CBS News Poll: Obama Approval Rating Up Slightly

[Drunken Irishman]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20014849-503544.html

Mr. Obama's overall job approval rating has remained below 50 percent since April, and this month is no different. Now, 48 percent approve, while 44 percent disapprove, according to the poll, conducted Aug. 20 - 24. His approval rating has inched up from 44 percent last month, and is similar to what it was in June.

...

When asked who or what is to blame for high unemployment, 18 percent volunteered that politicians generally are at fault. Fifteen percent blamed the policies of former President Bush, while 5 percent blamed the policies of Mr. Obama. Seven percent blamed "outsourcing," while another 7 percent blamed business executives and CEOs.

[BootinUp]

1. Whats amazing to me

is how confused Americans are.

[Radical Activist]

2. Notice the language double standard.

We've seen plenty of stories about his approval numbers falling. They don't include phrases to soften it like "up slightly" or "inched up" or "no different" or "similar to what it was in June."

Obama is a great campaigner and he's going to give a big boost to some of the candidates for Senate and Congress that people are worried about right now.

[jenmito]

5. Exactly. Going from 44% to 48% is very good. "Inched up" seems like it would be 1 point or 2. n/t

[Pirate Smile]

14. I wish it said what the disapproval number is because it is +4 without including the drop in

disapproval which there was but I just don't know by how much.

[jenmito]

17. It's at 44% now and the chart shows it was 44% last time, too. n/t

[Dawson Leery]

11. He is all we have.

Democrats will be playing defense in PA, it seems. Ohio seems to be slipping away from the Democrats too. Kentucky and North Carolina are still competitive.

[applegrove]

22. I agree Obama will be great when he really starts to run.

I agree with Bloomberg who said on TDS that americans want politicians who will tell them how they really feel. I think Obama will do that.

[newtothegame]

31. Why does this matter?

:shrug: Numbers are numbers.

[Radical Activist]

32. The spin is not numbers.

It's campaigning. Discouraging Democrats and pushing the idea that Republicans will win influences the national debate and the upcoming election.

[zulchzulu]

3. That's because pollster staff have been laid off11!

Heck, it could be a Fixed Noise talking point.

[saracat]

4. And don't forget Obama is a "politician" too.

[jenmito]

6. If the pollster hadn't had Obama as a separate choice, you'd have a point. But they DID so

you DON'T.

[saracat]

7. How do you know why people answered that question the way they did?

Polls frequently do not follow sequence or logic.8% "Volunteered" that "politcians generally" were to blame does not exclude Obama from that subset initially. One could argue that Obama was excluded by the second result of the 7% who specifically direct blame toward him but he is not exluded form the general mix.

[jenmito]

12. If it makes you feel better to think (hope?) more people blame Obama than say they specifically

blame him, go for it.

[saracat]

19. Don't be silly. People blame "politicians" generically. Obama is just one of them.

[impik]

26. Hee. I'm always amazed by the new ways people here find to spin everything against Obama.

[Whisp]

27. and here I thought he was a zookeeper.

:crazy:

[Mr. Sparkle]

8. Lets be honest, that is still one hell of a rating. Down from a all time high of around of 60%

Given all the battles we have been through the last few months, i'm very pleased with that poll.

[karynnj]

9. Very happy to recommend this.

Given this summer's news with the economy and the oil spill, the fact that Obama is back where he was in June (and through the first half of this year) is really good.

[brentspeak]

10. That same CBS News lead-off also revealed that at least 1/3 think we're in permanent econ decline

And if even the Democratic party, led by corporate Dems like Obama, are absolutely unwilling to do the correct things to turn the economy around (fix the nation's insane trade policies; stop our tax dollars from being funneled to Wall Street), then that 1/3 who think we're in permanent economic decline are absolutely correct.

[BlueIdaho]

13. Reagan's approval at this point in his presidency

39-40% coming to the close of his second year, in the heart of his recession.

Just saying...

[Dawson Leery]

16. End of October 1982, Reagan had a 35% approval rating

Republicans were projected to lose the Senate and
50 house seats.
At the end of the day,
The GOP held their 54 seat majority in the Senate and lost
just 26 house seats.

[BlueIdaho]

20. Thanks for the specifics! nt.

[underpants]

15. Still the most popular elected official in the country

but we aren't supposed to think about that

[jenmito]

18. They did all they could to minimize his improved approval rating:

"Fewer than half of Americans approve of the job President Obama is doing, although his approval rating is slightly up since last month, according to a new CBS News poll. Nearly as many people disapprove of the job he is doing.

Mr. Obama's overall job approval rating has remained below 50 percent since April, and this month is no different. Now, 48 percent approve, while 44 percent disapprove, according to the poll, conducted Aug. 20 - 24. His approval rating has inched up from 44 percent last month, and is similar to what it was in June."

If he had dropped from 48% to 44% I BET the headline would've been something like, "Obama's approval PLUMMETS."
:eyes:

[TheKentuckian]

21. The most interesting part is how little I care.

[flamingdem]

23. What? The masses learned that Martha's Vineyard is not Mecca?

Good Muslims go to Mecca, good muslins are found in shops in Martha's Vineyard.

[smalll]

24. Here's the polling over the past month --

RCP Average 8/10 - 8/25 -- 45.4 49.4 -4.0
(That's today's average -- minus 4%.)

Gallup 8/23 - 8/25 1547 A 43 50 -7
Rasmussen Reports 8/23 - 8/25 1500 LV 44 56 -12
CBS News 8/20 - 8/24 1082 A 48 44 +4
Reuters/Ipsos 8/19 - 8/22 1063 A 45 52 -7
Time 8/16 - 8/17 1002 A 46 45 +1
Associated Press/GfK 8/11 - 8/16 1007 A 49 50 -1
FOX News 8/10 - 8/11 900 RV 43 49 -6
CNN/Opinion Research 8/6 - 8/10 1009 A 47 51 -4
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 8/5 - 8/9 1000 A 47 48 -1
USA Today/Gallup 7/27 - 8/1 1208 A 41 53 -12
Pew Research 7/21 - 8/5 3003 A 47 41 +6
Democracy Corps (D) 7/26 - 7/29 1000 RV 45 51 -6
FOX News 7/27 - 7/28 900 RV 43 50 -7
Gallup 7/24 - 7/26 1546 A 45 48 -3
Rasmussen Reports 7/24 - 7/26 1500 LV 44 56 -12
Reuters/Ipsos 7/22 - 7/25 1075 A 48 48 Tie

Those three bolds are the only ones in the RCP list above water. I'm afraid, in fact, that until something major changes, being underwater approval-wise is Obama's "new normal."

[Drunken Irishman]

33. Yup.

Which is pretty good considering the climate right now., The fact he's only -4 points suggests he's in great standing over the next couple of years.

I'm optimistic. I doubt you'd find an elected official nationally who polls better.

[Dawson Leery]

35. To hold in the mid 40's in this climate is quite impressive.

[impik]

25. Can they word this 4% improvement any more negatively?

Corrupted media.

[Hekate]

28. I'm sure they have focus groups on that

[WI_DEM]

29. 48% approval in this atmosphere is miraculous.

[WI_DEM]

30. this deserves to be kicked--

[Phx_Dem]

34. Indeed. K&R

B-)

[craigmatic]

36. The answer to this problem is simple keep pushing the narrative that bush and the ceos are to blame.

If the administration stays on that messsage they'll hold more seats. Lately it seems like they don't care about controlling the debate.