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Subscribe to RSSHere's the write-up of our full NBC/WSJ poll:
Two months of oil continuing to gush from a well off the Gulf Coast, as well as an unemployment rate still near 10 percent, have taken a toll on President Barack Obama and his standing with the American public, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
For the first time in the survey, more disapprove of his job performance than approve; for the first time in his presidency, more than 60 percent believe the country is on the wrong track; and as he relieves Gen. Stanley McChrystal of his command in Afghanistan, Obama’s scores on being able to handle a crisis and on being decisive have plummeted since last year.
This is a president who has been bruised and bloodied by the events of the past few months, although not yet knocked down, say the Democratic and Republican pollsters who conducted the survey.
“There is just no way that an American president is not going to see his job rating affected” after these events, observed GOP pollster Bill McInturff. “The little faint signs [of improvement] we were seeing in April and May have been squished by two months of this story in the Gulf.”
Added Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart: “These numbers aren’t good. But they are far from awful.”
Obama’s declining numbers
In the poll, Obama’s job-approval rating stands at 45 percent, which is down five points from early last month and down three points from late May.Forty-eight percent in the current survey say they disapprove of his job performance.
What’s more, Obama’s favorable/unfavorable rating is now at 47 percent to 40 percent, down from 49 percent to 38 percent in early May and 52 percent to 35 percent in January.His scores on other ascpects of the presidency also have declined. In April 2009, 54 percent gave the president high marks for being able to handle a crisis; now it’s 40 percent.
In July 2009, 57 percent gave him high marks for being decisive and for his decision-making; now it’s 44 percent.
And also in July 2009, 61 percent gave him high marks for having strong leadership qualities; now it’s 49 percent.
A silver lining for Obama is that his personal scores are still strong: 64 percent give him high marks for being easygoing and likeable, and 51 percent give him high marks for being compassionate enough to understand average people.
Yet those percentages, too, are down from last year.
“On the personal level,” says Hart, the Democratic pollster, “the public still stays with him.”
Leave a Comment:
How convenient for the McChrystal issue to deflect from Obama's incompetence and dithering on the oil leak. What a DIC!!!!! (Ditherer-in-Chief)
It seems to me that NBC has a different freaking poll out every week . Maybe the President's numbers would be better if NBC spent less time polling and more time reporting the facts of the BP oil spill and what the Government IS doing a la whitehouse.gov and less time worrying about the damn poll numbers. I am sick of it all and I say that as someone that watches NBC. Also the fact that it is a NBC/WSJ poll does not give me confidence as the same person that owns Faux Spews is the same one that owns the WSJ.
The NBC/WSJ poll is the most believable poll out there because it is co-directed by both a recognized Democrat pollster and a recognized Republican pollster. That eliminates questions designed to influence the "preferred" answers in polls that are sponsored by left or right interest groups (Think the Daily Kos and Fox News polls).
Actually, Gail...
The last NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll was released about six weeks ago...a pretty typical span for them from poll to poll.
Gail, I totally agree with you, I am watching tweety bird and dumb chuck right now, I can't wait until Nov. and watch the look on their faces when the GOBP takes it on the chin despite the beltway pundacricies best efforts. He is still ahead of Reagan the bull@!$%# union busting destroy the middle class and drive up the deficits and kill all regulation sponge joe s. puke bag. I lived through that crap. These depressing media that we have today is absolutely disgraceful. Tweety bird is uneducated, unqualified and inexperienced when it comes to the BP oil spill. Lets sink a tanker on it,,,STFU. HERE WE GO WITH THE SUPER TANKER CRAP AGAIN, WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE GET A PICTURE OF A SUPER TANKER IN COMPARISON TO THE AREA THEY WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH TWEETY AND DUMB CHUCK AS THE CAPTAINS.
Gail,
I lost faith in Chucky some time ago. I liked him when he was doing the analysis of the election. He should have stopped there. I just downloaded the NBC/Wall Street Journal report. Interesting to glance at. I never looked at one before and I was curious. Everybody should look at it to see how they construct the questions and the demographics. Just remember that figures do not lie but liers figure and everybody can draw their own conclusions.
I do not believe in polls per se especially if the sample is small (this one had 1000 participants).
A few weeks ago the CG said there is not enough room in the area to be driving these big tankers around safely. I saw somebody on Chris Mathews that wants to nuke the well. This was the second or third time I heard Chris Mathews and sink the Titanic on the well fix. What an idiot.
Polls don't reflect public opinion, they are designed to influence public opinion.
That's too often the case. If you don't believe it go to www.pollster.com and pick one of their tracking polls. Then use the available tools to add and subtract pollsters from the mix. A couple of the polls have a pretty marked effect on the overall results...particularly Rasmussen.
Oh,my,how you turn on your 'friends' when they give you bad news.
