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Subscribe to RSSAre the political winds changing? … New NBC/WSJ poll has Obama approval at 53%... Also, 40% now label him a political moderate -- which is maybe why we haven’t heard “Obama is a socialist” in a while… But is this bump for Obama a transition or a transitory moment?... Poll also shows a short honeymoon for the GOP… Handicapping 2012… And polling birthright citizenship.
*** Are the political winds changing? Exactly two years ago today, Barack Obama was sworn in as the country’s 44th president -- a sign that the political winds were firmly at the Democratic Party’s back. Then, a year ago today, we had discovered the winds had shifted with the news that Scott Brown (R) had just captured Ted Kennedy’s old Senate seat, ending the Dems’ filibuster-proof majority. It began a slow descent for the Democrats and culminated with the November "shellacking." But are the political winds once again changing? After a stretch that included the bipartisan legislative achievements in the lame duck, mostly positive economic news, and Obama’s speech in Arizona come these numbers in the new NBC/WSJ poll: Obama’s approval is at 53% (where he hasn't been since before those summer town halls in ‘09, that's 18 months ago); confidence that the economy will improve in the next 12 months jumped eight points from last month; and the Dem Party’s fav/unfav went from a net negative (37%-41%) to a net positive (39%-35%). “The last six weeks have been the best six weeks the president has had in his first two years in office,” said NBC/WSJ co-pollster Peter Hart (D).
*** Maybe this is why we haven’t heard “Obama is a socialist” in a while: We’ll take it one step further: These might have been Obama’s best six weeks since Fall 2008. Indeed, the bump in Obama’s approval was across the board -- independents moved from 35% approval to 46%; Democrats went from 76% to 86%, and Republicans went from 11% to 15%. Perhaps the most surprising result in the poll? Try 40% labeling the president as a political moderate, compared with 45% who see him as a liberal and 11% who view him as a conservative. That moderate number is the highest for Obama in the NBC/WSJ poll, even higher than it was before his inauguration.
*** A transition or a transitory moment? But Hart and co-pollster Bill McInturff (R) say these poll numbers present this question for Obama, especially with the 2012 election on the horizon: Is this a transition, or is it a transitory moment? After all, Bill Clinton saw a bump after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, but it lasted just a couple of months. (Of course, Clinton went on to easily win re-election.) And there are still plenty of warning signs for Obama and the Democrats. A majority (56%) thinks the county is on the wrong track; 50% disapprove of Obama's economic handling; and a combined 82% say the Afghanistan war has either gotten worse or stayed the same, and 71% believe the U.S. will ultimately have to withdraw and leave the country without a stable democratic government. Here’s one other way to look at Obama’s numbers: This might be a ceiling for him, at least in this current economic climate. If you’re not going to approve of his job after Arizona, then you aren’t going to approve of it later…
*** The GOP’s short honeymoon: But the bigger warning signs in the poll appear directed at the party that's been in control of the House for just two weeks. Only 25% say the Republicans in Congress will bring the right kind of change (versus 42% who said that about the Dems in Jan. 2007, and 37% who said that about the GOP in Jan. 1995). In addition, a majority (55%) believe congressional Republicans will be too inflexible in dealing with Obama, while an equal number (55%) say Obama will strike the right balance. And then there's this: The GOP's fav/unfav has gone from a net positive in December (38%-37%) to a net negative now (34%-40%). "I think this has been a pretty short Republican honeymoon," McInturff says. Hart adds, "I think the president has the benefit of the doubt, and the Republicans -- based on this data -- have the burden of proof."
*** Handicapping 2012: Looking ahead to the 2012 presidential race, the NBC/WSJ poll shows Obama leading Mike Huckabee by 10 points (51%-41%) and Newt Gingrich by 19 points (54%-35%). The December poll had him leading Mitt Romney by seven (47%-40%) and Sarah Palin by 22 (55%-33%). But keep in mind: At this stage of the 1996 cycle, McInturff says, Bob Dole was leading Bill Clinton in the NBC/WSJ poll. That tells us one of two things: Either these polls aren't that reliable this far out, or that Obama enters the 2012 in a much stronger position than Clinton did in '96. For the first time, our poll also handicapped the ’12 GOP field. Leading the pack are Romney (the first choice of 19% of Republicans and independents) and Huckabee (18%) -- followed by Palin (14%), Gingrich (10%), Ron Paul (8%), and Tim Pawlenty (at 5%). We also asked "second choice," and if you take Palin out, the person who benefits the most is Huckabee. He would lead a Palin-less GOP primary, not Romney. By the way, here’s another 2012 poll: Per Quinnipiac, 48% of Ohio voters say Obama deserves re-election, while 44% say he doesn’t. The president’s approval in the Buckeye State is 49%-46%.
