WaPo - Obama ratings sink to new lows as hope fades

[@DCGoldPants]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-ratings-sink-to-new-lows-as-hope-fades/2011/09/05/gIQAIytZ5J_story.html?hpid=z1

Obama ratings sink to new lows as hope fades

By Jon Cohen and Dan Balz, Updated: Tuesday, September 6, 12:05 AM

Public pessimism about the direction of the country has jumped to its highest level in nearly three years, erasing the sense of hope that followed President Obama’s inauguration and pushing his approval ratings to a record low, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

More than 60 percent of those surveyed say they disapprove of the way the president is handling the economy and, what has become issue No. 1, the stagnant jobs situation. Just 43 percent now approve of the job he is doing overall, a new career low; 53 percent disapprove, a new high.

As part of a reinvigorated effort to regain momentum as he heads toward the 2012 election year, Obama traveled to Detroit on Monday for a Labor Day appearance that served as a prelude to his speech Thursday to a joint session of Congress in which he will unveil new proposals to create jobs.

The urgency for Obama to act is driven not just by the most recent unemployment report, which on Friday showed no job growth in August and the unemployment rate stuck at 9.1 percent, but also by the depth of the political hole in which the president finds himself. Even more than two-thirds of those who voted for Obama say things are badly off course.

By this time in their presidencies, approval ratings for both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton — who also suffered serious midterm setbacks during their first term — had settled safely above the 50 percent mark. Both then stayed in positive territory throughout their reelection campaigns.

When ratings for George W. Bush slipped into the low 40s during his second term in office, they remained there or lower for the remainder of his presidency.

Obama does, however, rate better than do congressional Republicans, his adversaries in recent, fierce confrontations on federal spending. Just 28 percent approve of the way Republicans in Congress are doing their job, and 68 percent disapprove, the worst spread for the GOP since summer 2008.

When it comes to head-to-head match-ups on big economic issues, the public is deeply — and evenly — divided between Obama and congressional Republicans. Four in 10 side with both Obama and the GOP on jobs. There are similarly even splits on the economy generally and on the deficit. In all three areas, the percentages of Americans trusting “neither” are at new highs.

Nonetheless, current trends are highly unfavorable for the president. By 2 to 1, more Americans now say the administration’s economic policies are making the economy worse rather than better. The number who say those policies have helped has been chopped in half since the start of the year. The percentage of Americans disapproving of how Obama is doing when it comes to creating jobs spiked 10 percentage points higher since July.

Of the more than six in 10 who now disapprove of Obama’s work on jobs and the economy, nearly half of all Americans “strongly” disapprove.

more after the jump

[88Comrade2000]

Boo Hoo. Considering the way the Republican race is playing out; OBama is going to win reelection in a close race but he will win.

[Wrong Direction]

Starting Wednesday night, with Perry in his first debate, and Thursday, with Obama's jobs speech, and later on the debt ceiling discussion, it'll be an interesting fall.

Obama's approval ratings will start to improve simply because the focus will be more on the alternative than just him, and people will pick sides like they traditionally do. Will they improve enough for re-election? Who knows?

[Predicto]

Hard to disagree with the article. Sitting presidents always eat it in popularity when the economy slogs, and they always get credit when the economy booms, regardless of the reasons for the problems. Been that way since the Republic was founded.

[88Comrade2000]

Oh, his poll numbers are perfect for a 3 way race.

Donald, here's that check for your fall campaign.

[Henry]

I agree. If a third party were ever to emerge, now's the time.

According to realclearpolitics.com, Congressional approval is now hovering around 12 percent.

Twelve. Percent.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/congressional_job_approval-903.html

[zoony]

Bill Maher called him the "great sphinx" on twitter the other day. By that he meant big *****.

...

[sacase]

I think it will just contiune to spiral downward. Barring some major event or an abrupt shift in the economy, he is one and done as long as the republicans can put forth someone with normal sense.

[Switchgear]

Unless the underlying issues causing this economic climate (trade imbalance, lack of domestic jobs) is addressed, this will be the common theme for several presidents to come. Get elected promising to fix things, then watch the poll numbers steadily decline as the economy fails to improve, then get booted out. Rinse, repeat, ad nauseum.

