Backfire: Obama Approval Plummets During Gun Push
by Mike Flynn 18 Jan 2013, 1:07 PM PDT 474 post a comment
Just a week before the New Year, Obama enjoyed his highest approval ratings of 2012. According to Gallup, 58% of Americans approved of the job Obama was doing. Survey results released today by Gallup, though, show Obama's approval rating has plummeted to just 49%. It is a dramatic drop, especially coming over a holiday period when people traditionally pay little attention to politics. Four years ago, at his first inauguration, a full 69% of Americans approved of Obama. The drop in Obama's approval from 4 years ago is understandable, given the sluggish economy and the hope American's had as his presidency began. The considerable drop from just a few weeks ago is more puzzling. According to the media, he was the "winner" of the fiscal cliff negotiations, getting most of the tax hikes he campaigned on and avoiding spending cuts.
Also according to the media, he has deftly exploited the Sandy Hook tragedy to make a renewed push for gun control. This is supposedly popular with the American public and Obama has been all over the airwaves pushing his proposals. He even orchestrated a back-drop of children from across the country to release his proposals to the public.
And, yet, his approval rating is dropping. Exit polls from the past election make it pretty clear that voters chose Obama the person and not his policies. Pushing his policies even further to the left looks like its backfiring with the public.
breitbart.com
Public Gloomy Ahead of Obama Inaugural
by Mike Flynn 18 Jan 2013, 7:46 PM PDT 3 post a comment
When Barack Obama first took the oath of office in 2009, he enjoyed around 70% approval ratings in the polls. His historic election had triggered a groundswell of hope and good feelings about his first term. By overwhelming majorities, Americans were hopeful about the future. Just days before his second inauguration, however, a new poll from The Hill finds that the public is much more pessimistic about the next four years. Just 18% of voters believe that Obama's first term exceeded their expectations. 80% feel the first term fell below or simply met their expectations. 60% of Americans do not feel they will make economic gains in the next four years of Obama's presidency.
A good deal of the voters' pessimism is likely due to the fact that Obama spends most of his time on issues that aren't relevant to their lives. 39% of voters say Obama should focus his energy on reviving the economy. 38% believe he should focus on dealing with the deficit and the national debt. Those thinking his priority should be immigration, gun violence or other issues are in the single digits. Yet, these latter issues is where Obama seems to be spending his political capital.
Obama won reelection by a narrow, but solid, margin. According to exit polls, however, his victory was due more to personal feelings about him rather than his policies. His policy agenda has not captured the attention of the public.
The second inauguration feels more like a hangover than a party.
breitbart.com |