*** Polling birthright citizenship: We’ll leave you with a final set of numbers from our NBC/WSJ poll. In it, 50% believe the U.S. should continue to grant citizenship to all children born in the country, including children of illegal immigrants. Yet 47% think this should be changed so children of illegal immigrants aren’t automatically granted citizenship. The divide breaks along party lines: 67% of Democrats want to continue granting automatic citizenship, while 69% of Republicans don’t. By the way, Hispanics support birthright citizenship by a nearly 80%-20% margin. Does this make the issue untouchable for Republican presidential candidates who think they might be the nominee?
Countdown Chicago’s mayoral election: 33 days
Countdown to Election Day 2011: 292 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 382 days
* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up
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BHO takes us to $14T in debt, and that's good? I think the only person on this earth who thinks this is good is the chinese prez. And BHO sure will kiss his A$$ because we owe him lots of money. Hey dems. Pay THAT back in the next 2 years. CAN'T DO IT and you KNOW it.
Screw the Chineese, pay back and protect Social Securty first. The trillions they borrowed from SS just kind of gets swept under the rug.
Paulson reeked of deception when he presented a 3 page TARP to Congress in 2008 and said approve it within a week or Doomsday awaits. Maybe it was the nervous cough, or just his body language. And that would be what you would expect if indeed you were puling a financial coup de tat. Your nervousness about it would show up somewhere
12 trilion in toxic assets were given over to Uncle Sam at undeflated prices.The crap continues to deflate
Im not very confident in polls and percentages. I recall that the majority of people in the US voted for Al Gore yet George Bush was still made president.
its amazing what they can rigged and now the same people that did bush campain are in mexico now rigging that one to
Obama's increase is, for a large part, because of his adoption of more conservative ideas. If he stays in the middle he might have a good chance of attracting the independents but if he returns to left he will have very little chance. The main problem that the Republicans have is people like Sarah Palin. Someone has to slow her down or the same could happen with them.
Won't be long before Barry Odchecommiebama starts showing his true socialistic, class warfare colors again-
Keep your guard up people- this guy is never going to be anything but a snake-in-the-grass enemy of our great democracy.
How quickly we forget about those that want to forsake the American people and give big corporations, banks, wall street and insurance companies carte blanche to steal the American people blind, while they are busy investing and sending as many jobs as they can oveseas.
I don't care what side your on, it's time to start doing what's right for the American people, all the American people.
RE: Supreme Court ruling on corporations funding political campaigns. It appears Justices Thomas and Scalia may not have been exactly impartial:
This is what Rep. Cohen is quoted as saying: “They say it's a government takeover of health care, a big lie just like Goebbels" "You say it enough, you repeat the lie, you repeat the lie, and eventually, people believe it. Like blood libel. That's the same kind of thing.”
He did not refer to anyone or any party as "Nazis"; what he did is point out the fact that the use of the "big lie" technique is still alive and well.
So pay back the money that was borrowed from Social Security and quit spending billions of dollars in Islamic Republics. Sorry, I should have said, wasting billions of dollars in Islamic Republics.
Think about protecting the futures of the American people that built this country as they grow old instead of giving our tax dollars to people that could care less about the United States or Americans.
Pitful humans. As you stay busy fighting your useless politcal battles, we watch you from space. We are planning our invasion soon. We will zap you all with our love guns, and your hearts will be filled with joy. All men and women will cease their nonsensical blabberings on internet blogs and a new age of enlightenment will unfold.
Republicans keep 'touting' Capitalism and Free Markets and blah blah blah saying how wonderful it is -
but if that were the case - then why am I not seeing those benefits in my paycheck and wallet each month ?
They (the Conservatives) keep telling me how WONDERFUL Capitalism is - but my standard of living is going DOWN, not UP !
So the rhetoric is attractive - but the "proof" is in the pudding so to speak. I look at the only economic measure that counts...
MY WALLET. If I am getting richer - then I could almost buy into the Republicans argument - if I am getting poorer however and having to work more and more for less and less - then the Democrats make a lot more sense to me.
We've tried it the Conservatives way for the last 30 years (since Reagan) and unfortunately the spoils (profits) of Capitalism have not "trickled down" at all - they've stayed at the top - am I mad ? Am I bitter ? Damn right !!!
