Shot in the Dark

He’s A Brick

Ever notice how you’re not seeing as much public opinion polling about the President these days?  Especially in the MSM?

There’s a reason for that: 

According to Gallup’s April survey, Americans have a lower approval of Mr. Obama at this point than all but one president since Gallup began tracking this in 1969. The only new president less popular was Bill Clinton, who got off to a notoriously bad start after trying to force homosexuals on the military and a federal raid in Waco, Texas, that killed 86. Mr. Obama’s current approval rating of 56 percent is only one tick higher than the 55-percent approval Mr. Clinton had during those crises.

Given the traction of the tea party movement (and the gracelessness of the leftymedia’s response on the President’s behalf to the growing popular dissent), let’s remember what happened in 1994 (with a GOP that could focus on a message and sell it to people, naturally).

As the attached chart shows, five presidents rated higher than Mr. Obama after 100 days in office. Ronald Reagan topped the charts in April 1981 with 67 percent approval. Following the Gipper, in order of popularity, were: Jimmy Carter with 63 percent in 1977; George W. Bush with 62 percent in 2001; Richard Nixon with 61 percent in 1969; and George H.W. Bush with 58 percent in 1989.

Of course, you won’t see much about this in the MSM; they’ve got an investment to protect:

USA Today’s front page touted the April poll results as positive, with the headline: “Public thinks highly of Obama.” The current cover of Newsweek magazine ponders “The Secret of His [Mr. Obama’s] Success.”

The tail is flakking for the dog.

 

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Mitch Berg

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21 responses to “He’s A Brick”

  1. Dog Gone Avatar
    Dog Gone

    And did you see how very low the Republican party ranks in the current polls? The democrats are about double the GOP in the poll stats, but still extremely low as well.

    Polls may or may not have any value, but the tea parties however small their numbers, do suggest that there are a lot more people in the voting public that don’t like or trust EITHER party very much.

    I’m with them.

  2. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    And did you see how very low the Republican party ranks in the current polls?

    Depends on the polls. Congress in general has been flirting with single digits for the past year and a half.

    the tea parties however small their numbers, do suggest that there are a lot more people in the voting public that don’t like or trust EITHER party very much.

    Right. And the first signficant party to hit that sentiment with a message that says “we’re listening” is going to do very well.

    And as badly as the GOP’s been doing this past four years, the Dems are the last party that’ll stop spending.

  3. angryclown Avatar
    angryclown

    Mitch said: “Ronald Reagan topped the charts in April 1981 with 67 percent approval.”

    There’s one Angryclown isn’t too worried about President Obama matching. John W. Hinckley Jr. deserves most of the credit for that number.

  4. Zack Avatar
    Zack

    From First Read:

    “Still, the 100-day stories go on… Right before that milestone tomorrow, there are two new national polls out that find President Obama enjoying broad support from the public. Per the New York Times/CBS survey, his approval rating is 68%, compared with Bush’s 56% at this juncture. And a CNN/Opinion Research poll has Obama’s approval at 63%”

    http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/28/1912176.aspx

    You can find a poll to support any conclusion you want.

  5. Mr. D Avatar
    Mr. D

    You can find a poll to support any conclusion you want.

    87% of those surveyed agree with that statement.

  6. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    You can find a poll to support any conclusion you want.

    Right, but this is the same poll over time.

  7. penigma Avatar
    penigma

    MItch,

    Would you like me to point you to the polls release virtually daily, done by various sources (daily/weekly/montly)?

    Lord, you start out with these completely bizarre stances.. and to further off-course..your suggestion that the media is avoiding polling as some sort of aid to Obama is absurd. How does your suggestion jibe with the fact that FOX, the LARGEST news network in the country at this point, refused to air Obama’s press conference, marking the first time in history that a MAJOR (MAINSTREAM) MEDIA outlet has ever done so? Is that being supportive of the President, or for that matter of the public trust granted Fox? How does that jibe with your meme’ that the MSM is step-and-fetch-it for Obama when the largest news outlet is effectively refusing to cooperate with the President on policy and information dissemination?

    Here let me help.

    http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

    Also:

    http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_obama_job_approval-1044.html

    Which reports:

    President Obama Job Approval
    Polling Data
    Poll Date Sample Approve Disapprove Spread
    RCP Average 04/21 – 04/26 — 62.4 30.7 +31.7
    CBS News/NY Times 04/22 – 04/26 973 A 68 23 +45
    CNN/Opinion Research 04/23 – 04/26 2019 A 63 33 +30
    Gallup 04/24 – 04/26 1547 A 65 29 +36
    Rasmussen Reports 04/24 – 04/26 1500 LV 55 44 +11
    ABC News/Wash Post 04/21 – 04/24 1072 A 69 26 +43
    FOX News 04/22 – 04/23 900 RV 62 29 +33
    Marist 04/21 – 04/23 975 RV 55 31 +24

    So that’s, hmmm, let’s see, CBS, RCP, CNN, Gallup, Rasmussen, ABC, Fox and Marist.. all within the last week, I mean, outside that, they’re sure hiding the data…. Lordy.

  8. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    The question, Peev, is not “do the polls exist”; the question is “is the MSM suddenly not interested in covering them”.

    And the story is that the Gallup Poll – which has been polling presidential approval @ 100 days longer than anyone – is showing bad results for The One.

    That is really all.

  9. K-Rod Avatar
    K-Rod

    “Right, but this is the same poll over time.”

    Mitch = 1
    Zack = 0
    Peev = -1

    Now run along peev, back to your Penisblog.

