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.

[rightbehind]

I disagree. Every seat should be back on the ballot every 2 years except for the Presidents which should remain 4. We should be pushing for the senate seats back on the ballot in 2 years instead of 6. That's the reason they do what lines their pockets instead of doing whats best for the people.

[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!

[starleo146]

by rbichamp November 11, 2009 1:09 PM EST
I want to turn control over to people that want to control spending, make government smaller, and give more freedom to the people to make their own decisions.

YES AND TURN EVERYTHING OVER TO BIG BUSINESS AND TOO BAD FOLKS. REAGONOMICS IS WHAT STARTED ALL THIS MESS

[lmartink]

"....REAGONOMICS IS WHAT STARTED ALL THIS MESS." Yes indeed. This financial collapse, and massive job export disaster did not happen overnight. Stupid mistakes have been occurring for over 3 decades, and all started under Reagan. He was the first Oxymoronic Republican to increase federal spending, and try to reduce federal income. His departure left us with the first government bailout of financial institutions. That was the Savings & Loan episode. It cost taxpayers only $160 billion dollars.

Stupid decisions, and out of control "capitalism" have continued ever since, and leave us where we are today. Not a good situation.

Yes, I will stick with Obama because he has tackled the most important issues facing us. He has not flinched. He is smart and very hardworking. And he it trying to clean up 30 years accumulation of a horrible mess. While I am convinced that far-flung wars like Afghanistan is a lost cause, I'll stick with him. Obama is one of the best things to happen to America.

Let's not forget that Obama inherited a trillion dollar debt for a war Bush made no attempt to pay for. He also inherited a stunning financial collapse which he had nothing to do with.

Here's a little salt for you Tea Bagger idiots, whiners, and racist complainers.

[mopar1956]

Oh and lets not foreget to throw Clinton into the mess. After all it was his signing of NAFTA and fanny mae and freddie mack that started this money loaning to people that could never pay it back.

[jimbom121]

Lets throw the Bush tax cuts and the Iraq war...2 very unnecessary expensive items

[us_1776]

mopar1956, I see you've had your Limbaugh/Beck/Hannity fix today.

Let's look at the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac issue. It is a complete myth that the government MADE the banks loan money to people who could not pay it back. MYTH!

The legislation was to end discrimination in lending. Whereby, in the same general geographic area a white family of a certain income would be approved for a subprime mortgage and a black familty of the same income would be denied for the very same type of subprime mortgage. The banks were keeping lists of 'addresses' upon which they would base decisions about whether to approve or deny loans. They did this to give the appearance that they were not discriminating when in reality it was just a shill mechanism to accomplish the same thing - discrimination.

[greenlantern1]

Dear Sirs,
Remember when Spiro Agnew called Senator Goodell the Christine Jorgenson of the republican party?
I thought a primary was supposed to settle that.
However, the party of canuck Letters and Diem Cables cares nothing about any election to decide the will of the people.
Clifford Spencer

[AK-47_Justice]

by stn_sage:
In other words...
****************





No, let's just stick with the AP/GfK poll and AP press release, and not try to add the usual rupert murdoch one-sided propaganda:


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.

[rbichamp]

Look!

30% will always vote Dems. They will support Obama no matter what.
30% will always vote Repubs. They will go against Obama no matter what.

40% of Dems will always decide elections. They are not radicals so they will always more likely support the presidency and give him the benefit of the doubt. But only for so long. Even Bush had like 84% approval at one point, but Bush didn't listen to the people and it dropped and dropped and dropped.

Obama has time to change course but his policies are moving him in the wrong direction.

[stn_sage]

by AK-47_Justice November 11, 2009 1:45 PM EST
by stn_sage:
In other words...
****************
No, let's just stick with the AP/GfK poll and AP press release, and not try to add the usual rupert murdoch one-sided propaganda:
=============================================================

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. (from the article)

THIS...is EXACTLY what I was referring to! SO...characterize YOUR OWN STATEMENTS and refer to whatever polls you want...FOR YOUR OWN STATEMENTS...but DO NOT attribute my statements to polls of YOUR CHOICE!

[AK-47_Justice]

by rbichamp:
If we are talking health care then Obama is on the wrong side
******************************************





Hardly....the clear majority of Americans elected Obama in an electoral college landslide, mainly to pass health care reform.


Newsvine - Clear Majority Now Backs the Public Option, and ...
A "clear majority" of Americans now support a government-run public insurance plan as a competitor to private ... be winning the health care debate when half the ...
robertbartholomew.newsvine.com/_news/2009/10/22/...

Poll: Majority of Americans still back public option in ...
AP photo A new Washington Post - ABC News poll shows that a clear majority of Americans still back a government- run health care plan to compete with private ...
examiner.com/x-23316-Madison-Independent-Examiner~y2009m1...

[rbichamp]

Yes, of course the majority backs a government run health care, depending on the wording of the question. Just like the majority would back houses for everyone or a trip for the family to Hawaii twice a year. who wouldn't?

However, if you include costs and the effect it could have to your current health care plan in the question, then the majority are clearly against government health care. and this is without mentioning the penalties for not having insurance. When the under 30 crowd realize that will be fined for not getting health insurance, or face huge fines and possibly 5 years in jail as in the House bill that passed, those numbers will be even worse.

[AK-47_Justice]

by rbichamp:
If we are talking health care then Obama is on the wrong side and again lies.
**************************************






Hey....is that you joe wilson, still spewing the same B.S.?

