Poll: Public Unhappy, but Sticks by Obama

President's Approval Rating Is at 54 Percent in Associated Press-GfK Survey Which Shows an Increasingly Pessimistic Nation

(AP)  President Barack Obama still has the approval of a majority of Americans, but it's an increasingly pessimistic nation.

The public grew slightly more dispirited on a range of matters over the past month, including war and the economy, continuing the slippage that has occurred since Obama took office, the latest Associated Press-GfK poll shows.

This comes at a time when he is trying to revive the struggling economy, considering sending more troops to the 8-year-old Afghanistan war, muscling a health care reform overhaul through Congress and hoping to push through other ambitious measures like legislation focused on climate change.

People were gloomier about the direction of the country than in October. They disapproved of Obama's handling of the economy a bit more than before. And, perhaps most striking for the commander in chief, more people have lost confidence in Obama on Iraq and Afghanistan over the last month. Overall, there's a malaise about the state of the nation.

"It's in pretty bad shape," said truck driver Floyd Hacker, a Democrat who voted for Obama. "He sounded like somebody who could make things happen. I still think he can."

Still, Hacker said, he questions the president's approach to the economy, what the U.S. is trying to accomplish in Afghanistan and Obama's focus on health care, adding, "He can't handle everything at one time."

Public attitudes like that are troubling for a president trying to accomplish an ambitious agenda at home while fighting wars abroad, as well as for a Democratic Party heading into a critical election year. It will have to stave off losses that a new president typically experiences in his first midterm elections. A third of the Senate, all of the House and most governors' offices will be on the ballot.

The findings underscore just how quickly the political environment can change, a lesson for out-of-power Republicans who are buzzing with energy after booting Democrats from rule in Virginia and New Jersey governors' races last week.

It was just over a year ago that Obama won the White House in an electoral landslide and Democrats padded their congressional majorities. The country was riding high with optimism by just about all measures when Obama took office in January.

Hope and change were in vogue back then. But change didn't happen overnight, as the rhetoric of campaigning crashed headlong into the realities of governing. And hope slipped in a country that always has clung to it.

Now, Obama's approval rating stands at 54 percent, roughly the same as in October but very different from the enthusiastic 74 percent in January just before he took office. And some 56 percent of people say the country is heading in the wrong direction, an uptick from 51 percent last month and 49 percent in Obama's first month as president.

The economy is by far the most important issue on Americans' minds. Unemployment hit 10.2 percent last month even though the administration has promoted glimmers of improvement and many economists say the recession is over.

Those jobless figures help explain why as many people said the economy got worse in the past month as said it got better and it's not many people who thought it got better, just 22 percent. Most say the economy stayed the same, and just 46 percent approve of how Obama is handling the economy, compared with 50 percent last month.

"He did good on getting Wall Street up and running. But I'm not going," said independent Jay Huffaker, 33, a Tennessee construction worker who has been unemployed for a year and a half. The country is in terrible shape, he said, adding, "It seems like it's getting worse and worse and worse and worse."

The nation also has grown more lukewarm on Obama and the wars as he tries to wind down the one in Iraq and considers ramping up the one in Afghanistan.

Compared with October, 45 percent of people now disapprove of Obama's handling of Iraq, up from 37 percent; while 48 percent now disapprove of his handling of Afghanistan, up from 41 percent. A majority of Americans oppose both wars. And more than half, 54 percent now oppose sending more troops to Afghanistan, an increase from 50 percent last month.

"We either need to do something to win the wars, or just come home," said Republican Heather Johannessen, a stay-at-home mom in suburban Minnesota, who thinks the U.S. is in a holding pattern in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

On health care, about half of the country approves of how Obama is doing on his signature domestic issue virtually unchanged from October. In a major victory for Obama, the House passed a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. medical system over the weekend. But the fate of the measure is uncertain in the Senate, where moderate Democrats who are necessary for passage are balking at the cost and various provisions.

Only a third of the country approves of how Congress is doing.

