So Much for <50%

By On April 7, 2009 · 7 Comments

Imagine righty bloggers being wrong…again! When the AIG bonus story blew up it was said that within weeks Obama’s approval rating would slip below 50% and he’d be in real trouble.

So much for that…

These sometimes turbulent weeks ? marked by new initiatives by Mr. Obama, attacks by Republicans and more than a few missteps by the White House ? do not appear to have hurt the president. Americans said they approved of Mr. Obama?s handling of the economy, foreign policy, Iraq and Afghanistan; fully two-thirds said they approved of his overall job performance.

By contrast, just 31 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of the Republican Party, the lowest in the 25 years the question has been asked in New York Times/CBS News polls.

When can we stop listening to them?

Evangelize!
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  • Jeff

    I was one who thought the AIG bonus hubbub would hurt President Obama. Guess I was wrong.

    But are polls the standard by which we judge achievement? Integrity? It’s clear at this point that Tim Geithner, Chris Dodd – and Obama himself – were not truthful with Americans on the matter of the bonuses. They claimed ignorance as to how they were authorized, we now know that they were deliberately authorized by these individuals who later lied to our faces about them.

    Is this not cause for at least a small bit of concern on your part – that the President – for whom you voted because you thought he would bring ‘change’ – lied so brazenly to you and expected he would get away with it? In part, because he can; in part because he’s counting on your sense of party loyalty trumping your sense of right and wrong?

    Not trying to start something here, these are serious questions.

  • http://www.plunderbund.com Eric

    Of course you were wrong Jeff. If I’m thinking of the comments you made they were pretty definitive. Not some passing “I think…”

    You suffer a bit of a credibility problem in now quizzing me.

    Yes, polls are the standard by which we judge. Polls and elections. What other objective criteria would you like to use? You can bicker over the specific poll and it’s methodology, but I think you know that President Obama is not taking the hit those on the right desperately want him to…tea party or no tea party…wild eyed Glenn Beck or no Glenn Beck…wingnut blogger or no wingnut blogger.

    I’ll say it again. I’m not that pissed about the bonuses. In the larger scheme of things they don’t matter and I think you are seeing the polls bear this out. They were a gotcha moment for the GOP that failed miserably.

    You don’t make a very good case that Obama lied to me or any other American about the bonuses. So no, I’m not concerned. I don’t have a party loyalty per se. I am loyal to the larger picture of what our President is trying to do, however, and I won’t be distracted by so many bonus gnats.

    I’m sure your questions are serious, but your premise isn’t.

    Care to make any other polling or approval rating predictions? ;-)

  • http://www.plunderbund.com Eric

    PS – 66/24

  • Jeff

    Hm. Interesting.

    The stimulus bill specifically authorized the bonuses. Dodd amended the bill inn response to a request from Obama Treasury chief. Obama signed the bill. Then everyone – Obama, Dodd, Geithner faked outrage. You don’t think that’s a problem? I disagree. I share your view that the bonuses weren’t a big deal; in fact, I believe they should have been paid. My objection is to the theatrics. The lies, if you will.

    My point was that polls are fine, but they are a poor substitute for integrity. President Obama, Dodd and Geithner, whatever their other virtues, didn’t display a lot of integrity here. A 60 percent approval rating is fine. And as I wrote above, I was wrong – I underestimated the grip that this President has on so many of his supporters that he is able to lie to them and not suffer a hit in polling data.

    But we shall see how long the data hold up. Unemployment’s gonna be on the wrong side of ten percent in six months. No predictions as to the public’s response…

  • http://www.plunderbund.com Eric

    Where was your version of integrity when Bush and Co. were running roughshod over both The Constitution and our reputation? Hmmm? Where the fuck were you friend?

    You seem to view molehills as mountains and vice versa. You’ll take stock of that if you’ve any intellectual honesty whatever.

    If you indeed object to theatrics you’ll find plenty to criticize on the GOP side of the fence, but one does wonder if you’ll take issue with it.

    Michelle Bachmann. Glenn Beck. Rush Limbaugh. Eric Cantor’s current assault on the floor of the house.

    Seriously, Jeff. Try harder to fake your own outrage.

  • Jeff

    Whoa. I didn’t think I wrote anything that offensive. And I’m not outraged, just pointing something out. Without swearing.

    For what it’s worth, I was happy to see Bush retire. That said, I know where I’m not welcome…

  • http://www.plunderbund.com Eric

    I curse. Get used to it if you plan to comment here…much less call me out for not being “concerned” that my President (and supported candidate) LIED TO ME!!!

    You are welcome to comment, just come correct. Glad we agree about Bush. I assume you pounded righty bloggers about how much he lied to them. Won’t hold my breath before finding evidence of such though.

    It’s not that you’re not welcome, but if you are going to come here and attempt to hold me accountable then I’m going to do the same to you.

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