The republicans have always wanted health care reform to fail, so they could bring down President Obama, even after he tried so desperately to get them to help with the reform legislation. Even baucus formed the gang of six in the Senate Fiance Committee, where despite the overwhelming majority of Dems in the Senate, this was a 50/50 "gang" to debate health care reform.

The clear majority of Americans support health care reform and the public option, no matter how much one-sided propaganda you spew!


Public option gains support
CLEAR MAJORITY NOW BACKS PLAN

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public.

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/.../AR2009101902451.html

[rbichamp]

And what happened in the only committee that had equal Repubs and Dems? They came out with a bill with a trigger and controlled costs and what happened? tPelosi, Reid and Obama met in private and tossed it out.

If bipartisanship is so important, than why not try to pass that bill? Instead of trying to ram through their own liberal agenda bill?

[stn_sage]

In other words, nearly HALF the public OPPOSE Obama in the actions he is taking on many KEY issues, while LESS than half support his actions!

More are OPPOSED, than FOR what he is doing! And that OPPOSITION will increase, as Democrats CONTINUE to FAIL to keep their campaign promises!

In short, 'the honeymoon' and 'the free ride' Obama and the Dems in Congress were getting from the public, IS OVER! The public WANTS results!

And as another poster points out, promising to do one thing, and then doing another is LYING! And, there will be a political COST come Nov 2010 as Dems are replaced along with 'do nothing' Republicans!

[rbichamp]

If we are talking health care then Obama is on the wrong side and again lies.

He started by saying that he would go line by line with the Republicans on the health care bill. Unfortunately, only Obama, Reid and Pelosi got to decide what is in the bill.

And no fines...well, if you don't get insurance, you will be fined, and even face 5 years in jail. What kind of a BS bill is that? But it passed in the House.

If it was a good bill, I am sure many of the Repubs would support it. However, it is a bad bill and that is why even 30 or so Dems voted against it.

[us_1776]

The Republicans are so far ideologically to the right that there is zero chance that they can even have a reasonable discussion. And the "corporate" influence in the Republican party has corrupted the entire party. The Republicans are now nothing more than the mouthpieces for the greedy healthcare insurance companies. The very people who brought us this healthcare disaster in the first place.

[rbichamp]

Some are and some aren't. You can't say that about the entire party.

There are some crazy Dems in power. Very far left and out of touch with the normal person. Should we consider all Democrats to be like that?

So forget the 20% of left wing nuts and forget the 20% of right wing nuts. The 60% in the middle should get together and make a bill.

That what used to happen.

[jimbom121]

He started by saying that he would go line by line with the Republicans on the health care bill.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

When did anyone say that?? Obama wanted to have a bi-partisan bill, but the GOP decided they did not want to take part in the process. See Sen DeMint: This will be Obama's Waterloo. The GOP had their chance, they blew it.

[AK-47_Justice]

by rbichamp:
I guess you haven't been keeping track with the news.
********************************************






No, it's you murdoch parrots that substitute propaganda for news that continue to show how utterly uninformed you are, and only can parrot the usual rhetoric void of any facts -- just one-sided garbage!

[rbichamp]

Why do you say that?

It sounds like you are one of those "Don't watch FOXNEWS" people.

Do what freedom allows you to do. Watch all the news. I try to. I follow FOX, CNN, ABC and even Huffington Post. Then you see all the news and can make your own decisions.

Even liberal economists predict the 10% unemployment. Why do you think they are all lying?

[superdem1]

It's flat wrong to say the stimulus hasn't created jobs - all the crumbling streets in my neighborhood in Maryland have been resurfaced, by private company crews, they are beautiful now. And a major highway is being constructed, with a big sign saying it's ARRA funds. That must be going on nationwide. If major companies aren't doing anything, it's because of Bush/Republican economic policies and that's their fault, not Obama's. You can't have it both ways, crying about government intervention AND blaming the government for no jobs. Capitalism is about profits - it's your greedy Republican shareholders who voted to take manufacturing overseas and hire cheap immigrant labor domestically. Plus, all you red state religious nuts letting your kids drop out of high school, companies can't find educated American kids so they import technically trained Indians and Chinese. I work for a high tech company and everyone on our team is from India, China, or Viet Nam. They are brilliant, they took education seriously but our American kids are playing video games, talking on the phone, listening to rap music, and getting tatoos. None of them can spell (OMG!) or write a sentence, they can't add or subtract without some device. I don't really care if Republican governors get elected, they can only hurt their own people. But we have to keep Republicans from getting elected to the House and Senate again, they'll just run America into the ditch again like Bush did. I don't see how anyone could even dream about voting Republican. They are the American taliban.

[rbichamp]

You make some very good points and I agree that some of the stimulus money has done good and created jobs. But the whole point of the stimulus and the reason why no time was given to read the bill was because it was supposed to save or create jobs.

The majority of the money hasn't been spent yet! It's assigned to grow government and there's so much waste in it with pork. That's the problem.

And I guess Repub or Dem all depends on where you sit. The majority of people don't want this health care bill and don't want cap and trade. The Dems tried to ram them through but it didn't happen.

All the Dems have to do is be trasparent like they promised and listen to the people. They aren't so are in trouble.

[SmartPeopleRule]

I think it will be statistically impossible for unemployment to stay this high with the amount of global stimulus occurring. Remember the people who said the stick market would drop to 4k or lower last spring? I knew it couldn't happen, because there was simply too much capital being injected into the market.

Call me optimistic. But I've predicted accurately all year. And I'll predict unemployment to drop a minimum of 2 points in Q1 of 2010.

Anybody wanna bet?