Well, I knew that this was going to happen sooner or later. After only 11 months in office, the president's approval rating has finally dropped but, I'm not surprised. It happens to all of them sooner or later. Americans are fickle. We are a "what have you done for me lately" kinda nation.
During his twelve months in office, this president has done more than the last three but, of course, thanks to pundits (i.e. idiots) like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and a Republican party that will do and say anything to keep from being irrelevant, a sizable amount of the populace are just not that impressed anymore.
For much of his first year in office, President Barack Obama has largely defied political gravity in the midst of skyrocketing unemployment, an ambitious legislative agenda, and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His approval rating remained above 50%, a plurality viewed his party positively, and even the number believing the country was on the right track, despite the bad news, temporarily spiked during his first few months on the job. But now, nearing the end of his first year in office, the economy, wars, and legislative skirmishes have finally taken a toll on the president and his party, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal polls.
For the first time, Obama’s overall job approval rating has fallen below 50% (to 47%). In addition, for the first time since September 2007, a plurality (45%) sees the Democratic Party in a negative light. And the percentage believing the country is on the wrong track (55%) is at its highest level in the Obama presidency.
“This survey underscores what I consider a dramatic and unmistakable change in the political landscape,” said Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who conducted the survey with GOP pollster Bill McInturff. “For Democrats, the red flags are flying at full mast. The sagging economy is beginning to drag him down,” McInturff added. “This is increasingly becoming President Obama’s economy.” Funny... he inherited this economy and if not for his administration's actions in the first months of this year, we might not have an economy. Yet, this appears to be lost to a lot of folks.
Deep dissatisfaction with the nation's direction underlining the entire poll is a deep dissatisfaction with the current state of the country. Only 33% believe the nation is headed in the right direction, an eight-point drop since Obama took office. (However, by comparison, the right track number hovered between 10% and 20% during George W. Bush’s final months in office.) What’s more, 6 in 10 say the country is in a state of decline and a whopping two-thirds say they’re not confident that life for their children’s generation will be better than it was for them.
“All of this says that optimism has crashed through the floor board,” Hart observed. Yet, there is some optimism for next year: 46% say that 2010 will be a better year than 2009, 27% say it will be about the same, and 25% say it will be worse. I could get caught up in this numbers game but I wont... it's too early. He hasn't been in office a year yet and it's really too early to judge but I know there are people who have nothing better to do.
Despite these lower numbers, the president remains the most popular American politician in the survey. Only 32% have a positive view of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, compared with 40% who see her in a negative light. Moreover, the entire Republican Party continues to maintain a net-negative favorable/unfavorable rating, 28% to 43%. But, for the first time in more than two years, the Democratic Party also now holds a net-negative rating, 35% to 45%.
Rome wasn't built in a day. It took a long time for us to get entangled in this mess and it may take even longer to get out of it. It took Franklin D. Roosevelt 12 years to dig this country out of "The Great Depression". Americans, with their "I want everything now" attitudes, just better simmer down. Did they expect President Obama to be able to straighten this mess out in 11 months? They did. I didn't and I don't expect it to be straightened out in four or even eight years. People don't realize just how bad of shape this nation was really in and that's because they weren't informed. They were busy watching American Idol and the Real Housewives of Atlanta while all of this was unfolding. Now, they are shocked! America leads the world in being shocked.
One thing I've learned in my years on this Earth is that things get worse right before they begin to get better. Patience, America. Change is coming but it's going to take time!
During his twelve months in office, this president has done more than the last three but, of course, thanks to pundits (i.e. idiots) like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and a Republican party that will do and say anything to keep from being irrelevant, a sizable amount of the populace are just not that impressed anymore.
For much of his first year in office, President Barack Obama has largely defied political gravity in the midst of skyrocketing unemployment, an ambitious legislative agenda, and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His approval rating remained above 50%, a plurality viewed his party positively, and even the number believing the country was on the right track, despite the bad news, temporarily spiked during his first few months on the job. But now, nearing the end of his first year in office, the economy, wars, and legislative skirmishes have finally taken a toll on the president and his party, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal polls.
