Obama Approval Rating Slips to 57 Percent
President Obama's approval rating has fallen six points in the past month, a new CBS News poll finds, amid growing skepticism about his handling of the economy and questions about the impact of the stimulus package.
The president's current approval rating, which is 57 percent, is still relatively high. But it has fallen 11 points from its peak of 68 percent in April, and has also dropped since last month's mark of 63 percent. His disapproval rating, meanwhile, has risen from 23 percent in April to 32 percent today.
The decline in support is coming not from Republicans - whose support for the president has actually risen - but from Democrats and independents. While 82 percent of Democrats still approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing, this number is down ten points from last month.
The president's support among independents has fallen eight points to 50 percent. Only 30 percent of Republicans back Mr. Obama, though that's up from 23 percent in June.
The optimism over the economy seen in May - when 32 percent said it was getting better and 23 percent said it was getting worse - has dissipated. Now just 21 percent say the economy is improving, while 33 percent say it is getting worse. Forty-five percent say it is staying the same.
Half of all Americans expect the recession to go on at least two more years. Fifty-seven percent say the country is on the "wrong track," up from 50 percent last month. And 44 percent describe the economy as "very bad," up from 36 percent in June.
Despite White House efforts to stress the implementation of the stimulus package, just 21 percent say it has had a positive impact on the economy. The majority of those surveyed - 60 percent - say it has had no impact, while 15 percent say the stimulus has made the economy worse.
Forty-two percent of Americans do say the stimulus will have a positive impact in the long run, however. Twenty-nine percent say it will have no impact, while 21 percent say it will make things worse.
Although the stimulus has been criticized by some for its impact on the nation's deficit, most Americans (63 percent) are willing to accept short-term deficit increases if it means an economic boost. Thirty-one percent say they oppose raiding the deficit to stimulate the economy.
More than half of those surveyed say Mr. Obama is trying to do too much in his first few months in office, up from 38 percent in April. Just 4 percent say he is trying to do too little.
Two in five Americans are now "very concerned" about someone in their household losing their job, up from one in four in May. An additional 29 percent are somewhat concerned about a job loss. Just 30 percent say they are not concerned.
Twenty-eight percent of Americans say their household income is not enough to pay their bills, up from 22 percent last month and 17 percent in February.
Health Care:
Perceptions of the president's handling of health care reform have improved five points since last month, and his approval rating on the issue now stands at 49 percent.
That same percentage says that America must fix health care because of the bad economy. But nearly as many - 46 percent - say the country cannot now afford to reform health care. Among Republicans that figure is 55 percent.
Americans do want more government control over the health care system generally. Sixty-two percent say the government should exert more control, while 34 percent say it should not.
And sixty-four percent favor a public (or government-run) option to compete with private health care plans. Just 29 percent oppose such an option, despite strong Republican opposition.
Twelve percent of Americans say they would "definitely join" a public health care plan. Forty-three percent would consider it alongside private plans.
Thirty-one percent, meanwhile, say they would consider it only if they had no other options. And 11 percent say they would never consider it.
A majority of Americans (60 percent) say it is at least somewhat likely Mr. Obama will reform health care in his first term, though just 11 percent overall say that's "very" likely.
Foreign Affairs:
The president gets generally positive reviews on his handling of Iraq (60 percent approve) and foreign policy (53 percent approve). Sixty percent say Mr. Obama's presidency has had a positive impact on the U.S. image in the world.
Opinions of the situation in Iraq have improved since last year, though there pessimism persists. Fifty percent of those surveyed say Iraq will never become a stable democracy, down from 61 percent in May of last year. Forty-six percent say it will become a stable democracy, though the vast majority expect that to take longer than a year or two.
More Americans think Iraqis feel resentful of the United States (44 percent) than believe Iraqis feel grateful to the U.S. (38 percent) for its involvement in their country.
Fifty-eight percent say things are going well for the U.S. in Iraq, while 33 percent say they are going badly. In April, 71 percent said things were going well.
In Afghanistan, however, a majority of Americans (55 percent) say things are going badly. Just 36 percent say they are going well.
Most Americans (60 percent) say the threat of North Korea can be contained, while 23 percent say the United States should engage in military action now in response to the country's nuclear tests and launching of ballistic missiles. (That's an increase of five points from April.) Ten percent say North Korea is not a threat.
A majority of those surveyed - 56 percent - say the president is giving protestors in Iran the right amount of support. Thirteen percent say he has given too much support while fifteen percent say he has given too little.
Congress and the Vice President:
Just 15 percent of those surveyed expect Congress to accomplish a great deal, despite Democrats having secured 60 votes in the Senate.
Forty-seven percent say Congress will do "a fair amount," while 36 percent expect the legislative body to do not much or nothing.
Just 32 percent say Democrats should try to pass legislation even without Republican support. Sixty percent think the party should try to pass legislation that receives bipartisan support.
