So much for Obama's "falling poll numbers"

[babylonsister]

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201004260012


So much for Obama's "falling poll numbers"

April 26, 2010 10:45 am ET by Eric Boehlert


Boy, Obama's approval rating just continues to take a beating, right? That storyline must be true because the press has been telling us about his "falling poll numbers" since late last summer.

From The New York Times, December 19, 2009 :

After weeks of frustrating delays and falling poll numbers, Mr. Obama decided to take what he could get, declare victory and claim momentum on some of the administration's biggest priorities, even if the details did not always match the lofty vision that underlined them.

Washington Post, January 19:

On Wednesday one year will have passed since President Obama's inauguration. Much of the tidal wave of assessments has been negative: Falling poll numbers. Unfulfilled promises.

The Weekly Standard, April 26th edition:

The other factor in play is plummeting plummeting poll numbers... White House reporters tend to see falling poll numbers as a sign of incompetence, if not a character flaw.

So it must be true, right? Not quite.

-Obama's Gallup poll rating on Aug. 28, 2009: 50 percent.

-Obama's Gallup poll rating on April 24, 2010: 50 percent.

Look out below!!! Over the span of eight months, Obama's approval rating is exactly where it started. (And it never really budged.)

[liberal N proud]

1. But the talking heads will spin it differently

[Cant trust em]

2. Yay. Obama's poll rating is 50%

Maybe it's not cratering, but I'm not exactly thrilled by this number.

[Kahuna]

4. That number is actually pretty good considering the state of the

economy right now. You've gotta compare apples with apples.

[Kdillard]

8. Given the economy and the beating he takes daily I think his numbers have

Held up well. If the economy continues to improve and HealthCare reform proves beneficial to people we should start to see a rise in that number. Also if he pulls off financial reform, climate change and gets dadt repealed I would be surprised if his numbers didn't skyrocket.

[WI_DEM]

9. How many other presidents have had 50% while dealing with this kind of high unemployment

and the worst recession in history? If it's 50% now where will it be in two years when he is up for re-election and the economy is out of recession and job creation is at a much faster pace?

[HughMoran]

16. What percentage did he get in the election?

It's typical for Presidents to drop to this number after a year or so in office.

[ShortnFiery]

22. Plus, either good or bad, I do NOT believe anything fed to us by the M$M. eom

[Jennicut]

23. But it hasn't changed from that, hence the lie of "falling poll #'s".

They fell, hit around 50 and have not budged.

[tranche]

24. That's probably the best approval numbers of any major politician in the country.

[Aramchek]

27. you're not thrilled by anything having to do with Obama, so that's no surprise

[Cant trust em]

30. Do you know me personally? Have we met before? nt

[Hekate]

34. 67% in the Northeast, 40% in the South, 50% in the rest of the country

Thanks to WI_DEM for this info: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=279301&mesg_id=279301

The point is, the POTUS is not "cratering" and never has been.

The Repub base and racists are not going to like the guy no matter what he does. The rest of the country seems to think he's doing the best he can under the circumstances.

F'petesake, even 40% of the ever-lovin' South gives President Obama a thumbs up.

Can't trust who? Can't trust the talking heads who consistently downgrade the level of popular support for Obama.

Hekate

[Clio the Leo]

3. But it's NOT at 85%....

..... which is where everyone expected it to be. ;)

[rfranklin]

5. We need another 9/11 to get it up around Bush's numbers...

Well, at least for a month or two.

[Cant trust em]

13. I'd be pretty happy with 54%. nt

[smoogatz]

6. Versus St. Ronnie

Lest we forget that Reagan fell to 39% halfway through his first term.

[DrToast]

7. Let's be honest about things: Obama's numbers have fallen since last summer

Not really in the last few months, but definitely since last summer.

http://www.pollster.com/polls/us/jobapproval-obama.php

[emulatorloo]

10. The power of All Teabaggers All The Time on cable news.

And the lack of fact checking of any of this Repub talking points.