The AP-GfK Poll was conducted Nov. 5-9 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media. It involved landline and cell phone interviews with 1,006 adults nationwide and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

[2012EOD]

I don't understand why the poll numbers would be going down?

Unemployment at 10% when we were told to spend 800 Billion to keep it under 8.

A terrorist attack on our soil, in a military post, and all because we have to be "PC", don't want to step on anyones feelings, how about the 13 dead, I guess their feelings don't matter.

Iran will have a nuke soon, I guess the playing nicey nice, did not work there too.

Health Care bill, that will cover illegals and abortions, huh, I guess Joe was right.

[nowhiningallowed]

This is what results when people blindly believe anything and everything said about a candidate, without questioning and challenging then vote for them, actually believing that everything will be peachy. That's not how politics work. That's also not how life works.

[jefleshman]

Spot on comment... nowhiningallowed!

I really believe people need to really relearn what power the POTUS really has... not much, but congress Hmmmmmm that is a different story.

Everyone says they will work to "bridge or work with" party lines, but reality of it is, that it takes "two" like in a marraige that is going seperate directions. If one person is trying and the other is not, it doesnt matter how hard a person tries if the other person is going in a different direction.

[elo888]

Roughly the same approval ratings as in October, yes--and also roughly the same as in JULY. Much lower than in January, at the Beginning of possibly the most hyped presidency ever?

The Daily Kos points out that the first 8 paragraphs of the AP piece don't have a lot of relevance to the actual poll numbers. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/11/803289/-No-actual-poll-results-in-first-8-paragraphs-of-AP-poll-analysis

I'm not sure is for whatever reason motivated to spin Obama's ratings as worse than they really are, or whether they're just trying to get more news buzz and interest after having invested money in a poll that is, once the 3.1% margin of error is taken into account, just not that interesting... yes, the numbers are slightly lower, but it's not enough to be very interesting. Certainly not enough for a responsible journalistic lead-in that is so bleak in tone.
Maybe this is a case of image and branding taking primacy to (and thereafter influencing) the poll numbers, or at least their interpretation. John Tantillo has written that Obama is in serious branding trouble, and urgently needs to find the strength of Candidate Obama in President Obama. http://blog.marketingdoctor.tv/2009/11/02/john-tantillos-brand-winner-and-loser-candidate-obama-and-president-obama.aspx

Thomas Friedman has written a sympathetic piece about Obama in the NYT that pins the problem on the lack of a coherent narrative (basically a more literary take on Tantillo's branding idea). http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/opinion/01friedman.html
Regardless...this AP write-up is a sad commentary on journalism.

[elo888]

Roughly the same approval ratings as in October, yes--and also roughly the same as in JULY. Much lower than in January, at the Beginning of possibly the most hyped presidency ever?
<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/11/803289/-No-actual-poll-results-in-first-8-paragraphs-of-AP-poll-analysis">The Daily Kos points out that the first 8 paragraphs of the AP piece don't have a lot of relevance to the actual data from the poll...nor do they bother to site that data. </a>
I'm not sure is for whatever reason motivated to spin Obama's ratings as worse than they really are, or whether they're just trying to get more news buzz and interest after having invested money in a poll that is, once the 3.1% margin of error is taken into account, just not that interesting... yes, the numbers are slightly lower, but it's not enough to be very interesting. Certainly not enough for a responsible journalistic lead-in that is so bleak in tone.
Maybe this is a case of image and branding taking primacy to (and thereafter influencing) the poll numbers, or at least their interpretation. <a href="http://blog.marketingdoctor.tv/2009/11/02/john-tantillos-brand-winner-and-loser-candidate-obama-and-president-obama.aspx">John Tantillo has written that Obama is in serious branding trouble, and urgently needs to find the strength of Candidate Obama in President Obama. </a>
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/opinion/01friedman.html">Thomas Friedman has written a sympathetic piece about Obama in the NYT that pins the problem on the lack of a coherent narrative </a>(basically a more literary take on Tantillo's branding idea).
Regardless...this AP write-up is a sad commentary on journalism.