And only 22 percent approve of the job Congress is doing overall, a decrease of six points from last month though an increase over its approval rating last fall.
Vice President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has a job approval rating of 47 percent, near where it was in April (50 percent). Twenty-six percent now disapprove, an increase of 13 points.
This poll was conducted among a random sample of 944 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone July 9-12, 2009. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line 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.
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. The president's current approval rating, which is 57 percent, is still relatively high. But it has fallen 11 points from its peak of 68 percent in April, and has also dropped since last month's mark of 63 percent. His disapproval rating, meanwhile, has risen from 23 percent in April to 32 percent today.
The decline in support is coming not from Republicans - whose support for the president has actually risen - but from Democrats and independents. While 82 percent of Democrats still approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing, this number is down ten points from last month.
The president's support among independents has fallen eight points to 50 percent. Only 30 percent of Republicans back Mr. Obama, though that's up from 23 percent in June.
The driving issue behind the president's decline in approval appears to be the economy. His approval rating on handling the economy is now 48 percent, while 44 percent disapprove. Last month, Americans approved of his handling of this issue by a margin of 22 points.
Read The Complete Poll (PDF)
The optimism over the economy seen in May - when 32 percent said it was getting better and 23 percent said it was getting worse - has dissipated. Now just 21 percent say the economy is improving, while 33 percent say it is getting worse. Forty-five percent say it is staying the same.
Half of all Americans expect the recession to go on at least two more years. Fifty-seven percent say the country is on the "wrong track," up from 50 percent last month. And 44 percent describe the economy as "very bad," up from 36 percent in June.
Despite White House efforts to stress the implementation of the stimulus package, just 21 percent say it has had a positive impact on the economy. The majority of those surveyed - 60 percent - say it has had no impact, while 15 percent say the stimulus has made the economy worse.
(CBS)
Although the stimulus has been criticized by some for its impact on the nation's deficit, most Americans (63 percent) are willing to accept short-term deficit increases if it means an economic boost. Thirty-one percent say they oppose raiding the deficit to stimulate the economy.
More than half of those surveyed say Mr. Obama is trying to do too much in his first few months in office, up from 38 percent in April. Just 4 percent say he is trying to do too little.
Two in five Americans are now "very concerned" about someone in their household losing their job, up from one in four in May. An additional 29 percent are somewhat concerned about a job loss. Just 30 percent say they are not concerned.
Twenty-eight percent of Americans say their household income is not enough to pay their bills, up from 22 percent last month and 17 percent in February.
(CBS)
Perceptions of the president's handling of health care reform have improved five points since last month, and his approval rating on the issue now stands at 49 percent.
That same percentage says that America must fix health care because of the bad economy. But nearly as many - 46 percent - say the country cannot now afford to reform health care. Among Republicans that figure is 55 percent.
Americans do want more government control over the health care system generally. Sixty-two percent say the government should exert more control, while 34 percent say it should not.
And sixty-four percent favor a public (or government-run) option to compete with private health care plans. Just 29 percent oppose such an option, despite strong Republican opposition.
Twelve percent of Americans say they would "definitely join" a public health care plan. Forty-three percent would consider it alongside private plans.
(CBS)
A majority of Americans (60 percent) say it is at least somewhat likely Mr. Obama will reform health care in his first term, though just 11 percent overall say that's "very" likely.
Foreign Affairs:
The president gets generally positive reviews on his handling of Iraq (60 percent approve) and foreign policy (53 percent approve). Sixty percent say Mr. Obama's presidency has had a positive impact on the U.S. image in the world.
Opinions of the situation in Iraq have improved since last year, though there pessimism persists. Fifty percent of those surveyed say Iraq will never become a stable democracy, down from 61 percent in May of last year. Forty-six percent say it will become a stable democracy, though the vast majority expect that to take longer than a year or two.
More Americans think Iraqis feel resentful of the United States (44 percent) than believe Iraqis feel grateful to the U.S. (38 percent) for its involvement in their country.
Fifty-eight percent say things are going well for the U.S. in Iraq, while 33 percent say they are going badly. In April, 71 percent said things were going well.
In Afghanistan, however, a majority of Americans (55 percent) say things are going badly. Just 36 percent say they are going well.
Most Americans (60 percent) say the threat of North Korea can be contained, while 23 percent say the United States should engage in military action now in response to the country's nuclear tests and launching of ballistic missiles. (That's an increase of five points from April.) Ten percent say North Korea is not a threat.
A majority of those surveyed - 56 percent - say the president is giving protestors in Iran the right amount of support. Thirteen percent say he has given too much support while fifteen percent say he has given too little.
Congress and the Vice President:
Just 15 percent of those surveyed expect Congress to accomplish a great deal, despite Democrats having secured 60 votes in the Senate.
Forty-seven percent say Congress will do "a fair amount," while 36 percent expect the legislative body to do not much or nothing.