For the first time, Obama’s overall job approval rating has fallen below 50% (to 47%). In addition, for the first time since September 2007, a plurality (45%) sees the Democratic Party in a negative light. And the percentage believing the country is on the wrong track (55%) is at its highest level in the Obama presidency.
“This survey underscores what I consider a dramatic and unmistakable change in the political landscape,” said Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who conducted the survey with GOP pollster Bill McInturff. “For Democrats, the red flags are flying at full mast. The sagging economy is beginning to drag him down,” McInturff added. “This is increasingly becoming President Obama’s economy.” Funny... he inherited this economy and if not for his administration's actions in the first months of this year, we might not have an economy. Yet, this appears to be lost to a lot of folks.
Deep dissatisfaction with the nation's direction underlining the entire poll is a deep dissatisfaction with the current state of the country. Only 33% believe the nation is headed in the right direction, an eight-point drop since Obama took office. (However, by comparison, the right track number hovered between 10% and 20% during George W. Bush’s final months in office.) What’s more, 6 in 10 say the country is in a state of decline and a whopping two-thirds say they’re not confident that life for their children’s generation will be better than it was for them.
“All of this says that optimism has crashed through the floor board,” Hart observed. Yet, there is some optimism for next year: 46% say that 2010 will be a better year than 2009, 27% say it will be about the same, and 25% say it will be worse. I could get caught up in this numbers game but I wont... it's too early. He hasn't been in office a year yet and it's really too early to judge but I know there are people who have nothing better to do.
Despite these lower numbers, the president remains the most popular American politician in the survey. Only 32% have a positive view of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, compared with 40% who see her in a negative light. Moreover, the entire Republican Party continues to maintain a net-negative favorable/unfavorable rating, 28% to 43%. But, for the first time in more than two years, the Democratic Party also now holds a net-negative rating, 35% to 45%.
Rome wasn't built in a day. It took a long time for us to get entangled in this mess and it may take even longer to get out of it. It took Franklin D. Roosevelt 12 years to dig this country out of "The Great Depression". Americans, with their "I want everything now" attitudes, just better simmer down. Did they expect President Obama to be able to straighten this mess out in 11 months? They did. I didn't and I don't expect it to be straightened out in four or even eight years. People don't realize just how bad of shape this nation was really in and that's because they weren't informed. They were busy watching American Idol and the Real Housewives of Atlanta while all of this was unfolding. Now, they are shocked! America leads the world in being shocked.
One thing I've learned in my years on this Earth is that things get worse right before they begin to get better. Patience, America. Change is coming but it's going to take time!
20 comments:
great post.
nowadays i find it hard to read or watch anything concerning president obama 'cause the media pundits constantly implore that obama hasn't accomplished anything and that america sits in a terrible state of confusion, but these same "critics" were all for former president bush and presidential hopeful mccain, possibly continuing the tactics which led to the country being in this predicament in the first place.
it's a game that gets tiresome, really fast. so yeah i agree @ the building of rome took more than 1 day, or a year in this case.
They need to leave my president alone,let him do his thing.
Ditto what my room-mate said!
Good Post Keith. You are right, we as Americans are fickle.
Americans want a quick fix and some things just can't be fixed that quickly.
Good Post Keith..As always ,articulate and insightful.
Amazing that Obama is being judged so harshly after 11 months and the
previous administration ran rough shod for 8 years before their approval ratings dropped.
Good Post, you hit the nail on the head. We are fickle , We want miracles done. President Obama is just one man...I don't envy the task ahead of him.
I love the truths you tell, both political and personal.
I'm with Toni, leave my President alone, let him do what he do." -Great Post babe!
I'm not getting caught up in any numbers game either Fam...They are down today,Up tomorrow...you know how it goes.
All of these people who now don't approve of the President would be in a lot worse shape if he weren't in office..They just don't know.
Like you said, Rome wasn't built in a day.
In about three years things may look a lot different and those same numbers may sky rocket up..People just have to be patient,give the man time.
I seem to recall us having a surplus when Bush came into office that has now become a deficit...
That took time...It's gonna take time to straighten this crap out too!
Great Post Keith..You just about said everything I could say.-:)
Too many people watch Fox News..that's what it is...and they let that garbage on that station influence them.
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