CBS News poll: Obama approval rises from 46% to 50%

[Jennicut]

PRESIDENT OBAMA AT ONE YEAR
January 14-17, 2010
President Barack Obama completes his first year in office with his job approval rating rising in the past week, to 50% now. His handling of the U.S. response to the earthquake in Haiti receives widespread approval.

But his overall rating is lower than when he took office. His current standing is similar to that of several recent presidents after their first years in office.

President Obama’s falling approval ratings during his first year may have much to do with views of who is - and isn’t - benefiting from his efforts. Americans say financial companies and banks have been big winners so far, while the middle class and small businesses have gotten short shrift. Fewer Americans now than when he took office say the President cares about them personally.

Americans think the President has had limited success in meeting his campaign themes of bringing change to Washington and getting past partisanship. A sharp partisan divide clouds many policy evaluations in this poll.

APPROVAL RATINGS
President Obama’s job approval rating is now 50%, up from last week’s all-time low of 46%. When he took office a year ago, 62% approved.
http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/poll_obama_011810.pdf?tag=contentMain

It is clear that if Obama wants his approval rating to go up, he MUST do something about the perception that the big corps are being allowed to do whatever they want. He made a good speech today about it, but we need action.

[uponit7771]

1. shit, somethin to make this dreary ass'd day better

[Jennicut]

2. I am really starting to believe that Obama has a real opening here with

Wall St. regulations. The polls in the Mass election showed the same thing, people want populist action toward the banks. I also think Obama benefited this week from his quick actions with Haiti. He is at least competent in a natural disaster, something Bush could never claim..

[monmouth]

6. Now, if he would just call those 5 on the SC decision A Holes I'd

love him a lot...LOL. And do it in prime time, please.

[uponit7771]

10. AMEN!!!

[bigdarryl]

3. Some dip shit on MSNBC today said his poll numbers were dropping

[Jennicut]

4. He went up from last month per ABC, CBS and NBC polls

[jenmito]

5. Thanks for this.

[burning rain]

7. Now's the ideal time for him to start talking populist.

Since, with just 59 votes in the Senate, Democrats can't do anything. Thus the president can have his cake and eat it, too: get voters to like him with populist talk, and not offend corporate interests with legislation they dislike.

[Jennicut]

8. No, he has to actually do something. He has already talked.

If he and the Dems don't, they will lose even more seats then they were going to lose before. It is up to Congress and Obama to learn from the Mass election, or bury their heads in the sand. Talking won't fly anymore.

[burning rain]

13. I suspect he'd be cool with Dems losing lots more seats in the midterms.

I'm becoming convinced that his goal in becoming president, was simply to be president. And there he is, at the top of the heap. I doubt he'll have much trouble getting reelected in 2012 simply on the basis of charisma and residual voter distrust of the GOP at the presidential level after eight years of George W. Bush.

During the primaries, it bothered me to learn that even though he'd made president of the Harvard Law Review, Obama had to his credit no notable law articles. It all makes sense if you posit that he doesn't care to do anything, but just wants to be top dog.

[Jennicut]

14. A Mitt Romney type would easily win in 2012 if Obama has nothing to show for substance.

I may be cynical but not that cynical.

[burning rain]

15. I guess we'll have to see.

But in the end I doubt he'd much mind losing his reelection--he could start raking in a million bucks a speech four years earlier that way.

[impik]

17. If you knew anything about him

You'd know that his biggest problem all his life was not giving a damn about money, and that he gave up tons of offers to work in the biggest law-firms in the country, in order to be community organizer, civil rights lawyer and a teacher.

You may want to read a little bit about the president. It'll do you good.

[burning rain]

18. I've read "Dreams from My Father" & "Audacity of Hope."

And much more about him besides. I'm becoming convinced that all the nice-looking things he did were little more than resume builders. Not cashing in early can put you in position to cash in more handsomely, later. A narrative of idealism can go a long way. Note his admission in Audacity of Hope that he joined Rev. Wright's church for sake of social credibility and extrapolate from there.

[SammyWinstonJack]

20. Just wanted to be president. I've thought that all along. Nice to know I'm not the only one who

thinks this.


Wrong guy, wrong time.

[Phx_Dem]

9. Good news. So much for the MA vote being a referendum on Obama.

4 points in one week is nothing to sneeze at!

[Kaleva]

11. 81% of Dems approve of Obama.

[WI_DEM]

12. 53% approve in ABC Poll and 56% in AP poll.

[Irish_shark]

16. An uptick was to be expected, after an all-time-low 46%

Good news though.

[Clio the Leo]

19. If that thing doesn't fall tomorrow I'm calling the whole thing bunk....

.... I dont know how in the world he comes off of Tuesday's election unscathed pollistically.

[burning rain]

21. "Pollistically"? *chuckle* No wonder I like you, Clio.

I wouldn't be surprised if his personal popularity holds up. He's credible as president, not a maniac, reassuring after Bush, and has a basic humanity as evidenced by his response to Haiti. That's not to say people are impressed with his policy initiatives on controversial issues--few are. But I think his reelection chances are good even if people remain dissatisfied with the policies--congressional Democrats look like they're going to get thrashed in the midterms, especially if Democratic Senators continue meekly deferring to the 60-vote rule and deliver diddly-squat. At the same time, though, that could help Obama politically--he could run as a check on crazy Republicans in 2012--as Bill Clinton largely did in 1996.

[Clio the Leo]

22. Yeah, but I fully expected....

.... poll respondents who were a bit hesitant about the President in general to use the loss on Tuesday to pile on.

Maybe they feel sorry for him? lol

I think it will be interesting to see what he can do with fewer Dems in Congress .... I thought this for a while now wondering if he might actually get MORE legislation passed. We may not LIKE the legislation, but it will be interesting to watch it play out none the less.

Now ..... get that crazy woman off your avatar space. :)

[backscatter712]

23. The immediate gain is because he's finally threatening to put a real leash on Wall Street.

That's what the public's been demanding for a year.

About fucking time he bought a vowel and solved the puzzle here.

If he like high approval ratings and wants to be reelected, he'd better follow through and not waver.

[FrenchieCat]

24. K&R!