Posted on 01/28/2010 10:56:28 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
A year after his historic election as the nation’s first African-American president, Barack Obama is at a crossroad. In his State of the Union address Wednesday, President Obama aims to deliver a game changing message, one capable of convincing Americans that his policies will create jobs, curb spending, restore prosperity and encourage national unity.
Obama supporters Harry and Elysa Davis worry that with the brutal defeat in Massachusetts, voter discontent over his healthcare overhaul running high and the recession’s effects cutting deep, the president’s trademark message of hope may fall on deaf ears.
Consider the poll last week by the Washington Post and ABC News. People were asked a standard question about how much confidence they had in President Obama to “make the right decisions” for the nation’s future.
53% reported “just some” and “none at all”.
So much for polls! Here on the campus of Cal State University San Bernardino a knot of African-American students are discussing the findings of two new polls released this week that show Mr. Obama is still viewed as the most trusted political figure to solve the nation’s problems.
“We are at a strange moment. People are angry and frustrated. People who don’t have jobs need someone to blame, said Gregg Khalsa. “It took George W. Bush eight years and two elections to trash this country, now people expect President Obama to fix the mess in less than a year. It’s not fair.”
The wide–ranging Public Strategies Inc. survey indicates that while trust in government continues to slip, 54 percent of voters still have faith in the president, if not the party he represents.
Yet another study released this week found that despite the bad economy, Black’s assessments about the state of Black progress in America have improved more dramatically during the past two years than at any time in the past quarter century, according to a comprehensive Pew Research Center survey on race.
Students gathered at an Obama Phone Bank believe Mr. Obama’s election as the nation’s first Black president appears to be the spur for this sharp rise in optimism among African-Americans.
“From race relations to local community engagement people are taking their concerns and ideas to town hall meetings, to the streets and back to the dinner table,” said Khalsa who is biracial.
The Pew telephone survey of 2,884, including 812 African-Americans was conducted from October 28 to November 30, 2009.
In the teeth of what may be the deepest recession since the Great Depression, nearly twice as many Blacks now (39%) as in 2007 (20%) say that the “situation of Black people in this country” is better than it was five years earlier.
An overwhelming share of Blacks – 95% -- have a favorable opinion of President Obama. This number has remained in the stratosphere among Blacks throughout his first year in office.
Among whites, Obama has seen his popularity ratings decline significantly from a high of 76% just before he was inaugurated to 56% in the current survey.
When it comes to employment rates, Blacks have been hit harder than whites by the recession and so-far jobless recovery. But when it comes to perceptions about the economy, the opposite is true: whites have turned sharply negative since the recession began, while Black perceptions have held steady.
“Beyond the naysayers, religious fundamentalists, blogs, cable TV shows (birthers, truthers and tea partiers) there is hope for America, said Khalsa.
“There were no polls during the Great Depression – still people saw the need to come together as a country. So like that era of uncertainty - this too will pass.”
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus
now when they say upbeat do they mean beat up?
Why wouldn't they? They are certainly in favor of reparations, errr, Social Justice...
“In the teeth of what may be the deepest recession since the Great Depression, nearly twice as many Blacks now (39%) as in 2007 (20%) say that the “situation of Black people in this country” is better than it was five years earlier.”
There is no cure for stupidity, especially when driven by racism.
Money in zip codes that don’t exist.....
make me up beat too...
Ignoramus Africanus
Whose “racist” now??
In what way? In that we have a president who's half black? Certaily can't be an improvement in unemployment numbers. What is unemployment for blacks at now? 50?
Money in zip codes that don’t exist.....
make me up beat too...
Its about racism. Does any one think blacks would be supporting a white President in similar circumstances? C’mon!
No, they would not support a white president under similar circumstances. Their support of Obama is clearly racist
This would be like...like white people blindly supporting Jimmy Carter some 30 yrs ago...merely because he was “white”
“Its about racism. Does any one think blacks would be supporting a white President in similar circumstances? C’mon! “
Couldn’t agree more. I saw some of that focus group on Hannity last night. Every black person in the audience was strongly supportive of Obama.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus
“nation’s first African-American president”
you mean first “ white-raised biracial with no organic slave blood”
credit-Bo Snerdly
No wonder he won’t give them vouchers to get their children out of the public school moron factories. If 95% of any group vote for the same politician something is wrong.
I figure blacks just lie to pollsters and in public and then vote like regular people in the booth. No one is more savaged by the media and Dems than a black who might vote against the Dem party line.
Obama opposes reparations since he would be on the paying end instead of the receiving end. His only commonality with the descendants of American slaves is that his muslim ancestors sold them.
Better not post what I’m thinking.
When it comes to employment rates, Blacks have been hit harder than whites by the recession and so-far jobless recovery
And the leftys call conservatives racists.
For the 95% of the dumbass blacks that still have a favorable opinion of osamaobama, in light of the facts that blacks are suffering unemployment the most, it's all about skin color.
Well, algore's mama said, " Life is like a box of chocolates".
Yeah, sure they do. Did Einstein say anything about lying with statistics?
Surely there are some blacks who support Obama. But the sensible ones aren't fooled.
And to talk of "blacks" as if all people of African descent are a monolithic bloc with one mind is the pinnacle of racism, and every bit as innacurate as any other such broad characterisation.
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