[velma179]

Well, I don't want to rain on the "let's hope Obama fails" parade some of you .... crimey, yes I do want to rain on that crap!

In case you haven't paid attention -- one reason there is a greater dissatisfaction with President Obama right now is because the far-left is up in arms because he isn't "liberal" enough for them and/or he hasn't done everything they want...yet. The "yet" is the kicker for the far-righters --- as soon as important-to-the-left things (such as overturning DADT, for example) get done -- and they will -- these folks will be back to the table.

I doubt the far left would ever abandon Obama completely, I mean they wouldn't vote Republican -- but they are flexing muscles right now.


Another issue is that there are so many "reports" saying Obama is "sending 40,000 or even 100,000 troops" and the people (a majority, by all polled accounts) who want us OUT of the Mid-East altogether are ticked off.

There's not a lot of "big picture" commentary these days... and that is terrible! Terrible for all of us.

We're just not in an easy time in this country... or in the whole world -- I wouldn't want to be POTUS, no way. It is a very difficult job -- it'd be great if we could get off our "give ME" soap boxes and try to support whomever it is that has been elected to do that job... whether you punched that name on the ballot, or not.

my opinion

[Zebiggie]

Someone should shut the news media for a full year. Maybe then the country will focus on working towards solving problems as opposed to wanting quick fix answers.

Obama started his job barely a year ago and we all want to have jobs with 6 figure salaries? Get a flippin' life!

[velma179]

by Zebiggie November 11, 2009 4:54 PM EST

Oh my freakin' yes! I agree with you so much.

Every day a new "poll"... so many media outlets that need news, news, news -- people complain when something gets done, they complain when something doesn't get done.

It is natural for people to gripe, but it seems like the news media (from ALL viewpoints...) works overtime stoking the "beech and moan" flames.

I know some people here focus all their blame game on Obama... but folks... it wouldn't be any different if the "other guy" would have won -- it'd just be DIFFERENT people griping and blaming.... and you can be sure, it will continue no matter WHO lives in the White House.


Sheesh

[rightbehind]

Looking forward to sending some republicrats packing!

[lovenpeace1]

Folks,

Off-year and Mid-term elections are bad for any democracy such as ours. Democracy is inefficient and ineffective with national elections each year.

No congressional leader wants to do anything for fear of the next election next year.

There should be elections every 4 years period and none in between.

[lovenpeace1]

Folks,

Off-year and Mid-term elections are bad for any democracy such as ours. Democracy is inefficient and ineffective with national elections each year. Any election every year is expensive and interrupts the political process. What's next, elections every 3 months?

No congressional leader wants to do anything for fear of the next year elections.

Americans should pass an Amendment that will set Congressional elections every 4 years exactly like the Executive Office election. The same with Governor elections. If a congressman or governor office is vacant for whatever reason, the state legislators shall select one to complete the current term.

[timing20002000]

I am not happy with the way things are. But give me a break. The guy has not been president for even a year. He inherited a lot, let's not forget. The teabaggers, GOP, and right wing loons, did not say a word when Bush was getting us into this mess. Now they want to pollute the air waves with how bad Pres. Obama is doing. He has 7 more years to fix this mess hopefully that Limbaugh, Bech, Cheney, and Bush got us in.

[knowdalaw]

Many unhappy but sticks with Obama, huh? It is because bribery blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous the proverb says. Many people?s eyes are blinded by Obama.

[DaVicar8]

Most of us have no choice to "Stick" with Obama, since we're "stuck" with Obama!

Some of us warned the rest of us about this last Novemeber, but too many of us ignored that warning.

[Brokennews]

First, I would like to recognize all veterans on this, Veterans Day.
Under the current circumstances we should all say thank you.
Can't imagine the conditions they deal with on a daily basis.
Keep them in your hearts & prayers.

You can object to the war, but the people fighting are ordered to go.
Our anger about the wars should be directed at our leaders only.
Unless you think soldiers can disobey orders??

Call up a vet or stop one when you see one & say "Thank You"
Be thankful there's enough people to volunteer instead of a draft!!
See to it that they know that they are appreciated!