Just 32 percent say Democrats should try to pass legislation even without Republican support. Sixty percent think the party should try to pass legislation that receives bipartisan support.
And only 22 percent approve of the job Congress is doing overall, a decrease of six points from last month though an increase over its approval rating last fall.
Vice President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has a job approval rating of 47 percent, near where it was in April (50 percent). Twenty-six percent now disapprove, an increase of 13 points.
This poll was conducted among a random sample of 944 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone July 9-12, 2009. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line 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.
You are truly dumb, blindly biased, or both.
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Obama did not inherit a mess. What was left to Obama was quite orderly, but Obama made change... thats the mess you see.
Capitalism does not work? are you nuts. I can at least prove that wrong, and and also prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that socialism does NOT work whatsoever.
Are you saying you want the Government to take over because of the greed and poor decisions issues? Because all these congressman and their hookers, and their embezzlements, and their tax evasions, and their real-estate schemes, and their pandering to special interest lobbies are going to make it better? Even Obama's regulatory system is based off of bribes and special "understandings." Why else would industries have the impetus to choose their regulators? And the system is designed to have no chain of command but by a collection of free radicals that can vouch for or condemn at will with no oversight. I'll tell you $$$$$$$$$$
The government is for the people BY the people. In other words it does NOT take care of the people, but rather protects the RIGHTS of the people. The government should not be the distributor of benefits.
I think you have a defensive state of mind because you cannot open it wide enough to see the big picture.
The Health care crisis is caused by the speculation of a growing population and higher numbers of contributors versus retirees/non-contributors. The neutral to negative birth rate is key here.
Health Care in both countries have different pros and cons. In America you will receive competent health care regardless of your race, gender, age, and status. In Canada those are all factor in deciding what priority you have to be treated and with what sense of urgency. In canada they live longer and have a lower infant mortality. We have over twice the facilities and technology per person than Canada, and more personnel. We spend more money on health care. Canada has less malpractice litigation (see democrat congressman and and ambulance chasers.) Defensive medicine in America consumes 9% of healthcare costs and .27 % in Canada. It goes on. I just know this is a situation that does not need to be rushed like the bailout. All sides need to be heard. Smear campaigns from the White House are not giving me warm and fuzzies when we are talking about a critical issue like this. The bailout was embarrassing enough.
Republicans are always going to criticize Democrats because conservatives are not open minded people...it was their right wing policies that created this Depression to begin with. If McCain had won the election, he would not have "fixed" the economy yet either, because the mess Bush created is so bad that it can't be fixed in so short a time. If President Obama succeeds in leading our nation out of this Depression, he will be a national hero.
Obama is left with a losing hand. What about the wars? Did we get Bin Ladin? Can we afford it all? Could we afford it all? Not to mention the greatest fall in the financial system since the 1930's. This all happened under Republican rule. The Republicans put thier "Trickle Down" economic theory into place again, but this time, it destroyed the Republic. Please do not ever try that again. The wealthy are not going to spend the money if you give it to them. They are going to hoard it. Now, we have China beating us at Capitalism, yet running a communist regime on the social level. That did not work out for us.
Wake up Republicans. You screwed it up. And now, we are all paying the price. What was McCain's plan? What breadline would you have signed up for under that plan?
RT
www.anonymize.tk
1. Just because someone critcizes Obama, does not automatically make them a racist. I happy to see we have come so far in this country that a man of color has finally made it to the white house. However, as my president, as all before, we have the right to critcize and question. I like my freedoms and want to make sure I an still entitled to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
2. I think that the Democrats have good ideas, but things are moving too quickly. I think there plan is to get in all legislation before November so the balance of power doesn't shift againest them. Slow down and think it through! We don't need new policies and taxes that will hurt the American people.
3. I get every M-F and drag my butt into work. I have a white-collar job and let me tell you I work hard to keep the sales of small company afloat. I want to help out my fellow man who is less fortunate than I am, but I don't want to help people who will not help themselves. Let's find ways to help the less fortunate get on their feet without the taxpayers paying for their lifestyle. In NC people on welfare get free cell phones!
4. Obama is not bringing us together as promised. His adminstration has no concept of what the recession is doing to the working man and raising my taxes isn't helping me! I am ready for some smart thinking in Washington. Bush wasn't great, but I am thinking Obama's policies may be worse.
5. What is up with not having the czars confirmed or even vetted? Ever heard of the constitution? CHECKS AND BALANCES! That is what our system of government was founded upon!
Pursuit of Happiness. Don't forget The American Dream that is being replaced by the American Scheme that Obama & Czars have substituted for The Working Stiffs, as Arnold would call us. The Cap & Trade Scheme, Tax & Spend Scheme, Bailout Schemes, GW Scheme, Etc. All Designed Schemes thought up by this Administration so that THE American People can pursue the rest of our working days paying for Schemes. Providing any jobs remain or become available. So Sad!