[The Evil Genius]

I think it will just contiune to spiral downward. Barring some major event or an abrupt shift in the economy, he is one and done as long as the republicans can put forth someone with normal sense.

When was the last time the GOP put someone forward with "normal sense" for the Presidency?

[McD5]

I'm voting for ABO.

Anyone but Obama.

[ABQCOWBOY]

When was the last time the GOP put someone forward with "normal sense" for the Presidency?

How bout McCain?

[The Evil Genius]

How bout McCain?

The McCain that conformed to the new GOP standards (when nominated) and was saddled with the Palin albatross?

[sacase]

When was the last time the GOP put someone forward with "normal sense" for the Presidency?

Well Bush did beat Kerry and Gore. LOL

[@DCGoldPants]

I think it will just contiune to spiral downward. Barring some major event or an abrupt shift in the economy, he is one and done as long as the republicans can put forth someone with normal sense.

I think that's wishful thinking from you. I don't know how much they will improve. But if I were anti-Obama I would wish this is happening 10 months from now. Not right before the GOP primary season where they can go all Thunderdome on each other.

There is nothing wrong with compromise and working together. But Obama found a way to try compromising so much that he didn't get much done correctly. He should have reached out his hand in good faith and when it was slapped away...rammed through as much of what he wanted as possible. Not keep offering the hand.

[ABQCOWBOY]

The McCain that conformed to the new GOP standards (when nominated) and was saddled with the Palin albatross?

Yes. Do you feel as if he did not have "normal sense?" As I watch what is happening in the country now, I see more and more sense to a great deal of what he said.

[DeaconTheVillain]

Well Bush did beat Kerry and Gore. LOL

Very sad to see straight ticket voters

[NoCalMike]

I see another 2004 Election. Obama will win a close election without much enthusiasm.

[addicted]

Awesome

Sink baby

Then next year when Rick Perry is on the ticket

You will see a blastoff for Obama again and in the end it will be exciting

The Republicans are freaking retarded to think that another Texan is going to win in 2012

The country isn't ready for another Bush

But see I also don't like Obama and think he sucks

So once again in my life time there is only the choice of

"which of these sorry ass douchbags do I want to see on TV for the next 4 years?"

In other words we don't have a choice

Maybe one day the general public might come around to the new idea that we are better off with more then 2 candidates

But I wont hold my breath

The moment it looked like we actually might have more then 2 parties the S&P tanked our economy sighting "political unrest"

And the teapartiers were blamed killing that party

Yet it was the S&P ratings on our banks and housing that caused the economic turmoil in the first place

Is it just me thinking this is wrong?

Both political figures in both of these parties in my mind can go **** themselves

They both have negative ratings in my mind

[sacase]

I think that's wishful thinking from you. I don't know how much they will improve. But if I were anti-Obama I would wish this is happening 10 months from now. Not right before the GOP primary season where they can go all Thunderdome on each other.

There is nothing wrong with compromise and working together. But Obama found a way to try compromising so much that he didn't get much done correctly. He should have reached out his hand in good faith and when it was slapped away...rammed through as much of what he wanted as possible. Not keep offering the hand.

I don't know how you can say it is wishful thinking, he has been trending downward for a long time. This is not a new development.

Compromise is not here is what I want, now agree with it or else I won't compromise. LOL Look, the Dems didn't have to compromise. They could have done anything they wanted to do for 2 years! There is a reason why they didn't, they wanted political cover in case things went south. the GOP didn't play that game. So please stop with this whole compromise thing.

[Switchgear]

Compromise is not here is what I want, now agree with it or else I won't compromise.

I agree. It's a shame that's exactly what the Republicans did in the debt ceiling debate.

LOL Look, the Dems didn't have to compromise. They could have done anything they wanted to do for 2 years! There is a reason why they didn't, they wanted political cover in case things went south. the GOP didn't play that game. So please stop with this whole compromise thing.

If Democrats were able to get everyone to fall in line the way Republicans can (not a knock on either party, just an observation) they wouldn't have had to compromise for 2 years. But they can't so they had to.

[Thiebear]

So President Obama was Jimmy Carter: Except for his foreign affairs and passed Universal Healthcare that couldn't be passed for the last 90 years.

And anyone from Texas is President Bush jr.

Some of you need to look deeper than ®(D). You seem a bit myopic.