Poll:Obama Has Upper Hand in Stimulus Fight-67% approval rating on the stimulus is 2X that of Repubs

[Pirate Smile]

Obama Has Upper Hand in Stimulus Fight
Obama’s 67% approval rating on the stimulus is more than twice that of Republicans

by Frank Newport
PRINCETON, NJ -- The American public gives President Barack Obama a strong 67% approval rating for the way in which he is handling the government's efforts to pass an economic stimulus bill, while the Democrats and, in particular, the Republicans in Congress receive much lower approval ratings of 48% and 31%, respectively.



These findings, based on Gallup Poll interviews conducted Feb. 6-7, underscore the degree to which Obama appears to be maintaining the upper hand over his opponents from a public opinion perspective as he and congressional leaders wrangle over the precise form and substance of a new economic stimulus plan. (Recent Gallup polling also shows that a slight majority of Americans in general favor the idea of passing a stimulus plan of around $800 billion, a sentiment that has stayed constant over the last several weeks.)

-snip-
The data in particular show the sharp divide between the public's views of how Obama has handled efforts to pass a stimulus bill and its views of how the Republicans have handled this -- a divide that quantitatively produces a 36-point approval gap.

-snip-
These relatively positive sentiments toward Obama were reflected in recent Gallup polling that asked Americans whether their confidence in Obama's ability to improve the economy and manage the government had gotten better or had gotten worse since his inauguration. At least half of Americans said their confidence had increased, while only 17% to 18% said they had less confidence.



-snip
Bottom Line

President Obama would appear to have the upper hand in the current focus on Congress' efforts to pass a major economic stimulus bill. Not only does Obama get much higher approval ratings for the way in which he is handling the stimulus issue than do either the Democrats or, in particular, the Republicans in Congress, but a majority of Americans agree with him that passing such a bill is critically important for improving the nation's economy.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/114202/Obama-Upper-Hand-Stimulus-Fight.aspx

Edit to add - A big point that isn't emphasized in in Gallup's write up - 58% DISAPPROVAL of Republicans on the stimulus.

58%!

A huge majority DISAPPROVES of the bullshit Republicans have been pulling for the last couple of weeks while Republicans and the media are crowing about how awesome the Republicans have been doing in their obstruction, cherry-picking and, essentially, fiddling while Rome burns.

The public is not buying it.

[Clio the Leo]

1. Or to put it another way.....

[Pirate Smile]

6. I've got to add that to the OP.

Thanks!:fistbump:

[Pirate Smile]

7. whoops, dupe - you can say that again.

Thanks!:fistbump:

[bdamomma]

8. I love that sentiment!!!

wait until his press conference tonite, he will keep on getting high viewer ratings. Our media just sucks.

[Clio the Leo]

9. Yep, I've missed that picture...

.... it got me through the rough days of last September lol.

[Kaylee]

2. Since the primaries, the media has been trying to push the narrative that

"Obama is failing" on the public. They are so out of touch with what the American public is going through that they have yet to realize that we are ignoring them. We are so over this partisan back and forth the media thrives on. Times are too dire for that side-show.

[liberal N proud]

3. All this in spite of the 24/7 media push by the GOP.

[MoJoWorkin]

4. Yep. But who in the MSM will report THIS?

I am sure all the cable chatter will still be on how he is doing such a bad job, loosing 20 points in the polls, etc.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

34. You got Chris "sensation up my leg" Matthews how there stating that the American people have

actually turned on Obama. He is out there misrepresenting the polls, and the M$M sycophants are following suit.

[Kahuna]

5. Uh oh. I just sent this to Morning Joe. He won't like this.

:rofl:

on edit: I also just sent this to Shuster and Todd. If we get this out to the media, maybe one of them will have the stones to report it.

[Pirate Smile]

10. Thank you!

Good work.:yourock:

[Kahuna]

11. I also just sent this to Andrea Mitchell. We should all get this out to

our favorite media contacts. And :yourock: too. ;)

[MoJoWorkin]

12. Don't count on it-----them having "stones"

Do lemmings have stones?

[Kahuna]

13. True that. But if they know that the "story" is getting out to other media

folks they may be forced to report the truth or at least to not report a lie. :shrug:

[Kahuna]

15. Ha ha ha. Mika just reluctantly reported the poll.

:rofl:

[Pirate Smile]

14. A big point that isn't emphasized in in Gallup's write up - 58% DISAPPROVAL of Republicans on the

stimulus.

58%!

A huge majority DISAPPROVES of the bullshit they've been pulling for the last couple of weeks but Republicans and the media are crowing about how awesome the Republicans have been doing in their obstruction, cherry-picking and, essentially, fiddling while Rome burns.

I added it to the OP.

[MoJoWorkin]

19. I would like this Gallup report to be in the face of every Repuke Congress critter this morning.

I wish it could be handed out to them on their breakfast table in BOLD PRINT--this should ruin their appetite.

[Pirate Smile]

16. HA - Mika just read the numbers on air.

:toast:

[Kahuna]

17. Let's see if Joe has that stupid, chagrined face where his eyes..

tighten and his voice lowers after the break. :rofl:

[ErinBerin84]

18. heh!

