Obama Slipping In Polls

[bonnie]

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/obama_zogby_poll_health/2009/08/20/250566.html

By: David A. Patten

President Barack Obama's popularity has plummeted to a record low, with just 45 percent of voters now approving of his performance, according to the latest Zogby International poll.

Asked whether they approve or disapprove of the president's job performance, just 45.3 percent of likely voters say they approve. That compares with 50.5 percent who disapprove of the job Obama is doing.

The results are a strong indication that contentious national debate over healthcare reform has taken a major toll on the president's popularity.

Those numbers also indicate that Obama clearly is in serious political trouble, Fox News analyst and best-selling author Dick Morris tells Newsmax.

"As soon as Obama dropped below 52 percent . . . he was leaking real voters who had backed him in November," Morris tells Newsmax. "Now that he is down to 45 percent among likely voters . . . he is in deep political trouble."

Of greatest concern to Obama may well be his decline among all-important independent voters. Just 37.5 percent of self-identified independents say they approve of how Obama is handling the presidency. That compares with 59.2 percent of independents who disapprove.

"There is nothing counterintuitive in any of these numbers," pollster John Zogby of Zogby International tells Newsmax. "The president is clearly taken a slide — most especially with independent voters, who play such an important role in any legislation or policy support.

"Interestingly, the president had been making some inroads with groups like investors, and frequent Walmart shoppers . . . both typically conservative," Zogby says. "However, he has slipped considerably with them in this poll."

Zogby adds: "The healthcare plan appears to be consolidating conservative opposition and scaring independent voters."

Pundits pay especially close attention to trends involving swing voters.

Continued evidence of declining popularity there will ratchet up the pressure on congressional blue dogs and other conservative Democrats to go their own way on controversial proposals such as public-option healthcare and energy cap-and-trade, knowing they can't rely on presidential coattails to prop them up with voters.

As expected, Obama continues to score well with Democrats, who give him an 83.9 percent approval rating. But among GOP voters, Obama has flat-lined at a 5.7 percent approval rating — a problem in itself for a president who promised to bring a new, bipartisan spirit to Washington politics.

Obama's decline has been startling. Various polls had his approval rating at well over 60 percent at the 100-day mark of his presidency.

By mid-June, his approval number had dipped to 51 percent. In July, it dropped further to 48 percent of likely voters.

Experts say the failure of the $787 billion stimulus to deliver on Obama's promise of massive jobs creation, the ongoing economic woes, and the increasingly bitter fight over Democrats' determination to push the government-subsidized, public-option healthcare reforms are among the reasons for Obama's rapid descent.

"Clearly, the healthcare reform package is dragging him down," Morris tells Newsmax, "and will drag every Democrat down unless they realize that they cannot afford to alienate the elderly of America by cutting Medicare and rationing medical care."

The Zogby International interactive poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percent.

[bonnie]

HEY BONNIE

WELL again more and more people seem to be upset

with OBAMA

I wonder how this will effect the 2010 elections

dgrimm60

Be careful with that,you could be racist

[bonnie]

HEY BONNIE

WELL EXXXCCCCCUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEE ME

dgrimm60

Hope you didn't take what I said the wrong way. I was kidding.

Altho it doesn't seem to take much to be classified as a racist.

I certainly never thought you were

[Guest]

Is it true? dgrimm is a racist? I never would have thought it.

[bonnie]

Is it true? dgrimm is a racist? I never would have thought it.

Nah,not dgrimm

[Guest]

Good

[Dr. Shane]

Maybe President Obama needs a Life-alert necklace so he can say, "Help, I've fallen and can't get up." LOL

Well his numbers have fallen but are still in a comfortable range. I think it is courageous of him to stand behind the health care legislation so much. That shows a real commitment to a cause which is honorable. I don't think he has handled the debate well and have some real problems with part of what has been proposed but must still give credit for some honorable intentions.

[lazarus]

It's interesting how when Bush numbers fell and he kept going it was seen as a sign of courage and conviction but now its stubbornness and "dictatorship" . It all part of the game of politics.

[Woody]

Thanks Bonnie. I think that people are starting to really see what Obama is promoting and they don't like it.

[Ted Oplinger]

Yes, Lazarus, it is.

Bush was supported by mostly RINO's, and was the lesser of two evils (compared to Mr. Kerry) as far as conservative thought went.

When Bush refused to govern as a conservative, his numbers dropped among the conservative base. Bush also lost favor among the center, and those numbers dropped more. Bush bungled Iraq (at first), then refused to defend himself or his administration from the ceaseless, sometimes baseless attacks - and many Americans pretty much thought him a high-minded wimp.

When a president loses that much favor from those who should otherwise support him...well, you get the picture.

Now Obama is going down pretty much the same trail...

He's not governing like a liberal (to the very liberal), so his numbers are dropping in his liberal base. Obama has really lost favor among the center, and his numbers there are dropping quickly. Obama has projected a weak US abroad with his "apology tours", and (according to his base) has yet to competently defend himself or his administration from ceaseless, sometimes baseless attacks. And many Americans are coming to the thought he's a high-minded empty-suit - a wimp...just like Bush.

And to think some declare such profound differences between the two parties...they're really the same.

[Woody]

Obama is 'slipping' in more places than one.

[Guest]

Slip Slidin Away....

[Woody]

Yes. And now that a US Senator had the nerve to yell out during Obama's address to Congress .... that Obama is a liar .... I wonder how many here on the forum would object when people state they don't believe our president? Of course we all know that some on here called Bush a liar and a murderer. But would we dare call a black president the same? Of course not. At least not here.

[Dr. Shane]

I certainly hope no one here will stoop that low.

[Woody]

Of course we know that some do. But the problem is that when it is done .... it has not been challenged. So, it continues with a Demo president. And when you look at the facts .... the way the anti-Bush folks do .... it is true.

Obama is sending a record number of young men to their deaths. Even more than Bush.

And yesterday Obama spoke un-truths. Call it what you like. But this is a man who admits that he hasn't read the bill. Yet, he pretends to know inaccurately .... what it says.

He has my mind spinnin'

[bonnie]

Yes. And now that a US Senator had the nerve to yell out during Obama's address to Congress .... that Obama is a liar .... I wonder how many here on the forum would object when people state they don't believe our president? Of course we all know that some on here called Bush a liar and a murderer. But would we dare call a black president the same? Of course not. At least not here.

What is always interesting is to watch and listen to Obama the president do that to any that has the audacity not to believe him or accept what he wants to push.

[Woody]

Yes. Obama says that everyone else that opposes him is a liar. Wow. What an ego.

[Guest]

He's not in touch with reality.