President Obama's approval ratings SOARING (Jan 19, 2015)

[BlueCaliDem]

An Improving Economy Gives Obama His Game Back

An improving economy is putting Barack Obama back in the game, boosting the president and his party in a striking turnaround from their devastating midterm losses.

Americans approve of the president’s job performance by 50-44 percent in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, a remarkable 9-point gain in approval and a 10-point drop in disapproval just since December. It’s his best rating in a year and a half, and matches his previous best one-time advance, after U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden in spring 2011.
http://www.langerresearch.com/uploads/1166a32015Politics.pdf

The president’s approval ratings are up 19 points with people age 18-29, 13 points with non-whites, including 22 points with Hispanics, 12 points with people earning less than $50,000 a year, 10 points with Democrats, 13 points with non-college educated white men, 11 points with men and 11 points with conservatives.

What lame duck president?

[drray23]

1. he should have been acting more forcefully earlier

President Obama misread the electorate prior to the november elections. He decided to hold off on a number of things he has since done via executive orders.

Immigration is a good example. You might wonder what would have been the outcome had he been more assertive early on and not walk on eggs trying not to annoy the gop. They would never vote for the dems anyway. . It would have been better to press forward and motivate the base to come out.

[BlueCaliDem]

4. I don't believe he was walking on eggshells to not annoy the GOP. I believe he was doing so

to not harm his own Party who might've asked him to since they make deals with the GOP. Not him. We now see by his current and surprising assertiveness after Democrats lost control of Congress in last election that it could very well be congressional Democrats, not the president, who were walking on eggshells around Republicans and hamstringing him. How else should we interpret the president's sudden aggressiveness now the midterms are over?

President Obama is not a dictator. He's not a king. He's part of the Democratic Party and only one branch of our three branches of gov't. He also understands that had he created bad-blood among his own Party members early on, they would've done to him what they did to President Clinton - allow bad things to happen. Congressional Dems did this to President Clinton through impeaching him AND passing a veto-proof Gramm-Leach-Blilely that effectively killed Glass-Steagall. They weren't blamed for it. President Clinton was and is, even to this day.

They sent President Obama a message early on, in May of 2009 when he wanted to close Gitmo - and they promptly voted with Republicans to stop him from doing so - something that, astonishingly, a LOT of people never knew and still don't know. But I believe that was their first warning to curb President Obama from pushing for his more liberal agenda, the warning being, either he plays ball with them or they'll hurt his legacy. Just my opinion based on how I've seen things unfold.

[karynnj]

7. I agree that Obama was holding back at the request of vulnerable conservative Democrats

However, I disagree STRONGLY with your view that Clinton NOT doing so led to his impeachment. Both in the House and Senate, impeachment was a party line vote. The Republicans had the majority in the House and needed just 50% of the vote - which they had just in Republicans. It was a party line vote. It was not something conservative Democrats allowed.

I read the Senate statements before the vote - party line again - and one thing is really clear is that virtually every Democratic Senator expressed their revulsion with Clinton's actions and then explained why it did not meet the high crimes and misdemeanors standard. Far from any wanting bad things to happen to Clinton, I sense reading many speeches that they were furious that he had acted so dishonorably.

The ONLY thing that Clinton could have done to avoid impeachment -- was NOT to lie under oath or better yet not have an inappropriate relationship with an intern.

As to the Gitmo vote, it is not unheard of that a President's party has members who vote against what the President wants.

[roguevalley]

11. if my conservative dem had been a dem he would still be there. Dumb dino Begich. I am

tired of dems being weenies.

[BlueCaliDem]

23. But he RAN on that, and they all knew it.

The biggest campaign promise he made was to close Gitmo as the first thing he'd do if he won the White House. Democrats ensured that didn't happen, and they're still not allowing him to close Gitmo.

As to the Gitmo vote, it is not unheard of that a President's party has members who vote against what the President wants.

He just stepped foot in the White House after winning with 52.9% of the vote from McCain. This wasn't just a simple case of a few Party members voting against what the president wanted. This was a clear case of Democrats' uniting with Republicans against a popular and new Democratic president who was elected overwhelmingly by the people of this country as they try to send a message. It was a 90-6 Senate vote against giving President Obama the $80 million to close Gitmo, for chrissakes.

Harry Reid said that none of Guantánamo's detainees should be transferred to the US to stand trial or serve time in prison. "We don't want them around," he said. "I can't make it any more clear … We will never allow terrorists to be released in the United States."

Those are Republican words and statement, because we've already brought REAL terrorists to the U.S. to stand trial, but I guess he wasn't aware of it. OR, he along with establishment Democrats needed to send this president that message to cool his heels.

[drray23]

20. no doubt some of the democratic caucus

Did ask him to hold his fire. However he is the party figure head and has more political acumen than most of them. After all he rose through chicago politics and won the white house against all odds with one of the best campaign in recent history. Not a small feat when one considers that we still are not a racially blind society.

I was hoping he would instead push back and get them to have the courage of their convictions. Unfortunately many dems are being too meek. Besides the ideological differences , the gop have that one trait which we need to cultivate to win elections, that is to go for it full steam.

[merrily]

29. "How else should we interpret the president's sudden aggressiveness now the midterms are over?"

There are a number of other possible interpretations.

