After combining results from several polls, Rajjpuut found a curious and pessimistic picture for America’s and Obama’s future. Unless you’re a Black, Democratic-voting California woman, you might have felt severe doubt about the competence of the Obama administration sometime during this last month. Nationally, California is the only state still approving of President Obama’s job performance by double digits at +13% (55% YES 42% NO). Overall Obama’s national numbers reached their lowest ever two days before his recent press conference with only 24% of voters strongly approving of his performance and 42% strongly DISapproving; while 42% at least somewhat approved and 56% said they DISapproved at least somewhat. Except for Blacks, the political class (typically government-employed white-collar workers) regardless of color or gender are most likely to strongly approve of Obama’s work.
The gloomiest place to find oneself on the polling agenda was to be a White, Republican Male from Louisiana or other Gulf State. Men, overall are much less likely to approve of Obama’s job performance than women. Men were also much more consistent in their opinions. Only 16-17% of men strongly approve while between 37-42% of women disapprove depending on which survey and when it was given. Blacks, who once gave Obama 94% overall approval and 72% strong approval, now give the president 66% overall approval. Democrats now give the president 45%-52% approval in the various polls while Republican numbers are as low as 6% in some polls. 24%-26% of non-affiliated voters approve of the job the President’s done.
Pessimism shows up clearly when questions like Rasmussen Reports' “Will the United States be the most powerful nation on earth at the end of this century?” “Is the country safer now than it was before September 11, 2001?” and “Is the country going in the right or wrong direction?” are asked. Rasmussen (which only counts ‘likely voters’ rather than all adults) in its surveys has been the most consistently accurate in predicting precise percentage outcomes over the last three general election cycles. 42% of all likely voters say the U.S. will NOT be #1 at the century’s end while 32% say it will and 26% are not sure. Democrats are almost twice as likely to say the country will be #1 than Republicans are, but 52% of non-affiliated voters say we will not. African-American voters are the most optimistic of all; while younger voters are much more likely to be pessimistic than older ones are. 72% of the politcal class say “YES,” while 53% of the mainstream voters say “NO.”
Only 28% of all American voters believe the country is on the right track, but 60% of Black voters say it is. Just 24% of Whites and 21% of other ethnicities agree with them. The question is even more divisive politically than it is racially . . . 55% of Democrats say the country is heading in the right direction, but only 6% of Republicans and 20% of voters not affiliated with either party would agree. 39% of Democrats feel the country is heading down the wrong track. These findings have changed very little over several weeks of Rasmussen polling. One of the big contributors to this “wrong-direction” appraisal is Obamacare.
The current level of voters calling for “repeal of the health care plan” stands at its highest ever 63%. More and more people are blaming Obama for the present economic woes, 43% in the latest survey by Rasmussen . . . however, the Congress is far less loved than the president at only 24% approval. More people (41%) agree with the statement “A randomly selected sample of people from the phone book could do a better job than congress” than disagree. Only 27% believe “the legislators have any idea what they’re doing when it comes to the economy.” This last opinion despite the fact, or perhaps because of the fact, that they’re now putting the finishing touches on legislation giving vast government control over the U.S. financial industry and 60% control over the entire economy . . . .
Democrats are still way more likely to give Bush the blame for our current problems and Republicans slightly less likely to say Obama’s policies are the major factor doing us in now, but Rajjpuut found it very interesting that by a 48% to 38% margin, voters UNaffiliated with either major party blame the policies of Obama for the nation's continuing economic woes. Of course, 95% of the political class** point the finger at Bush, while 53% of Mainstream** voters think Obama's policies are the problem.
60% of voters trust their own judgment more than Obama’s when it comes to economic issues affecting the nation, while just 26% trust the president more. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. The number of voters who trust their own judgment has remained fairly consistent since early June of last year. However, the number of voters who place more trust in Obama’s decision making is down six points from the end of last month and has reached its lowest level measured since early February 2009. 82% of GOP voters and 70% of Unaffiliateds trust their own economic judgment more than the president's. 50% of Democrats put more confidence in Obama.
Ya’all live long, strong and ornery,
Rajjpuut
**The questions used to calculate the Political Class-Mainstream Index are:
A. Generally speaking, when it comes to important national issues, whose judgment do you trust more - the American people or America’s political leaders?
B. Some people believe that the federal government has become a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests. Has the federal government become a special interest group?
C. Do government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors?
Each response earns a plus 1 for the mainstream YES answer or a minus 1 for the political -class NO answer, and a 0 for not sure.
Respondents scoring 2 or higher are considered part of the Mainstream. Those who score a -2 or lower are considered to be aligned with the Political Class. Those who score +1 or -1 are considered “leaners” in one direction or the other.
In practical terms, if someone is classified with the Mainstream, they agree with the mainstream view on at least two of the three questions and don’t agree with the Political Class on any.