What was the reaction from the Morning Joe peanut gallery?

[Kahuna]

20. Mika was very reluctant to report it. She rushed through the headline

from USA Today, made a comment about how maybe the president is gaining support (in an annoyed voice) and tossed the paper aside.

[City Lights]

33. Did she down a shot of vodka after reading it? nt

[Kahuna]

36. LOL! Prolly... She's been very anti "stimulant." Of course. She has TWO jobs

now. She has a syndicated radio show with Joe so no doubt her financial picture is much improved. It's improved so much that she recently bought a new farm in PA. Go Mika! :puke:

[City Lights]

32. Well knock me over with a feather!

:wow: I'm shocked that she covered this. I would have expected the whole crew to sweep it under the rug. :wow:

[Triana]

21. It seems much of the public didn't listen to the lame$tream media before the election...

...let's hope they continue tuning them OUT, since they're run by the GOP anyway and since they are just as WRONG.

[Kahuna]

22. Watching MSNBC right now. Of course, Contessa is still spinning this

as a "problem" for Obama. Even while Monica Novatney reports Obama with 67% approval, vs. 31% approval for the repukes. :grr:

[Triana]

24. sensationalist propaganda (rightwingnut variety) - I still have analog teevee

and NO cable. That's why. Blech!

[ClarkUSA]

23. Looks as if a big majority of Americans approve of Pres. Obama's bipartisan outreach.

Getting Republicans to look like the obstructionist ingrates they are was another Team O stroke of genius.

Some DUers oughta get a friggin' clue.

[Kahuna]

25. Yep! nt

[Beetwasher]

28. You Might Kinda Get The Impression O Knows What He's Doing

Sorta maybe kinda.

[Pirate Smile]

26. kick

[Barack_America]

27. And now the media is starting to cover the stimulus favorably.

What a coincidence.

:eyes:

[Kahuna]

37. All of a sudden. They can't squash the USA Today/Gallup poll....

You know they'd like to though. :eyes: Bastiges.

[uponit7771]

29. Keep painting them as RushPublicans, Keep making them the bad guy and they'll cave when the votes...

...don't head their way

[Hope And Change]

30. K & R!

[MadHound]

31. And meanwhile, despite all this approval, instead of becoming streetfighters to push their agenda

The Congressional Dems continue to cave, adding in more tax cuts and taking out vital programs that create jobs.

Pathetic, just pathetic.

[Pirate Smile]

35. First Read: OBAMA TEAM STRESSES POLLING

OBAMA TEAM STRESSES POLLING

From NBC’s Chuck Todd
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE -- Three write-ups in one: Headlines: POTUS comes back to press area, mostly about Camp David; Axelrod gives a quick poll briefing; Gibbs does a gaggle, notes an addition to the schedule, a Thursday trip to Springfield now has a stop in Peoria, Ill., where the president will visit a Caterpillar facility.

So will we see the "How's it playin’ in Peoria" headlines galore by Thursday?

Obama meets the press
At 10:04 am ET, 11 minutes into the flight, a coatless president came back to the press part of Air Force One to say hi, scrambling all of your friendly multi-platform reporters.

It was a "nicer ride," he noted from the days of the campaign.

A few questions were asked about how he liked Camp David, where he was over the weekend. It was his first trip there as president.

“You can see during the summer, it is going to be a nice time,” Obama said of the presidential retreat.

He added that he looked forward to being able to hit a few golf balls there and maybe playing some basketball.

He noted that daughter Sasha brought a friend, and they had a good time. He also noted that a friend of Michelle's also came and brought her two kids. "So it was nice," he said.

Axelrod briefs on polling
Senior adviser David Axelrod, sans coat as well, came back around 10:20, gloating about the new Gallup poll, a printout he had rolled up in his hand.

He said there was "strong support for this. The Gallup poll this morning reflects everything I've seen the last couple of weeks. … One thing we learned over two years, there is a whole different conversation" being had outside of Washington.

Of the American public, he said, "They aren't sweating the details" of what's in the bill or what isn't. He added, "We've got a good plan to deal with a deep crisis. The American people support it. We are urging everyone in Congress to catch up with the American people."

Gibbs’ gaggle
Robert Gibbs came back at about 10:35 for questions for about 15 minutes.

Gibbs quoted their private polling and stressed that it comports with public polling. (The polling, he said he believes, is done by Joel Benenson and paid for by DNC)

"Public polling is ahead of where cable TV is" in terms of conventional wisdom that is going on in Wash vs. the "reality in America," he said. He added, "This is not explaining to Indiana what is going on in Washington; this is explaining to Washington what is going on in Indiana and other places."

Other notable answers: Gibbs played down the need for bipartisan support: "I don't think they are worried about the final score," referring to the ultimate vote count.

Gibbs joked that with today's town hall in Elkhart, he'd get a chance to compare the public's questions with the press at the prime time news conference tonight.

Also of note, Gibbs confirmed that the president would tack on a stop in Peoria, Ill., before heading to Springfield, Ill., on Thursday.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/02/09/1787139.aspx