Poll: George W. Bush still gets blamed for economic woes

[sabra]

Source: USA Today

Nearly two years after Barack Obama was elected president, Americans still are inclined to blame his predecessor for the nation's current economic problems.

In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday, more than a third of those surveyed said George W. Bush deserved a great deal of the blame for economic woes and a third said he should get a moderate amount of it. Not quite another third called that unfair, saying he warranted not much or none of the responsibility.

The 71% saying Bush should get blamed was a modest decline from the 80% who felt that way about a year ago, in July 2009.

What about President Obama?

In the July 2009 poll, a third, 32%, said he should shoulder a great deal or moderate amount of the blame. That percentage has risen -- no surprise, given that he's been in office for 20 months. Now almost half, 48%, do. But 51% say he's dealing with problems he inherited, not created, saying he deserves not much or none of the responsibility for economic problems that include high unemployment and a faltering housing market.

There was, predictably, a yawning partisan divide on the question. Republicans by 4-1, 44%-10%, were more likely to give Obama a great deal of the blame than Bush. Democrats by more than 20-1 targeted Bush: They said the former president bore a great deal of the blame; just 3% said that of the current one.

Read more: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/09/poll-george-w-bush-obama-economy/1

[Count Olaf]

1. well I guess their propaganda isn't as powerful as they thought!

yay for America- people still use their brains!


However, since the media and government still don't know where the jobs went....a little more research is needed, perhaps go a little further back to Clinton and the "free" trade agreements....we had tariffs for a reason.

Seriously, how does the government and the media get away with pretending NAFTA, WTO had nothing to do with the job losses. It is the freaking obvious HUGE pink elephant in the room.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

2. Poor didums.

He must be despondent. No. Wait. Only those with a conscience would let this news affect them.

[Better Today]

3. He may have inherited it, but he should've done something more focused on

average, middle class Americans by now. Since he hasn't, it's absolutely sensible for people to blame him for the current conditions even if they know he didn't start it. All of his energies have been toward issues that matter little to those who are out of work and losing everything. Even the health insurance giveaway, won't be of any help to those who are facing homelessness.

I'm sure anyone identifying as a Repub or a Dem just now would show skewed results from each other, but just as I knew many who refused to be called "Republican" after GWB won the primary back in 2000, most of those I worked on the 2008 election with, ie Democrats, refuse to be labeled as a Dem anymore, they are all now independents, having found that their hope for change didn't arrive even though they did what they were requested to do, and elected a Dem pres with Dem majorities in both houses.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. As he should.

He very well may have "broken" the damned country. :(

[LittleGirl]

5. this poll is a relief for me

Thanks for making my day by posting it.

[AlbertCat]

6. 50/50?

So how many Dems and how many Repugs did they ask? Was it 50/50?

If 71% overall blame Bush, and most Repugs don't blame Bush, that kinda implies there are not many Repugs, doesn't it?

What did independents think?

[Hulk]

7. God...I would hope so.

If 71% blame "the idiot" and his administration....then that means we only have 29% morons in the country. That's a lot better than I thought.

[bdamomma]

8. he was in office for 8 years and having cheney did not help either

the repigs can go to hell, no way should they get in again, them and the tea party. damn

[Enthusiast]

9. The Republicans and the Bush Administration

deserve by far the most blame on every negative aspect of the economy. But for signing NAFTA and the Graham-Leach-Bliley Act into law Clinton deserves some also.

[bushisanidiot]

10. Anyone who thought President Obama (or ANYONE) could fix AWOL Bush's

mistakes in less than two years, is a fucking idiot.

I'm so sick of people whining that he hasn't cured all of the nation's ills by now. The bar was set so fricking LOW for AWOL Bush, and was raised immeasureably HIGH for President Obama. The "mainstream media" has done nothing but tout the republican tea party's views, and setting this president up to fail. He has about a week long honeymoon before the media did an about face on him. AWOL Bush had 7 YEARS!!!