[PatrynXX]

13. fairly sure

it was a calculated risk. since the number one talking point on the right was...... and not thats overwith 2016 they got nothing. I doubt Obama plays just for himself but for the Democrats. Best thing that ever happen was drawn that line of distiction between fake democrats running things and getting blamed verses real conservatives getting blamed Bruce Braley was not a liberal. Hillary still isn't a Liberal. I'm guessing the happiest person on deck last November was Obama. Finally have a real fight

[CTyankee]

19. Look at what happened when he tried to reach across the aisle...he got dissed all the way.

But he didn't know that when he started out. Sadly, he learned the hard way. And then, he was liberated to be what he wanted to be...

[Fearless]

2. Image democratic support if policies were actually changed.

[musiclawyer]

3. The Great Disappointment

That is Obama. If he acted like a progressive from day 1 like he promised and not negotiated with GOP middle class terrorists, we would still have had both houses. He could have been transformational. He could have had a Wall Street tax. A public option. The closing of Gitmo. A massive infrastructure bill. Immigration. Climate. All of it. He listened to third way and blew it ....That will be his legacy.

[BlueCaliDem]

5. Do you actually know how our gov't works? Do you need to be reminded that the president is NOT

a dictator or a king? Despite the Barack the Magic N***o mantra from the (always wrong) Right, he really doesn't have a magic wand. Those issues you've put forward need CONGRESSIONAL ACTION. See my post above to help explain that to you.

[Dawgs]

6. ^^THIS^^

[Lochloosa]

8. ^^THIS AGAIN^^

[COLGATE4]

10. ^^^^ AND AGAIN ^^^^

[PatrynXX]

14. do you ever watch the news?

bonk. yeah if we had REAL liberals in congress we would have those things. We purged most of the fake ones in 2014 , see if we can get some more later.

[Vietnameravet]

16. i believe you are right..

Right from the beginning he tried to compromise with those that that wanted nothing of it...Remember how he told us he wanted to change the climate and culture of Washington? I guess by his own words he failed...

Voters want fighters not compromiseres ...fighters not lovers..if you love too much they think you have no principles and when the gutless Democrats refuse to fight , that only reinforces the idea..

We had our chance when Bush screwed up so much..we had a chance to change the game but we punted,,,and missed..

Its a lesson not likely to be learned since I remember the exact same thing being said after Nixon and Reagan won..

[TwilightGardener]

9. Cheap gas.

[C Moon]

12. I'll bet Romney's paying attention.

[Vietnameravet]

15. Well so what?

If these people sit on their butts and stay home during elections...what good is it?

If Democrats in office run from him at the slightest hint being called "radical left" what good does it do? Tell me again...How many 18-29s vote? What percent?

And if he is unwilling to the far right for the obstructionist, anti-democratic radicals they are, what good does a high approval rating do?


You can talk all you want about his approval rating,,,and while I am happy to hear that...a determined and well financed and minority can always dominate an indifferent, likewarm majority..

These surveys also show a majority of people favor the policies we do,,,and what good has that done?

OCB
One Cynical Bastard
PS
In spite of my post I am happy to hear this news! Thanks for sharing

[merrily]

30. Obama is not running for election and people did come out for him in 2008 and 2012.

Make people believe that the near term and/or long term well being of their kids depends on their showing up at the polls and you bet they will show up. And you don't make people believe solely by campaign rhetoric.

Sure, I blame people who stay home. But I blame their so called political leaders more.

[Stellar]

17. " 11 points with men and 11 points with conservatives. "

What bought that on?

[BlueCaliDem]

21. Yeah, I was pretty surprised, too.

I have no idea what happened there, either.

[merrily]

32. Several possibilities.

During the recent weeks, he has been giving speeches mentioning free junior college, lower taxes for the middle class and higher taxes for the rich. Plus, gas prices are lower, which means people have more to spend, which gives them the illusion that the economy is finally starting to turn around for Main Street, not just Wall Street; and, rightly or wrongly, people give the President both blame and credit for how they feel about the economy.

[Stellar]

37. OK...but,

I thought they were supposed to hate him just on principle, LOL.

[merrily]

38. Every rank and file Republican does not obey O'Connell, any more

than every rank and file Democrat obeys the Party PTB.

Well, maybe somewhat more, LOL.

[Stellar]

39. Don't make me believe that...

because, I kinda do.

[merrily]

40. Okay, I won't make you believe it. LOL!

[jenmito]

18. K&R&T. n/t

[BlueCaliDem]

22. Thanks, jenmito.

I'm surprised that some DUers upthread are still staunch in their loathing of this president who's done more for this country than they could ever do in their entire lifetimes, and that they even try to trash his rising approval numbers right alongside Republicans. Amazing how those two groups have so much in common when it comes to this president, doesn't it?

[Reter]

24. So what? He can't run again.

How do poll numbers affect anything?

[BlueCaliDem]

25. This is good for his successor. When the American people have a good feeling about him, they'll

be more likely to vote for another Democrat. That's what matters to us, right?

[merrily]

33. Not only successor, all Democrats. If people like the President when they go to the polls,

that affects more than only the top of the ticket.

[BlueCaliDem]

34. True, merrily. So this is good news for Democrats and for the country. I'm very happy that President

Obama's approval numbers are skyrocketing, and hope they continue to for the next two years.

[merrily]

35. "Couldn't hoit."

[BlueCaliDem]

41. ...

[merrily]

26. UP, dramatically and quickly after speaking about free junior college and raising taxes on the rich.

How ever will center righters spin that?

[still_one]

27. A new poll just released said the Americans don't know wtf they are doing

[BlueCaliDem]

28. That could very well be the most accurate poll ever taken.

[merrily]

36. And no politician wants them to know.

[TexasTowelie]

31. Glad to K&R.

It's time to build as much support as possible for the 2016 election.

[SunSeeker]

42. K & R