People Love Obama
Barack Obama continues to be stupendously popular:
Eighty-two percent of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday morning approve of the way the Obama is handling his presidential transition. That’s up 3 points from when we asked this question at the beginning of December. Fifteen percent of those surveyed disapprove of the way Obama’s handling his transition, down 3 points from our last poll.
The 82 percent approval is higher than then President-elect George W. Bush 8 years ago, who had a 65 percent transition approval rating, and Bill Clinton, at 67 percent in 1992.
[...]
The poll also suggests that the public approves of the President-elect’s cabinet nominees, with 56 percent of those questioned saying Obama’s appointments have been outstanding or above average, with 32 percent feeling the picks have been average, and 11 percent saying Obama’s choices have been below average or poor.
That 56 percent figure is 18 points higher than those who said then President-elect Bush’s cabinet appointments were outstanding or above average and 26 points higher than those who felt the same way about then President-elect Clinton’s nominees.
[...]
A third say that their impression of Obama has gotten better since the election, with only 8 percent saying their opinion has gotten worse.
Of course that’s not going to last. But it does suggest that Obama should have some pretty wide latitude to drum up support for controversial moves. It would be interesting to see if, for example, Obama tries to use his popularity to move the needle on EFCA. But most important is going to be his economic stabilization/recovery policies. He’s got a lot of leeway, but if the economic situation doesn’t improve at some point that popularity will vanish.
30 Responses to “People Love Obama”
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December 24th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
That’s nice, I guess.
But Obama’s not rated very high on this lesbian feminist’s scale these days.
I’m waiting to see something after January 20. Until then, after the way he just kicked me in the gut, I’m reserving all judgment.
December 24th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
It is not entirely fair to compare Obama’s transition to Bush 43’s because of the whole Florida recount thing.
That said Obama has done a fantastic job thus far, including standing up for his choice for the invocation.
However I am sure that the public is engaging in both anchoring and optimism bias. Humans tend to be overly optimistic about planed events by nature and are thus really optimistic about Obama’s ascension on Jan 20. Also, remember that we are anchoring our views on Obama by comparing him to the worst president in history – and he looks fantastic in comparison.
December 24th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I’m just afraid people expect miracles on Jan. 21st. Some people need a reality check on how difficult bringing real change will be.
December 24th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Shorter MattY: the MSM’s lies and puffball treatment are working!
December 24th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Correction: I realize now that MattY isn’t bright enough to realize the MSM’s role in any such surveys (almost rhymed there but I stopped myself in time), and even if he realized it, he’s too intellectually dishonest to mention it.
December 24th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Now let’s all go laugh uproariously at the notion of a modern Democrat having the guts to do something even mildly controversial.
Which lies would those be?
December 24th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
So true! Who are we to punish someone for stealing an election?
December 24th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
It would be interesting to see if, for example, Obama tries to use his popularity to move the needle on EFCA.
I hope he uses his popularity to get us universal healthcare, as opposed to a special-interest give-away. EFCA would be good for unions, which could arguably (though it’s hardly clear) be good for America eventually, but getting healthcare though would be a much bigger win for a much broader set of people.
December 24th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Wow, Matt gets thrice insulted, on Christmas eve no less. Plus, a triple hate-filled snowball at the President, the blogger, and the media all at once.
At least we get to hear from that radical fringe 15% whose bile knows no holiday. Viva Democracy, though too bad the self-inflater has nothing to say beyond playground taunts.
The country in two wars and an economic depression, and 24AheadDotCom still finds some time to pimp his poorly-trafficked, my-11-year-old-can-put-together-such-a-templated-mess anti-immigration blog and launch some snot from his bedroom think tank. And the pagan stews and weeps alone on Christmas. The heart breaks!
December 24th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
I wonder if you J-Palm’s balls are still on your neck.
December 24th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I don’t love Obama. I don’t even like Obama.
But to be contrarian, I do think he could survive a depression lasting all the way thru 2012, as long as he puts food on America’s table. After four years of hell, what exactly is Romney gonna offer, tax cuts & deregulation for investment bamkers? Republicans are toast.
The thing to worry about is terrorism or war.
December 24th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Assuming the quoted polls are post Warren as invocation pastor and the Gov. Rudy fiasco. if so, that would credit the american people with perhaps being able to think thru the medias obsession with melodrama and persistent and annoyng invention of “news” stories. There is no “there” there approach to reality mongering.
Regards,
Mickster
December 24th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I’m not onboard with Obama yet. If he does use his political capital in efforts to restore the economy, the Constitution and America’s reputation I’ll get with the program.
By way of comparison, Bush never had political capital and he went ahead without it– political deficit spending? If only Democrats had that kind of nerve.
December 24th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Where’s the change? It looks like the same old DC insider crap, only more years of greed and arrogance. HE promised change, YOU assumed it would be good.
December 24th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
I loved it where the pundit (Kondracke? Krauthammer?) said that Obama’s rating was so high, it was in post-national-disaster rally-round-the-leader territory.
O RLY? Would that national disaster be named, BUSH/CHENEY?
December 25th, 2008 at 1:00 am
All of you bend you knee to the One. Your dreams of eurotrash socialism cum extreme secularism knees bent advancing party down while the gov creates more problems to prove that they are the solution and the true god.
VFTRT
VWAB
December 25th, 2008 at 7:50 am
but if the economic situation doesn’t improve at some point that popularity will vanish.
If you listen to Krugman and others, it seems there will be improvement in a year or two. All credit for the upswing will accrue to Obama and the Democratic Party, and the Republicans will sink even deeper into oblivion.
December 25th, 2008 at 8:36 am
I’m going to assume Shiny was wasted off his ass when he wrote that at 1:00 am Christmas Eve night.
December 25th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Hmm. Looks as if the vast unwashed masses are not nearly as upset as I am by the choice of Rick Warren as chief priest — which makes me wonder if Obama has a Dick Morris-style pollster running his ideas of the flag. Nate Silver, have you betrayed us?
The Constant Weader at http://www.RealityChex.com
December 25th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Looking at the Big Picture, which is to say, the one on TV, Obama continues to be the one important media/political figure who doesn’t regularly say obviously evasive, delusional, or mean-spirited things on camera. Everyone else is either bickering or spinning. I don’t know long it will last, but even conservatives seem to be sick of all the soap opera and gossip that passes for our national discourse. Obama won’t play the game.
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