Has any cable outlet pointed out the McConnell is lying about the financial reform bill?

[WI_DEM]

11. True, but they weren't expected to stay in the high 60's when we have 10% unemployment

and dealing with the worst recession since the thirties. It's absolutely miraculous actually that Obama's ratings are as high as they are. Without a doubt he is still the most popular national political figure we have.

[smoogatz]

12. That graph is skewed hard right

By the inclusion of Rasmussen and Fox polling, which is total bullshit, and the failure to include stuff like Kos's Reasearch 2000 polling for "balance." Even if you accept it as accurate (and why would you?), he's only down a few points since last July. Compare that to St. Ronnie above.

[Kahuna]

14. So what. His numbers were artificially high during his honeymoon period.

The honeymoon is over.

[DrToast]

15. So what? So we shouldn't make posts that say his numbers haven't fallen since last summer

For the same reason you shouldn't walk around saying drinking bleach is good for you--it's not true!

I though we're the party that clings to reality a bit more.

[Kahuna]

17. You stated the obvious. You stated what happens to every president..

I don't know what point you intended to make...other than to state the obvious. :shrug:

[DrToast]

18. If it was obvious, this thread wouldn't exist!

Would it now?

[fugop]

20. Falling vs. lower

I don't know. My problem isn't so much reporting the truth (his numbers have fallen since last year). It's more the way the media reports it as his numbers "falling" or "plummeting" or other terms that imply approval for Obama is cratering in an ongoing fashion. The way they're reported it, I'm always amazed to find he's not in the 30s, considering he's apparently been falling and falling since last summer, when his numbers were ... pretty close to what they are right now.

The numbers fell off from the early honeymoon period of the 60-percent range a long, long time ago. It would feel more accurate if the media didn't keep implying that his numbers have been continuing to drop for months on end, when, in reality, they fell off his early highs to a much more stable range of the upper-40s to low-50s.

But they can't help themselves. They continue to push the narrative that he's losing all support, even as the polls continue to swing back and forth in a pretty constant range.

That's our liberal media in action!God forbid they report on what's actually happening rather than trying to push a story that they prefer.

[Kahuna]

21. Aye, aye, aye. Have it your way. This is not worth having a pissing

contest over. :hi:

[Aramchek]

26. in reality, Obama's approval numbers were always near the percentage he won the Election by

all that 70% approval stuff wasn't real,
but it sure made for a good "Obama's approval plummets" storyline.

[southernyankeebelle]

19. I stop taking the word of MSM or the Foxpublican News Network. They

all have their own agendas. Just like I think the democrats might loose some seats but will still be in the majority. But it is up to us to go to the polls.

[political_Dem]

25. It seems the press is trying bring Rush's wish to fruition: wanting Mr. Obama to fail.

That's why Democrats cannot fold and let the RW have this wish. We've got to fight back. Stop the compromises with the Republicans and fight to keep our majority in both Houses.

If we don't, our country will be deeply stashed into the sewer.

[jenmito]

28. And Gallup's Daily Tracking poll has Obama "plummeting" to 51% today!

http://www.gallup.com/Home.aspx

[Phx_Dem]

29. Yep. When your "all time low" is in the high 40s,

you're doing pretty damn good!

When the media starts spewing the bullshit, brush it off.

[Cha]

31. President Obama is doing amazing in

the polling department considering the lies and cheap shots swirling around like so much swill.

[wiggs]

32. And that's despite unprecedented lies, exaggeration, and fear mongering on the

part of 90% (literally) of talk radio and many politicians. The RW has as its core goal to discredit, de-legitimize, and hamstring this president. Clinton had to go through some stuff too, but the level of misinformation and misunderstanding that the public has about POTUS and his policies is sky high. Polarization is sky high.

[Lindsey]

33. Why can't people look at the facts? The St. Reagan chart is

all people need to see...end of discussion. WHAT'S WRONG WITH PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NJmaverick]

35. K & R!