The Official Obama Approval Ratings Thread

[Zarn]

Just wait for the vote on health care reform. Not until the bill is definitively passed in both Houses of Congress will we get to see how things turn out. The current trend looks like Obama as a one-term President with some right-wing nutcase becoming President with a stooge Congress in 2013, with America becoming something very different.

I agree with that, but what do you mean America "becoming something very different?"

You really don't want to know. Really. Anyone who thinks that Bush, Rove, and Cheney didn't go far enough will be very happy with the new America. That's all that I need say.

The people pushing the Bush 43/ Cheney ways are the Dems.

[Zarn]

Hawaii(Rasmussen)

Approve 77%
Disapprove 23%

What the hell happened to Hawaii? It was relatively close in 2004, and now Obama has sky high approval ratings there, and the health care plan also gets a 66\26 approval.

A couple of things, I think. John Kerry wasn't a particularly strong candidate, imho, and Obama is originally from Hawaii.

It's a Freedom Horrible, Slave Mentality State.

[Zarn]

Hawaii(Rasmussen)

Approve 77%
Disapprove 23%

What the hell happened to Hawaii? It was relatively close in 2004, and now Obama has sky high approval ratings there, and the health care plan also gets a 66\26 approval.

A couple of things, I think. John Kerry wasn't a particularly strong candidate, imho, and Obama is originally from Hawaii.

It's a Freedom Horrible, Slave Mentality State.

Agreed.

[Zarn]

Well, of course. Its Idaho.

Right. Most of America doesn't rely upon farming, ranching, logging, and mining. Idaho has no giant cities. Few minorities?

Sarah Palin country, her "Real America" to a tee.

I question why you would have to throw something in about minorities in there.

[Zarn]

Well, of course. Its Idaho.

Right. Most of America doesn't rely upon farming, ranching, logging, and mining. Idaho has no giant cities. Few minorities?

Sarah Palin country, her "Real America" to a tee.

I question why you would have to throw something in about minorities in there.

Because it makes the difference between Idaho, a sure state for Republicans, and Colorado, a genuine swing state.

Right, but you made reference to 'Real America.'

[Zarn]

Well, of course. Its Idaho.

Right. Most of America doesn't rely upon farming, ranching, logging, and mining. Idaho has no giant cities. Few minorities?

Sarah Palin country, her "Real America" to a tee.

I question why you would have to throw something in about minorities in there.

Because it makes the difference between Idaho, a sure state for Republicans, and Colorado, a genuine swing state.

Right, but you made reference to 'Real America.'

For her "Real America" seemed to have meant "rural America" and "small-town America" as opposed to urban and suburban America. She appeared in places like rural Ohio and praised "the Real Ohio", meaning in essence places without traffic jams. The problem with that divide is that most Americans live in urban and suburban America, where government services are costly. So if you use Ohio, most of the land is farmland, but most of the people live in small areas within the state -- greater Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati....

If you think that it is merely a regional divide, then think again.  Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, New Orleans, Memphis, Louisville, Nashville, and Birmingham (Alabama) don't count as the "Real America", either. 

What she thought "the Real America" seemed to vote for her. The not-so-real America voted against her.

That's not what I was talking about.

[Zarn]

I put him on ignore.

[Zarn]

I actually believe that the "strongly disapprove" is the important category... for now. If that number rises, he will be in trouble. The ones who moderately disapprove are a part of the more swayable population.

[Zarn]

It's Gallup... wild swings is its specialty.

[Zarn]

I've not really been paying attention, but since we're only about 2 years away from serious campaign season, I'll start paying attention. 

So who's really more trustworthy here? 

Rasmussen is showing Obama at -7

Gallup is showing him at +11

That's a huge difference, what are their methods if they are tracking this every day?  I'm inclined to believe Gallup more because they've been doing Presidential approval for almost a century now and I remember Rasmussen's numbers always seemingly to be skewed towards the GOP a bit. 

Gallup had been several points off in 2008 in the Democratic direction. They are also using an adult model right now, which is not accurate at all. Many adults are not even registered voters. Rasmussen polls people that are known to actually go to the polls.

[Zarn]

Yay NJ. This will prob stand for about 3 days. lol

[Zarn]

Maine!

30%-39%-Dark Dark Red
40%-44%- Dark Red
45-49%- Red
Under 50% approval but approval higher than disapproval- Yellow
50%-54%- Light Green
55%-59%- Green
60%+- Dark Green

Great, now, if only NJ, WA, OR, NM, and MN would follow suit.

[Zarn]

He's at 49% in Michigan now. I have no idea how and it will always boggle me why a state that has an unemployment rate in the 20's is anywhere close to 50% approval for the sitting president. It completely confuses the hell out of me and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to understand. Yes I know there's more to life than having a good economy, but what else does Michigan have to be happy about?

They really, really, really like their unions. It makes no sense, since unions are hurting jobs across the country right now. Right here in NJ, they are costing teachers a lot of jobs.

