Poll: Mixed Reviews For Obama On AIG

CBS News Survey Finds Only 41 Percent Approve Of President’s Handling Of Bonus Scandal, Though Overall Approval Remains High

(CBS)  For the first time since he became president, a significant number of Americans are expressing disapproval of Barack Obama’s actions in a specific area: His handling of the AIG bonus situation.

Despite the middling reviews for his handling of the bonuses, however, the president continues to get high marks overall for his job performance and his handling of the economy.

Forty-two percent of those surveyed disapprove of the president’s handling of the AIG bonuses, while roughly the same percentage - 41 percent - approve. Another 17 percent don’t know or aren’t sure.

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Yet President Obama’s overall job performance rating appears unaffected by the AIG fallout. Sixty-four percent approve of the president’s performance, roughly the same as last week.

And ratings for the president’s handling of the overall economy are actually up slightly: Sixty-one percent now approve, up from 56 percent last week.

The poll numbers can be explained in part by the fact that most Americans do not think there was much the Obama administration could have done about the bonuses. Only 12 percent think the administration had a lot of control over the payouts, while more than half say the administration had little or no control.

Even so, 56 percent of Americans say the administration ought to have found some way to stop the bonuses from being paid out. Thirty-four percent said it should not have.

While Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has been much-criticized in Washington for his handling of the bonus situation, that criticism is not shared by most Americans. About half express confidence in Geithner’s overall ability to deal with the nation’s economic crisis, though only 13 percent have a lot of confidence in him right now. (Read more on Geithner’s approval here.)

The AIG Bonuses:

An overwhelming majority of Americans - 83 percent - say AIG could have found a way not to pay their employees bonuses. The company has argued that the bonuses were agreed to it ran into financial trouble, and that contracts legally required them to pay them.

As we reported Monday morning, more than three in four Americans think the government should try to recover the bonus money paid by AIG. Only 15 percent believe the company should get more government assistance to avoid bankruptcy. And just 23 accept the argument from some in the financial industry that the bonuses are necessary to hire and retain employees.

Anger over the bonuses, which have led to death threats for AIG employees, is widespread. Half of Americans say they are “angry” about the bonuses, while another 38 percent are “bothered” by the situation. Just 12 percent say they are not bothered at all.



And despite reports that some AIG executives are returning their bonuses, most Americans - 69 percent - think few or no employees will actually give some of the bonus money back.

Asked if companies receiving federal bailout money should be awarding bonuses to their employees, 65 percent said such a move is unacceptable. Another 26 percent said it is acceptable to give bonuses only to mid- and lower level employees; just six percent think said bonuses should be given to whomever the company chooses.

Americans are split on a House bill to tax the bonuses at 90 percent, a measure passed in the wake of last week’s populist outrage at the situation. Fifty-one percent approve of the legislation - which the Obama administration appears to be backing away from - while 44 percent disapprove.

Attention Paid To The Uproar:

Nearly half of Americans say President Obama is spending the right amount of time dealing with the bonuses, and the rest are split on whether he is paying too much attention (24 percent) or too little attention (21 percent) to the issue.

Meanwhile, a majority of Americans - 53 percent - think Congress is spending too little time trying to solve the nation’s broader economic problems. And 40 percent believe the media is too focused on AIG and that they should be spending more time focused on other issues.

Fifty-seven percent of Americans are closely following the bonus story, and another 29 percent have heard or read something about it. Just 14 percent have heard not much or nothing at all about it.

Read the complete poll (PDF)

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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 949 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone March 20-22, 2009. Phone numbers were dialed from RDD samples of both standard land-lines and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

[von_marko]

Obama would be even MORE popular if he would become a liberal and go after these ridiculous big corporations and take them apart. We should break up the oil, pharmaceutical, banking and media corporations so that they can answer to We the People. Or they get dissolved.
Posted by noloyalisti at 12:36 PM : Mar 26, 2009

Hey noloyalisti: So... after you break up the big evil "Media Corporations" where will you post you moronic comments?? On your mommy's refrigerator??

And if you break up those evil drug companies, where will you get your ADD & Autism medicine, that you must clearly be taking??

Where will you get your Red Bull?

When you reach your 12th birthday and learn a little bit about something more than Nickelodeon, then post. Oh that channel is a corporation too, so it will also be gone.

[von_marko]

Hitlers approval rating was higher than that in 1939, but look at what happened.
Posted by dmw1167 at 11:03 AM : Mar 25, 2009

As if Hitler permitted dissent.........
Posted by formrusmcsgt at 11:18 AM : Mar 25, 2009

Obama is already talking about the government taking over failing newspapers and such. They are well on their way to following Hugo Chavez's techniques.

Zeig Heil Obama!
The 4th Reich
Zeig Heil Obama!

[von_marko]

Will Obaama and Dodd support a 90% tax on the campaign lobbying money they received from AIG????

1. AIG gives hundreds of thousands to Obama campaign. Dodd and Obama received more than ANYONE else!!
2. Dodd and Obama create loophole that lets AIG give bonuses.
3, AIG Board member is now on Obama's "Economic Advisors Council"


CROOOOOOOKS!

