Obama Pushes People To The Right
Jul 7, 2009 Political
Obama enjoys amazing popularity and despite all the wrong turns he enjoys a high approval rating. He is a personable man and can be quite engaging particularly for the mind numbed people who listen to the words but don’t understand what they mean. In other words, typical Obama followers.
Though I might add that some people give him high marks even as they are beginning to worry more about him each day. The NYT released an article about his radical Columbia days and the White House press corps has begun to zap him with stinging questions while Press Secretary Gibbs is beaten to death on a daily basis. The natives are getting restless.
Yes, they are restless because Obama promised them change and everything he has done has not lived up to the promises he and VP Biden made. It now seems that they are admitting, on a weekly basis, that they were wrong about one thing or another. Obama likes to say things over and over so that they become believed but now it looks like fewer folks are relating to his philosophy even as they give him high approval ratings. My friend Don Surber reports on a recent Gallup Poll and more people are moving to the right since the election.
Gallup: 39% say they have grown more conservative since Election Day.
Another 18% say they are more liberal.
But wait. There’s more.
Among independents, 37% said they are more conservative now that President Obama is actually president, while 19% say more liberal.
Among Democrats, 34% say they are growing more conservative under President Obama, while 23% say they are more liberal.
Among other findings, 52% now say the government has too much power, versus 42% just 5 years ago.
It would appear as if people are seeing through the magic of Hope and Change and realizing the radical path Obama has set for the country and they do not like it. More than half say the government has too much power (and Obama is reaching for more with health care and cap and trade) and 34% of Democrats claim to be more conservative since Obama took office.
These are amazing numbers and if this trend continues 2010 will be a good year for Republicans, provided we can field good, conservative candidates. If this keeps up we might be able to gain some seats in the House (regaining it would be tough) and we might have a shot at the Senate. I would like to get back enough seats to keep the filibuster but I also want to see John McCain and and a few other RINOs sent packing. We need new young talent (and I am not opposed to new young Democrats so long as they come with new ideas) so that we can get rid of the establishment politicians.
Obama might be helping with that and if he keeps it up he will do for us what Jimmy Carter did. Carter gave us Reagan. If we can field a true conservative Obama will be a one term wonder and give us a great replacement.
The trends are going our way but it is still early. Looks good for Fox though. Their viewership is up 33% since the election. People are wising up and looking for fair and balanced, not moronic one sided rants by the likes of Olberman.
Reality is setting in and though Obama still has the luster and there are people who just want to give him a little longer (give him a chance) he is pushing people to the right. He is out of his league and it shows.
Or as Surber puts it:
“Last year, he was change and hope. This year, he is reality.”
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Tags: Conservatives, don surber, gallup, hope and change, Obama, polls
About Those Obama Poll Numbers
Apr 27, 2009 Political
I have been watching the reports on Obama’s poll numbers concerning his first 100 days in office. It is obvious that the MSM is in the tank for this guy and will skew anything to make him look good. Even commenters here will spew all these poll numbers and act as if Obama is the king of the polls. There are several problems with the way the polling is used and the MSM is using numbers to make a strong case.
I have read that Obama’s approval rating was anywhere from 56% to 65% depending upon the poll. The higher numbers are generally used by the MSM and then when they compare the number to past presidents they use lower ones, especially when they are comparing George W. Bush. The other issue is that the MSM is using one poll to depict Obama and then using a poll from another polling company to show the others.
There is no doubt that Obama is popular among Democrats as he received a 79% approval from them. One major media omitted the among Democrats part.
Pew Research says Obama is at 63% while Bush was at 56%. Not very far apart especially considering the problem with the 2000 election. Interestingly, CNN/USA/Gallup had a poll showing Bush at 62%. This is the same Gallup poll that shows Obama at 56%. In fact, while the MSM is trying to make Obama out to be a polling giant, Gallup shows this:
April approval ratings in first year in office
- Bush now 62%
- Clinton, 1993 55
- Bush, 1989 58
- Reagan, 1981 67
- Carter, 1977 63
- Nixon, 1969 61
Sampling error: +/-3% pts
I don’t know why Gallup has Obama lower than the other polls but as some folks dig deeper into polls they are finding a disturbing little trend. Democrats are being polled at a much higher rate than Republicans. This means the polls are weighted toward Democrats (in one poll by a 2:1 margin). The polls do not reflect how the country is currently comprised because Republicans are underrepresented. This is how polls get skewed in order to give the results that one wants rather than what is real.
I know my liberal friends will stop by and defend the polls, will say that it is a wingnut conspiracy, and will dismiss the criticisms.
That is all well and good. I know the MSM needs Obama to be successful even if it is only on paper. They needed to come out and show that he had a larger approval rating than others (Gallup says it isn’t so) and they needed to show that they were right in getting him elected. Chrissie Matthews is not the only one who feels it is his duty to make this guy successful. Well, they can make him LOOK successful but the proof will be in what happens.
One major catastrophe, the inflation that will inevitably arrive, a nuclear Iran, North Korea, and any number of other issues, and the MSM will not be able to show it in a favorable light. Let a terrorist detonate a bomb (particularly a radioactive one) in any major city and all bets will be off. It would be terrible if that happened but wouldn’t it be ironic if after, a captive terrorist says he knew about it and would have fessed up if water boarded?
The bottom line is that one should take most of these polls with a grain of salt. I have never been a big poll watcher because the pollsters often have very different results and their sampling methods and questions are designed to get a result.
Rely on what you see and know. Are you better off? Are you making more money? Does your money go as far as it did before? Are you paying more in lesser known taxes?
Take the time to make an honest assessment of things based on your values and your judgment. You have a better understanding of your life than a pollster does.
As for Obama’s numbers. There is no doubt he remains popular. His approval rating is high or low depending upon who you ask (as it would be for any past White House occupant) and time will tell if what he is doing was good or bad.
Those of us who have seen this before know the answer and we don’t need a poll for that.
Related:
MSNBC
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