[Zarn]

WOW WA is about as left wing as CA.

I'm not entirely sure on this poll, but realize WA is a different type of left than CA.  They tend to be more socially Liberal rather than fiscally Liberal outside of Seattle proper, so it could be that Obama's fiscal liberalism is hurting him among some of the Seattle Suburbanites.

This is contrasted to say, where I live, where the political center is roughly between "kill the Rich" and "just imprison the rich".

It also might be that he's losing center-left White voters, as California is much browner than Washington and voters here might just be supporting him on racial rather than direct political lines.

Although "outlier poll" is still the most likely explanation

Well, I've always viewed the left coast as the Hollywood, hippie wing of the democrat party. They are both in play for 2012 at this point though lol.

Obama won't lose CA or WA in 2012.

What ABOUT THE CURRENT TRENDS makes you say that?

I live in California. In Orange County, a swing area. Obama and the Democrats are still pretty popular here, and many people here still remember how the GOP screwed over our country and economy under Bush Jr. It would take a second Great Depression for the Republicans to win California and Washington in 2012.

Do you know how many McCain flags there were in NJ?

[Zarn]

What gives NJ? Must be the north...

[Zarn]

40% will be the new green.

[Zarn]

So if I'm looking correctly at the map posted above by JBrase, the president holds a 50% or above approval rating in only 11 states out of 49 polled, and not including D.C.  Regardless of what the future holds for November '12, supporters of Obama have to be troubled by this....

Just speaking as an independent (yes, I voted for McCain in the general, but Hillary was my first choice), I don't see how anyone can honestly think the president is doing a good job, or even a mediocre one.  It's getting down now where a huge remainder of his supporters are doing so based solely on party ID as the majority of voters have been against nearly everything he's tried to accomplish.

He's actually gotten a lot done, even if it is half assed (blame congress, not Obama). He is certainly not a good president because he doesn't lead well. But at the same time he hasn't made any big blunders. If things remain the way they are, he will end up somewhere in the middle of Presidents in terms of job performance.

Now if you think that he shouldn't have done health care reform or financial reform, then that's a different thing. If you wanted these things done, you can't deny that he did it.

Obama has indeed gotten a lot of his fascist agenda pushed through.

Whether you consider that a good thing or not depends on whether you approve of fascism or not.

I kinda approve of the health care bill. That means I kinda support fascism, right Libertas?

I think that he supports the idea that a healthy economic system succeeds by bleeding everyone else to support some "right people" whose enrichment and indulgence is understood to be the definitive good irrespective of the hardships imposed upon everyone else and whose mystical virtues (really, crude exercise of economic power) are not to be challenged. 

Is that you describe Obama's fascist "healthcare reform"?

President Obama's healthcare reform is anything but fascist. I refer instead to tycoons and executives who act as if everyone else is either livestock or vermin. Such an attitude is fascism in its crudest form.

So empowering them even more helps? To fix that Obama will then have to have more government contr... regulations.

[Zarn]

So if I'm looking correctly at the map posted above by JBrase, the president holds a 50% or above approval rating in only 11 states out of 49 polled, and not including D.C.  Regardless of what the future holds for November '12, supporters of Obama have to be troubled by this....

Just speaking as an independent (yes, I voted for McCain in the general, but Hillary was my first choice), I don't see how anyone can honestly think the president is doing a good job, or even a mediocre one.  It's getting down now where a huge remainder of his supporters are doing so based solely on party ID as the majority of voters have been against nearly everything he's tried to accomplish.

He's actually gotten a lot done, even if it is half assed (blame congress, not Obama). He is certainly not a good president because he doesn't lead well. But at the same time he hasn't made any big blunders. If things remain the way they are, he will end up somewhere in the middle of Presidents in terms of job performance.

Now if you think that he shouldn't have done health care reform or financial reform, then that's a different thing. If you wanted these things done, you can't deny that he did it.

Obama has indeed gotten a lot of his fascist agenda pushed through.

Whether you consider that a good thing or not depends on whether you approve of fascism or not.

I kinda approve of the health care bill. That means I kinda support fascism, right Libertas?

I think that he supports the idea that a healthy economic system succeeds by bleeding everyone else to support some "right people" whose enrichment and indulgence is understood to be the definitive good irrespective of the hardships imposed upon everyone else and whose mystical virtues (really, crude exercise of economic power) are not to be challenged. 

Is that you describe Obama's fascist "healthcare reform"?

President Obama's healthcare reform is anything but fascist. I refer instead to tycoons and executives who act as if everyone else is either livestock or vermin. Such an attitude is fascism in its crudest form.

So empowering them even more helps? To fix that Obama will then have to have more government contr... regulations.

He's talking about how no government intervention could lead to abusive business practices, which in affect would be like a corporate dictatorship. 

I know what he is saying. Have you read the healthcare bill?