It seems that I am not the only person in America that has caught on-
Obama is not 'cool under pressure',he is immobilized by the unexpected.
He should never have been elected president. This is not the kind of job that should be held by dilettantes. (Look it up).
He's great at the 'perfect world' scenario. He really knows how to fully utilize the perks of the office.
Leadership? Mitigating a crisis? Not so much.
I'm familiar with the term, NJ, and it doesn't mean "One who pulled himself up by his own bootstraps from childhood poverty and a broken home, graduated with honors from some of the best universities in the world, spent years working with those less fortunate and as a constitutional law professor before rapidly rising through the world of politics. Intelligence, charisma, and excellent speaking ability are indicators of a true dillettante."
Poverty? Seriously? Obama grew up in poverty?
Well then what my childhood was like after my dad left was more like growing in up in the congo region of Africa..... by comparison to Obama's poverty.....
My BS meter is pinging in the red!
Sounds like more Republician BS...i don't believe any poll ! Obama proved we don't need a senate or a congress to do the work of the people !!! He is now the peoples HERO !!
You ae so far around the bend it is unreal.
Thank you for your post-you have just proven to the world how divorced from reality, not to mention unAmerican, Obama worshippers really are.
Wow! We don't need a Senate or Congress? Now I've heard it all.
Make way for the Obama Dictatorship!
It is people like "KeepN it Real" that will be the downfall of our country. And reading comments of posters who now refuse to listen to "journalists" like Chris Matthews, i.e., Mr. Thrill Up My Leg, because he dared to *gasp* criticize the Obama administration is PRICELESS!!!!
Obama is a smart guy; his problem is that he's the typical academic. He is good at analyzing situations, but really, really bad at making decisions. There are many on this blog who will say that they are thankful that we finally have a smart guy in the Oval Office, but I ask them what good is intelligence when you can't make a freaking decision????
no joe, no bo, nj
You ae so far around the bend it is unreal.
Thank you for your post-you have just proven to the world how divorced from reality, not to mention unAmerican, Obama worshippers really are.
whats unamerican about supporting the president, was is unamerican when people were supporting reagan when he cut SS and made the ederly choose between food and rent, YES, was it unamerican when people supported Bush was eating cake at the whitehouse when again the ederly was dying after katrina, YES.
No Jo i don't care how you feel about President Obama but yes its unamerican when you don't support the president.
you show a real lack of respect for the office of the presidency, or do you just show that lack of respect when it comes to the Black president . sorry but your comments make me think this is true, and i don't want to here about how many black friend you may have.
My Bad No Jo i ment to say, that when reagan cut SS and the ederly were choosing between food and rent its is unamerican to not support him. same for Bush and same for Obama!!
support the president!!
You probalby believed the polls during the elction that said he was winning though didn't you? You asute analysis overwhelms me.
Keepn it real, Obama's Polls are in Poland.
Dinos working with General Betrayus! Ha ha! I feel sorry for Betrayus. He will be betrayed soon.
Well, then ... I recommend that President Obama sit down.
Is this man, and he is a man called President, inept or deliberately trying to destroy this country?
Another Texas idiot.
You want to talk about a man: 2Timothy 3:1-7: This know also, that in the last days perilous (dangerous) times shall come. For men shoall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontient, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of Goed. Having a form of godliness, but denying the powere thereof: from such turn away. For of this sore are which creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lust, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. For the reasons listed about is why our country is lacking on good men because they are so full of themselves and care only about themselves. President Obama is a good man; but you need to check yourself.
Cat in Texas...it's your cowboy ex-president who came way too close to ruining the USA...President Obama is the one who is trying to pick up all the pieces Bush left in his wake.
Remember..remember November..the end of the GOBP as a viable regressive UnAmerican, neofascist corporatist party who would start death camps in a heartbeat for anyone who disagrees with them or is the wrong color or has an accent (see Arizona), welcome to Glenbeckistan, how was the train ride.
Who are they polling? Don't believe the hipe!!! we will see in November and beyond.
