the Rasmussen numbers with Zogby and Quinnipiac polls. I don’t understand how 26% of strong approvers (Rasmussen) gets one to 43% would reelect (Zogby) or job approval rating of just under 50% (Quinnipiac).

What am I missing?


39 posted on 11/18/2009 8:34:08 AM PST by dools007
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To: reagan_fanatic

He truly makes Carter look good.


40 posted on 11/18/2009 8:43:17 AM PST by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!
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