  10. penigma Avatar
    penigma

    Mitch,

    I’ll agree that your point was that they weren’t showing polls, but as your point is unprovable (at best), and as the polls CLEARLY exist, I can easily disagree and point to the fact that they are easily found.

    Further, since we’re in the realm of opinion, I can say that I’ve seen MANY references to Obama’s polling numbers over the past 60 days plus, since we’re talking opinion….

    So.. it’s about the fact that you FEEL they aren’t showing numbers, and others, like me, think they are, and so it’s really not much more than ‘he said/he said.’

    However, you didn’t discuss the fact that Fox jumped the shark on not airing Obama’s speech, and further, that it belies your MSM meme’, which, since the other is simply pure conjecture, means, it’s the only fact.

    Oh, that and the other polls, including Fox’s and Rasmussens’, show Obama is ANYTHING but tanking.

  11. penigma Avatar
    penigma

    Now, Gallup may show one point, but let me ask you, given the HIGHLY polarized political environment, are you all that surprised that the extreme right (unlike say the extreme left on Bush or Reagan) are essentially just showing up as obdurate and immovable, and THAT may be the ONLY realistic conclusion from the Gallup poll? Moreover, there isn’t any real meat to your complaint, other than the MSM isn’t airing something you’d like them to, perhaps even because, frankly, they recognize the highly polar environment and consider such facts as the intransigence of the right not worth noting, and much less, not worth highlighting?

  12. Terry Avatar
    Terry

    Actually, peevish, I attribute the fact that Obama’s approval ratings are high (as they typically are at the 100 day point) to his continuing Bush’s policies on Iraq & Guantanamo.

  13. penigma Avatar
    penigma

    In short Mitch, and I apologize, I see what your point is attempting to be now:

    Your point, as I understand it is, the MSM is ducking reporting the Gallup numbers because they are biased (or so you seem to be implying).

    However, the other polling data suggests that a. Obama is pretty popular considering a lot of things, namely, this is a highly charged political environment where we’re under massive economic stress to change. and b. the opposition is essentially highly hostile.

    Bush (jr.) was elected during a time of economic boom (albeit artificial).
    Reagan was simply very charismatic
    Bush (Sr.) was elected during a downturn, as was Clinton, but I frankly contend the times were FAR less polar – and so opposition party members were more rational about allowing for the chance the President (not of their party) was taking steps toward success.

    However, none of that has anything to do with whether the MSM is airing a poll (favorable or not). I think there has been plenty of evidence the MSM is willing to air things unfavorable to Obama, e.g. Janet Napolitano or other missteps (perceived or real) in cabinet steps.

    It’s simply (to me) that you CHOSE to see it as bias. Ok, yet, there are plenty of polls that suggest Obama is hardly unpopular, and, given that, it’s certainly rational to suggest there is another, much more sane explanation than wide-spread bias and conspiracy. For example, they may simply feel Gallup’s numbers, when weighed against other data, is hardly worth spending time on.

    In short, you see conspiracy, I see simply choice about what’s newsworthy – and you don’t really have any evidence other than conjecture, to back up this supposed wilfull oversight, whereas I, and others like me, have the evidence that the polls suggest Obama is frankly consdiered pretty well, and that the ‘in the right direction’ poll has moved dramatically in his favor since taking office to suggest that, in fact, Obama is doing just fine with most Americans, maybe not with the immovable, vindictive right-wingers, but with the vast majority of Americans.

  14. K-Rod Avatar
    K-Rod

    “In short Mitch, and I apologize,”… blah blah blah… blah blah blah…

    That was the “short” verson. Bwaahahahahahahahaha

    What kind of idiot thinks adding trillions and trillions to the debt as “taking steps toward success” and “in the right direction”? Peev?

    Peev = -4

    Stop digging.

  15. Master of None Avatar
    Master of None

    “Actually, peevish, I attribute the fact that Obama’s approval ratings are high …”

    I attribute it to the well documented “Obama Effect” that was seen in New Hampshire during the Democrat primaries. If you poll his policies, they poll 10 pts below his approval rating.

  16. Hot Air » Blog Archive » Is Obama’s approval lower than Nixon and Carter?

    […] With the media on Obama’s side and his talent at public relations, don’t expect Obama to crater in public-opinion polling any time soon.  However, his policies will get less support and less traction as we spend money and see little for the debt Obama’s rolling up.  Rather than trying to paint a solid-majority personal approval rating as a catastrophe, conservatives should focus on the issues instead.  If we can demonstrate the failures and propose better alternatives, the numbers will take care of themselves.  (via Mitch Berg) […]

  17. Zack Avatar
    Zack

    “Right, but this is the same poll over time. ”

    Mitch, read what I posted again, specifically this part…

    “Per the New York Times/CBS survey, his approval rating is 68%, compared with Bush’s 56% at this juncture. ”

    That is the same poll over time.

  18. justplainangry Avatar
    justplainangry

    That is the same poll over time.

    From NYT no less, which polling is skewed in favor of DemonRats respondents.

  19. Badda Avatar
    Badda

    “…I see simply choice about what’s newsworthy…”

    Read Bernie Goldberg and we’ll talk.
    Better yet, also read Coulter’s book on the same subject from roughly the same time… then we’ll talk.

  20. Jay Reding Avatar
    Jay Reding

    Even if the polls are correct, Obama is no more popular than G.W. was at this point in his Presidency.

  21. Shot in the Dark » Blog Archive » 100-Day Free Fall

    […] with their assessments of Brack O’Bama’s first one hundred days and as my Blog Boss so aptly pointed out, they are missing the real story here. Ever notice how you’re not seeing as much public opinion […]

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