Why is President Obama being blamed for this oil spill? This oil well was there way before Obama got elected; and Obama was not crazy about off shore drilling. Where is "drill, baby, drill"; haven't heard from Palin and her groupee that wanted off-shore drilling? As a matter of fact, the GOP are being really quite about the whole situation other than they support BP; and wanted the taxpayers to clean up the mess. BP has in the past contributed donations to the GOP party. One minute the government need to be involved and the next minute the government is too involved; so which it it? It appears that people don't know what they want and they are not thinking at all about the future generations. If the GOP was thinking about the people, they would not take their time signing to extend unemployment benefits; knowing people are out of work. In the same breath, they wanted to bail out BP; and they have plenty of money. And not to mention the school systems, how they are going broke and teachers are losing their job; and who is going to suffer, the children. There are people willing to give up their raises or some of their salaries but not those selfish GOP. It appears they want the whole country on welfare and foodstamps, just because they don't want to work with the President. All the GOP wants is control and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where their control have gotten our country in 8 years. Where were those GOP when Bush started these 2 wars, companies started falling and people losing their jobs and homes. If you want to think about Obama being a bad president, you better take another look. He is only trying to do what is best for everyone in the long run and not just a short fix. The hand he was dealt trying to straighten out all of this mess which was left by a republican government. The GOP do not care about the American people, they care about power and that is all. Really, the people need to get those GOP already elected out of office and start over and hopeful, there will be some republicans who care honestly about our country and not just their pockets and power. This problem with the oil spill is not Obama's fault, it is BP and BP should pay for it and President Obama got them to pay for it. Move on!
I am so tired of the whining going on in Lousiana that I am tuning them out. It seems the President and the federal goverment cannot do anything to satisfy them. The consistent complaining is becoming ridiculous!
My question is what are they doing to help themselves. Are they using this diaster to get money for their coffers? (referring to the local government not the average person).
Wow, Penny....If someone would have said this about the Katrina disaster, they would have been crucified. You're ridiculous.
Just pointing out here that only 1 President in the last 30 years DIDN'T have an approval rate below 50% before the midpoint of his first term. That would be George HW Bush, the only one not to be reelected.
First of all, Bush should not even been elected president, he was a pardon from the savings and loan ordeal which caused his company as well as others to fail; and he did the same thing to our country. When Bush came into the White House our deficit was in the black as that is the way Clinton left it. Bush turned that around very quick and should not have been allowed to serve a 2 term; however he did and look the way he left our country. And President Obama should not be to blame for the condition our country was left in after Bush. When President Obama was elected he came into 2 wars, people lost of jobs, homes and companies folded. Bailouts for big insurance companies and banks, then taxpayers were blamed for living above their means. Why would a country elect a man who could not run his own company? If it had not been for his daddy asking President Clinton to pardon him, he would have had a record. Come on, why can't you see the handwriting on the wall. All of this going on is not because of President Obama, he inherit this mess. At least he is trying to straighten it out more than what you can say for the GOP. Blame GOP for not straighten out their own mess, but playing the blame game and using the American people to do it.
All true Grace, and his poll numbers are still running above those of many of his predecessors at the same point in their presidencies.
Thanks for the perspective.
My approval rating for the "average American" answering these poll questions is pretty low right now: my God, people, grow up, take responsibilty for your own lives, if you're upset by the oil spill, take the bus.
I love that you guys talk about personal responsibility in this instance, but you seem to be ok with bailing out a bunch of people who borrowed more than they could afford...
And, while I'm at it, I'll go a step further....if you're upset about the health care system (which is so expensive, in part, because people don't take care of themselves and need expensive operations like triple bypasses in order to not die) that you receive, take responsibility for your own health and exercise.
The answer here is simple: These polls are racist.
Who did the polling? What was the sample size? Did the overall sample "resemble America" geographically/demographically? Was there the typical underpolling of minorities and was there any attempt to "adjust" or "weight" the raw data in order to make the poll more representative? What were the questions? Were they overly simplistic or, conversely, convoluted or "leading?"Was the sample size big enough to be sliced, diced and extrapolated reginally or demographically and, if so, were there wide variations depending on voter-segment? Or were the results pretty much the same across the board?
"Does NBC publish every poll it conducts? Or is it selective in releasing the results of those polls which help make its case? (The reason I ask is that I agree with the earlier comment here that "sometimes it seems as though every week, NBC comes up with a freakin' new poll" to gin up controversy).
Go to the pdf of the poll if you want answers to your questions. Simply click on the "write-up" link at the top of this article.
I did.
It's easily accessable, shows all the questions to the poll's respondents, and contains all of the demographics of the polling sample.
I highly recommend that you actually examine the poll in-depth...instead of asking questions about it here.
Amazing Grace, Why is Obamao being blamed for the Gulf Oil Disaster? Then, ask another question. Why was Bush blamed for Katrina? The only thing is that this disaster is far worse than Katrina. Obamao could have stopped the oil from hitting the shores of the Gulf but instead he was partying, singing and playing golf, instead of being at the gulf and managing things.
Glad to see once in a while the DINOS squirming in their seats and hollering about polls being done by their own people. They can't believe what they're seeing. Hey DINOS its a fact that your Obamao is plummeting deeper into the toilet. As I said, before, if he wants more or to increase his polls he can go to Poland where there are millions of Poles. They don't have abortion there so there are a lot of them! Come on DINOS accept the fact that your guy is going down. You don't expect him to go up in the polls with all his failures and all the negativity that he brought upon himself.