After a week in which the White House achieved a $20 Billion Gulf reparations fund and in which Obama blamed Republicans for the joblessness in America, the pollsters at Gallup show a firm majority of Americans right now oppose the 2012 re-election of Barack Obama. 51% of Americans think Mr. Obama should NOT be re-elected while only 46% say he should. Among Democrats 77% want to re-elect while 87% of Republicans oppose. Independents show 53% in opposition to re-election and 43% in favor. Today’s Rasmussen polls showed that among “probable voters” 45% strongly DISapprove of Mr. Obama’s job performance while only 25% strongly approve giving the president a -20 overall Presidential Index rating (Mr. Obama began with a +30 Presidential Index rating in January, 2009).
Overall in the Rasmussen poll, 42% of likely voters at least somewhat approve of Mr. Obama’s efforts and 57% at least somewhat DISapprove. The recent oval office speech by Obama about the Gulf oil debacle helped him slightly with Democrats. President Obama’s numbers have typically bounced following a national television event usually “up a little” (on only one occasion before they dropped slightly). 48% of Democrats now Strongly Approve. That’s up two points since the speech. 77% of Republicans Strongly DISapprove, also up two points since the speech. Among those NOT affiliated with either major party, 49% now Strongly DISapprove. That’s up five points since Tuesday’s speech. Here are some of the issues preying upon voters’ minds:
Most are pleased that $20 Billion has been set aside for Gulf damage claims but a slim majority are worried about a federal government takeover of the claims process; and to a lesser extent of the oil industry. The six-month moratorium on all offshore drilling is heavily criticized. So much involvement in the past nineteen months by the federal government taking over the car industry, banks and insurance companies, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the health care industry, the student loan industry, etc. has three-fifths of the nation up in arms. Given the administration’s open revelation that the cap and trade legislation would “bankrupt the coal industry” and “necessarily skyrocket the price of electricity;” and the realization that major tax increases are coming on January 1, 2011 when the Bush era tax breaks are rescinded; and the huge tax increases tied to Obamacare which 62% of voters want repealed . . . voters are outraged by taxes and spending and debt and apparent big government incompetence (MMS was about to give BP a safety award when the explosion occurred and signing off on several safety$$ issues; and the lack of competent response to cleaning up the mess).
Raising taxes, dramatically raising spending and deficits and national debt, and endless government takeovers of the private sector are very unpopular. Virtually no voters believe that the almost $1 TRillion stimulus money spent has created or saved any jobs; most disagree that the White House was “engaged from Day One” of the Gulf disaster.
Recent revelations that federal government employees receive on average DOUBLE what their private sector counterparts earn ($120,000 when both wages and benefits are considered vs. $62,000) has also angered some. The only sector of the economy that’s grown under Barack Obama has been government jobs.
In Rajjpuut’s none-too humble opinion. There are only two hopes for Mr. Obama and his out-of-touch progressives: A) somehow achieving citizenship for 20 million illegal aliens and getting 80% of their votes, which is becoming more unlikely by the day, or . . . B) dictatorial takeover, so guess which one Mr. Obama will attempt to pull off in order to "fundamentally transform America?"
Ya’ll live long, strong and ornery,**
Rajjpuut
$$ The 1990 and 1994 safety requirements were both ignored. In particular ten (10) firebooms were required at the site and NONE were there.
** in answer to questions recently raised about Rajjpuut’s “sign-off” . . . saying that “long” life was totally understandable; “strong” life was a bit unique; but “ornery” was downright weird . . . . Look at it this way: it’s a hope for a re-balancing and a return to American virtues. Rajjpuut honestly believes that the big shift to the ultra-left by the media which has refused to cover stories contrary to that viewpoint for almost forty years now was begun first by the “hippie” movement and the environmental movement being commandeered by people who thought that living in communes (root word of “communism”) was a good thing. Rajjpuut earnestly hopes that his readers will indeed live long; and stay strong in body, mind and spirit and vote along those lines as well; and show an ornery, feisty streak to help win the country back for the traditional constitutional, fiscal and libertarian^^ values including respectful discourse in the public arena.
** in answer to questions recently raised about Rajjpuut’s “sign-off” . . . saying that “long” life was totally understandable; “strong” life was a bit unique; but “ornery” was downright weird . . . . Look at it this way: it’s a hope for a re-balancing and a return to American virtues. Rajjpuut honestly believes that the big shift to the ultra-left by the media which has refused to cover stories contrary to that viewpoint for almost forty years now was begun first by the “hippie” movement and the environmental movement being commandeered by people who thought that living in communes (root word of “communism”) was a good thing. Rajjpuut earnestly hopes that his readers will indeed live long; and stay strong in body, mind and spirit and vote along those lines as well; and show an ornery, feisty streak to help win the country back for the traditional constitutional, fiscal and libertarian^^ values including respectful discourse in the public arena.
^^ Libertarian values are constitutionalism; strong national defense including of our borders; fiscal-conservatism; and a largely live-and-let-live social outlook (for example, protect gays and all Americans from violence and injustice; let the gays have their unions legitimized with all the rights accorded married couples EXCEPT adoption and palimony). Most important to Libertarians is the 10th Amendment which allows Americans to “vote with their feet” and move from states with onerous tax burdens and ridiculous spending legislatures to states more in line with the original U.S. Constitution such as Texas (which still has a part-time legislature) rather than having all states become homogenized “departments” of a runaway federal government.