I can support Capitalism and Free Enterprise only if I am seeing some REAL benefit from it. Today I don't see that...and Socialism or at least a more Mixed "Highly Regulated" Economy looks much more attractive to me.
I ask ALL of my fellow citizens to look at their paychecks and wallets and ask themselves this question:
Is Capitalism making me richer ??? Is "Free Trade" making you richer ??? Or has it shipped your job overseas ???
The answer for the vast majority of Americans will be NO - and will make most people realize that they've been HAD - sold down the River by a Corrupt and Fascist Corporate Elite and Wall St. executives laugh all the way to the Bank ! It's TIME for some REAL Class Warfare !!!
Amen Brutha/Sista! Ain't it the truth.
so in the last 30 yrs we had all conservative presidents in w/h?? and who would have the majority in house and senate during that time?? are you serious?
Right on Texas Liberal - just thought you could use some moral support
ignorance must be bliss
To TX LIBERAL: To get to be equal? So what you're saying is that you are willing to take from people who have to bestow on those (like you) who don't. There are two words for that: one is THEFT and the other is TAXATION. And by my standards, you are NOT entitled to the fruit of my labor, especially f those fruits are extracted fromme by force or other forms of government compulsion.
In the last 30 years, have you tried to better your lot in life? Did you seek to better your skills or your education? What have you done to make yourself more marketable? What makes you more valuable?
Let me tell you about Socialism: Socialism does create equality, equality of misery. Is that what you wish for your countrymen? Do you want us all to be reduced to the same state of penury? What gives you that right? And if we are ALL forced to live in your socialist utopia, where will there be ANY incentive to excel or succeed, when second-handers like you believe you can do less and less, but still claim an "equal" piece of the ever diminishing pie?
The fact that the Declaration of Independence stated "that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights..." does not mean or guarantee that their will be an equality of outcomes.
I suggest you re-read or perhaps read for the first time, the U.S. Constitution. Nowhere in that document, originally written to LIMIT the power of the FEDERAL government is there ANY guarantee of EQUALITY, not in earnings, outcomes or anything else.
Socialism is nothing more than tyranny by a different master. It can be the State, a Party (like the Communists in the USSR or Communist China), elitist bureaucrats or a Bolshevik people's council.
You do NOT have the right to impose your will one me any more than I have the right to do so to you. The only obligation that I recognize to you (and my fellow man) is to respect their FREEDOMS and leave them the hell alone).
Big Banks launder a trillion of Narco Drug Lord money a year. MUCH easier to use Visa instead of cash when purchasing a submarine. The banks don't mid a BIT if your neighborhood is overrun with drugs. It just helps out their bottom line since drug trafficking is the #1 revenue producer in any given county in the US. They figure you are going to get addicted anyway so why not get a part of the take
A leopard cannot change its spots. You cannot trust this guy.
Chuck Todd and the other so-called NBC correspondents are nothing more than shills and hacks for the Obama machine. 40% of Americans call O a moderate? Oh really? Since when, yesterday? Obama is a radical and a SOCIALIST, and if 40% of the American people think he's moderate, then they are all incredibly ill-educated, stupid, naive and D ALL OF THE ABOVE.
Here is what O is: He's anti-business, anti-capitalism, anti-individual liberty, anti-US sovereignty, anti-freedom of choice in private matters and believes YOUR money and life belong to the STATE. Well no Barack, it doesn't and no amount of "tacking back to the middle" will ever convince those of us who knew, from the beginning, that you are an ideologue whose national and world views are anathema to the vast majority of Americans. My fervent hope is that at 12:01 PM on 20 January 2013 that you, Barack Obama are rendered UNEMPLOYED by the same populace you hold in such utter contempt.
Try traversing to a higher plane where you can see that both sides are both chosen and bought off by those in a position and with a desire to do so. Then you will just smirk when politics is brought up
Give us all a brake for Obama has no better Chance than he did only the media is distorting the real facts and playing Obama up to the hilt he is no good for the country and most of the intelligent people know it.
You go on and on about how bad drug addiction and the violence in Mexico is -- and then you do business with the bank that launders the Drug Lord money for them - a trillion dollars worth
Don't know where this poll was taken but I can't believe that people are so easily swayed. Sheep that's what they are SHEEP.