[Zarn]

fas·cist   /ˈfæʃɪst/ 
–noun
1. a person who believes in or sympathizes with fascism.
2. ( often initial capital letter ) a member of a fascist movement or party.
3. a person who is dictatorial or has extreme right-wing views.
–adjective
4. Also, fa·scis·tic  /fəˈʃɪstɪk/  Show Spelled[fuh-shis-tik]  Show IPA. of or like fascism or fascists.

fas·cism   /ˈfæʃɪzəm/   
–noun
1. ( sometimes initial capital letter ) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
2. ( sometimes initial capital letter ) the philosophy, principles, or methods of fascism.
3. ( initial capital letter ) a fascist movement, esp. the one established by Mussolini in Italy 1922–43

Controlling industry is anti-right wing...

[Zarn]

TN

30%-39%-Dark Dark Red
40%-44%- Dark Red
45-49%- Red
Under 50% approval but approval higher than disapproval- Yellow
50%-54%- Light Green
55%-59%- Green
60%+- Dark Green

Lookin' pretty

[Zarn]

WI, NY, IL, OK, PA, WA, FL, NV,

30%-39%-Dark Dark Red
40%-44%- Dark Red
45-49%- Red
Under 50% approval but approval higher than disapproval- Yellow
50%-54%- Light Green
55%-59%- Green
60%+- Dark Green

lol Vermont

[Zarn]

NC, KS, CA, OH & FL

30%-39%-Dark Dark Red
40%-44%- Dark Red
45-49%- Red
tied - White
Under 50% approval but approval higher than disapproval- Yellow
50%-54%- Light Green
55%-59%- Green
60%+- Dark Green

Thx

Maybe pbrower will now also see that a tie needs its own colour.

BTW:

Michigan (Rasmussen): 54-46

you got them backwards, its 46-54. no color change, but I do need to put an 8 on there now.

Ah sry, of course its 46-54 ...

I was just looking over that poll, I want to know who are the 5% in Michigan who rate their economy as excellent

Wealthy folks. As long as they have the money, it doesn´t matter to them what the overall economy is like. They only care for themselves.

"Wealthy folks" also tend to lose money. Also, they aren't stupid.

[Zarn]

http://www.gallup.com/poll/124922/Presidential-Approval-Center.aspx

Let's just say that Gallup is a pretty favorable poll for Obama in the sense that it polls a ton of minorities.  The white vote more than likely isn't 70% of the sample in Gallup.

I cannot wait to watch Pbrower scream racism when Palin is running up to 60% of the white vote on election day in 2012.

In a contest between Sarah Palin and Barack Obama, Sarah Palin would still get the majority of the white vote nationwide. Maybe barely, but not enough to undo regional differences (the white vote really would go to Obama in Minnesota and Vermont).  She stands four-square for Corporate America and believes the myth that Corporate America offers.

Gutter racism is a comparative rarity in most of America. White people do not on the whole despise the legitimate achievements of non-white people. They don't have a problem with Clarence Thomas if he fits personal ideologies. Yes, Barack Obama was able to do better than Al Gore, John Kerry, Walter Mondale, and Jimmy Carter in winning white votes. He must have done something right.

I'm not going to deny the existence of such scum as the KKK, neo-Nazis, and the White Conservative Citizens' Councils. That said, blacks have some similarly-sleazy loose ends among themselves. If there is any distinction it is in some core political beliefs very rare among blacks and Latinos. The ideology is social darwinism, an ideology that accepts that all distinctions of human achievement result from inherent character instead of social environment, and that if people fail to achieve beyond an animal level of survival than it is a personal fault and not the result of an institutional failure.

Social darwinism is the core of the GOP ideology and such shows in its contempt for poor people of any kind who fail to accept the idea that if they work hard enough without complaint about the conditions of employment and terms of pay that they can live adequately. Such is not inherently racist; it is classist. It's an acceptance of the rules of economic inheritance and bureaucratic power; in essence it claims that people have an obligation to accept the consequences of choices made by tycoons and corporate bureaucrats as the true measure of human worth in economic terms. It is also anti-intellectual.

Social darwinism is not inherently racist, but it is comparatively rare among blacks, Latinos, and Asians. But it is surprising that poor white people have come to accept social darwinism as an ideology despite its harm. Maybe such was the sales pitch of televangelists who offer "pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die" as a reward for acceptance of harsh realities of economics.  

You are both spot on and dead wrong, depending on the point you were trying to make in the post.

The GOP and right-wing voters do not hate the poor. Many are descendants of poor immigrants. Some of them are poor themselves, and they all remember what it was like to be in their 20's. Get real.

Republicans politicians are no more pro-corporation that Obama. If anything they are less likely to support corporations. Right-wing voters themselves are very pro-small business.

[Zarn]

You did not discredit anything I said. You did not even address anything I said.

All you did was try to make things about race.

[Zarn]

Come on NJ, you can do it. Wake up!

Although it has gone under 50% a few times... it has not, lately.