well in all fairness, those are not the only poll numbers to have been published...
if we are going to do polls, all must be shown, good and bad, IMO.
Rasmussen has things looking much different.
Obviously, i do not care what a Rush Limbaugh poll has to say (if there is such a thing) but CNN is not the only polling service.
if we are going to look at polls, we should look at all of them from the more esteemed polling services, and compare them all side by side. CNN, Pew, Rasmussen, etc. etc. etc. all have legitimate places in the discussion.
Rasmussen suggests very different things regarding the support for the stimulus as well as Obama's performance.
Rasmussen Reports: The Most Comprehensive Public Opinion Site.
Rasmussen Reports: The Most Comprehensive Public Opinion Site.
he is at about 60 percent approve, 38 percent disapprove there.
also, he predictably has little support among republicans, lots of support among democrats, but among independents with regards to the stimulus it shows much lower support.
with regards to statements about the stimulus that you mentioned in the WSJ poll, that differs radically in Rasmussen
Rasmussen Reports: The Most Comprehensive Public Opinion Site.
Rasmussen Reports: The Most Comprehensive Public Opinion Site.
even gallup from last week stated that only 38% wanted the plan passed "as is" (prior to the changes compromised with the moderate repubs)
Americans Support Stimulus, but Many Want Major Changes
and on feb 5 support was only at 52%
Public Support for Stimulus Package Unchanged at 52%
Then again, Gallup as him at 63% approve, 23% disapprove
Gallup Daily: Obama Job Approval
what it all comes down to is basically a lot of bunk, by people who really do not seem to pay much attention and have no clue what is going on.
Naturally, Obama is still in the relative calm of a honeymoon period, and his popularity should remain in the low 60s for awhile...
but the stimulus package is very different, since it does involve other components, namely congress, which all polling shows that resoundingly, people are sick of and disapprove of. (go figure on that one :wink: )
the big difference, is that this stimulus package is not Obama's...it is Reid and Pelosi's, which IMO was a huge mistake on the President's part...
anyway, none of it really makes any difference pollwise, because the numbers should remain pretty constant for awhile, until either his first major victory, defeat, success or screwup.
One thing is for certain though, if they pass this stimulus package and the banking package and they do not work, we are going to be in a massive mess, and he and congress will take the blame for it.
There is nothing ultimately more important than the economy, and if this does not work, it will likely be the death of his presidency.
It is a massive gamble, that tbh, i cannot believe he is going to take, allowing the House to make that decision for him and not to make it on his own. The republicans are clearly playing defense, and are letting the package sink or swim on the democrats shoulders...ironically, Obama's biggest mistake was resting the already signature moment of his presidency on the shoulders of the wretched Nancy Pelosi.
He is a strong, likeable and charismatic guy, and congress is still disliked very much...he couldh ave used his likeability and initial popularity to great effect on this plan and probably passed it no matter what...instead, he allowed Pelosi to take over probably the most important moment of his prsidency, which is a huge mistake and she has turned this package into a massive clusterfuck.
anyway, we'll see what happens...but for this big a moment to happen this soon in his presidency is absolutely critical...if it fails, he will greatly regret having left the biggest moment in his career thus far in Pelosi's hands.
He is likeable and relatively practical...she is not.
He could have gone right to the republicans before she and reid et. al began writing the bill, and probably could have wrang some concessions out of them considering he has a rather clean slate compared to Pelosi who the republicans utterly despise.
He could really have rode shotgun on this plan and made it into something that i personally believe could have worked very well...instead he gave it to Pelosi, who is a complete ass.
He let them get out in front and then he took over the reins after they wrote it...he is riding their horse, not his own, and that is why this package is such a mess.
Frankly, I am terrified...not of Obama himself, but the fact that he is now unfortunately totally wedded to this fucked up package that he allowed the idiots like Pelosi to write with virtually no input from him, and without consulting the republicans at all, then being surprised when they will not help at all...
if you are going to wine and dine the republicans, as he did originally, to win their support for the package, why would you then let their arch-enemy, who represents everything they hate, (Pelosi) write the bill without any consultation, and with so much shit in it, that he should have known they would never accept.
This was a massive mistake on his part and allowing a hack like Pelosi to dictate the most important moment of his young presidency is a serious mistake. He is smarter and much more popular than she is and he pretty much let her hijack it.