[noloyalisti]

Obama would be even MORE popular if he would become a liberal and go after these ridiculous big corporations and take them apart. We should break up the oil, pharmaceutical, banking and media corporations so that they can answer to We the People. Or they get dissolved.

[thgdriver]

Nobama at 64 %. I would think that should be expected seeing how the poll only asked Liberals and Democrats. They should include some republicans and independents. Besides time is on my side. He finally, after two months, said he was the president and takes full responsibility, it was about time!!

[noloyalisti]

We need massive government (public) power over big corporations. They have ruined America and enough is enough. That is not socialist, that is pragmatic.

And thank God, Reagan is finally getting his comeuppance as the evil force that began this whole fiasco that is playing out right now with these ridiculous anti-worker, anti-people corporate culture.

[ioweign]

Hitlers approval rating was higher than that in 1939, but look at what happened.
Posted by dmw1167 at 11:03 AM : Mar 25, 2009

On Sept.12, 2001, Bush had a sky high approval rating too and look what happened...

[formrusmcsgt]

Hitlers approval rating was higher than that in 1939, but look at what happened.
Posted by dmw1167 at 11:03 AM : Mar 25, 2009

As if Hitler permitted dissent.........

[noloyalisti]

It's time for the liberals to repair America. For a long time the course was being set by greedy corporations who would like nothing better than another Hitler type right wing extremist in charge. We almost had that in Bushoccio/Dick Vader

It's nice to not be mourning American anymore but to be fixing it again!

[DoubleHappiness88]

It is a long read but the following link is as fair and plainspoken a synopsis of how we got into this mess as I have read. Take the time to read it. I think you will agree the time to be well spent.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/26793903/the_big_takeover/print

[DoubleHappiness88]

I hear lots of criticism. Does anyone have a real alternative plan? If not, why not assist our government in efforts to make the plan in place work for us all?

[noloyalisti]

Obama is an English speaking genius compared to the incoherent, childlike, ignorant and blind moron that was the fiasco of Bushoccio.

Why aren't some executive going to jail for fraud. I guess the same reason no one was even fired for the incompetence of 911, the fiasco of Katrina or the criminal torture acts at Abu Gharaib.

[glenhuacuja]

What is a world leader doing using the term "We go to ...? during an international news report? I am not an English major and I know that English is not the official language of the USA, but how are we to expect our children to learn to speak correctly if the President of the United States does not speak proper English?

[ah123j7]

I am neither republican nor democrat. I am for the one who can get the job done. So far, Obama has done nothing but spend american tax payers money. When is he going to stop spending our money and start focusing on the economy. I am also smart enough to understand, that democrats run the office. We didn't have this problem when republicans ran office. Just because we had a republican president in office, there were more democrates in office than republicans, which meant, democrats ruled. Therefore, it is simple arithmatic. BO could be the greatest president we ever had, but if he doesn't straighten up and start focusing on the economy, he will have failed.

[sjc_1]

Most people to not understand all the issues at hand. This is why we have a representative democracy and we do not run policy based on polls. If we did, the government would be changing policy every other day based on angry mobs.

[inketolstoy]

"Do you even have a degreee, and if so, in whaty subject?" -tj

Don't worry tj. Where I got my degree they probably would not accept you. You would not want to go there anyway. No degrees available in name calling, mind reading, truthbending, illogic or mindless following. Read the chapter in 1984 that describes the job the main character has. Maybe then you will understand why I am laughing at you.

[nolies74621]

However, BO is president now and the mistakes now being made are his. When does he start taking responsibility for HIS actions and stop blaming the previous administration?

Posted by NancyLou9 at 7:14 AM : Mar 24, 2009


Nancy Lou,

Or responsibility for his inactions!

[nolies74621]

i am an Obama supporter, but I dont know enough about the legalities and specifics of the AIG bonus situation to comment intellingently on that. I suspect that if the bonuses could have been prevented, they would have been. But, we are treading down a slippery slope when the government starts actively meddling in existing employment compensation contracts. I dont know that we should be going there.
Posted by cg37102006 at 7:54 AM : Mar 24, 2009

We should'nt. What is then to keep them from meddling in yours or mine?

[cg37102006]

i am an Obama supporter, but I dont know enough about the legalities and specifics of the AIG bonus situation to comment intellingently on that. I suspect that if the bonuses could have been prevented, they would have been. But, we are treading down a slippery slope when the government starts actively meddling in existing employment compensation contracts. I dont know that we should be going there.

[nolies74621]

I hate to tell you but these call lists are bought from businesses that gather this information through purchases online,and in stores. I do believe that the inner city population was not a big factor in these polls as they are done by telephone not in person.
Why is it you do not trust polls until its a poll of your candidate or sitting president then they are the truth. Or are you trying to say Bush's poll numbers were skewed. Why would that be a factor when he was on his way out. The pollsters had no reason to place false info in the polls since he was not running.
Posted by turd_ferguson1961 at 7:26 AM : Mar 24, 2009

I read no mention of Bush in Nancy Lous post. I thinks that she may have been pointing out that polls are worthless, no matter the subject. For you to bring Bush into the discussion tells me maybe you have a hidden attraction or infatuation with Bush guaging from your past posts, Bush figures mightily into what you think. I do believe he may be in Texas laughing at you.