BAAAAAAAAAAA
One trilion in Drug Lord money leverages out to 17 trilion in loans
I like to think of myself as an independent voter. I am liberal at times and conservative at other times. What I find it difficult to abide is the freeloading aspect of the democratic party these days and its dictitorial policy making. I am sick of supporting people who do not work. If we keep extending unemployment, we are going to be another Russia before it collapsed. There are many things that need mending in our towns and cities but they are overlooked by generous politicians who have ingratiated themselves with the public and continue to lead them astray with promises they never keep. Whenever terms limits for Congress is mentioned, our fearless leaders hide under their desks. At midnight they give themselves raises. We need a leader who will actually do something that does not drain the public of its financial resources. The new health care plan has already cost me an extra thousand dollars that I cannot afford. Interest rates are virtually nil in banks and in once-called savings bonds. In desperation people with any savings at all are being lured into Wall Street to make a dollar. Again Main Street is constantly pointed into the direction of purchasing a home and ending up with a mortgage it cannot afford to pay. Prices at the grocery store go up everyday; gas at the pump increases almost weekly. Heating costs are outrageous. Given the so-called accomplishments of the present administration, I am inclined to believe another SOYLENT GREEN is in our future. With the patriarchs making a bundle in the stock market and plebians walking around with grumbling stomachs and holes in their shoes, we seem to be emulating the last days of the Roman Empire. And from what I hear being said by the contributors to this column is that like Voltaire's decimated CANDIDE this is the "best of all possible worlds." Maybe it is as the Chinese philosophers say that "all life is a dream," and I am not really experiencing what I have read in this column. I hope the alarm clock goes off soon.
Philip:
I believe you meant to say "patricians."
While the Obama's continue to host ultra-lavish dinner parties at the WH; and, enjoy endless vacation excursions to extravagant 5-star resorts, America is rapidly decaying from within as a result of Obama's destructive policies. Of alarming note is Obama's Energy Secretary's pronouncement that it is Administration policy to drive energy costs to historical levels so as to force American's to accept higher-cost alternative forms of energy preferred by Obama. This in our Nation where now proven indigenous petroleum reserves, incorporated into a comprehensive Energy Strategy, are more than sufficient to wean us off of Middle Eastern assets that are bleeding our economic vitality. The impact on job-creation with the implementation of Obama policies will prove catastrophic.
Of equal note is Obama's determined quest to atrophy America's Status as a Global Superpower. Consequences which are vividly reflected in Obama's concession to Russia to ignore their deployments of MIRVed road mobile TOPAL-M ICBMs; and, their programmed replacement of their massive, multiple warhead, virtually impregnable, silo-based SS-18s -while- America is self-constrained to rely on the ancient, single warhead, highly vulnerable Minuteman force. Under Obama, we are fairing no better in Asia, where the cancellation of further production of America's air-dominant stealth fighter, the F-22, has been greeted by the introduction of China's much larger, extended range replica of our own F-22. A circumstance which places America's Pacific Fleet in significantly greater jeopardy. Is their any wonder that Foreign Press cartoonists are increasingly mocking America's former Global Dominance circa the arrival of a President Obama!
The damage being precipitated on America's global posture by our 'Community Organizer' is profound. Greg Neubeck
Honestly, name a Republican that Obama won't wipe the floor with in 2012? That's the problem with a consistently negative viewpoint - who is gonna inspire people from the Right? The closest they have is Romney, who has stayed so far out of the fray that no one knows where he's coming from - but I'd have a hard time believing people will go for a cult member, I mean Mormon.
Obama a moderate? Don't make me laugh. He's only trying to get reelected. Obama was raised in a liberal household. His liberal tendencies are too engrained in his personnality to truly move to the right. He's only trying to appease the public, which he is doing a good job at. But give it some time. The American public isn't dumb. Eventually, he will do or say something and the public will see right through him to see the true Obama again.
is this a set-up or primer for political shenanigans..like; corrupted files/ votes, grand-standing something that is Not Well with the General Public or such..A Big Surprise awaits Our Fateful Future, either Way; it's like diarrhea, the dung never stops flying...........
Did he rehire the public relations people that worked the magic to get a unknown and a person with no experience what so ever to be president by planting positive propaganda so the small minded and unintelligent people would think he was sooooo wonderful? He had to, hope I'm not paying for it.
Republicans are evil... period! The love of money is the root of all... you know the rest!
Headshaker, then move to a socialist country....let's say China or Cuba, or even better Venezuela. You would then be able to live where the government controls everything....including your life! Remember, you are in the manority here as a liberal. More than half of Americans are either moderate or conservative. So just get lost