As you know, I don’t waste a whole lot of electrons talking about polls on this blog. But sometimes you get hit over the head with a whole bunch of numbers all at once, and you’ve got to stop and say “Ouch!.”
So why do President Obama’s poll numbers keep sliding? Sure, unemployment isn’t helping. But it also turns out that the American people think the President is bat-shit crazy slightly out-of-step with their concerns:
On a series of fronts, Obama is moving against headwinds:
Advertisement• By more than 2-1, Americans say the United States shouldn’t close the terrorist prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, as Obama has promised.
• By 49%-44%, they oppose passing a health care bill in Congress this year, which he calls critical.
• A majority are against holding the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York, and nearly six in 10 say the self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind should be tried in a military rather than a civilian court. That’s at odds with the decision announced this month by Attorney General Eric Holder.
And from the same USA Today story is this item:
Nearly half of those surveyed endorse deploying thousands of additional U.S. troops, while four in 10 say it’s time to begin withdrawing forces.
When things get sticky at home, Presidents often embark on a little foreign adventuring to boost their appeal. But opinion is already so divided on Afghanistan — and increasingly bitterly so, it would seem — that nothing short of a sudden and total (and impossible) victory will turn those numbers around.
So I guess what I’m trying to say, Mr. President, is that it sucks to be you.
And just imagine what those poll numbers would look like, if …on this Thanksgiving Eve…the “Goebell Goebell Goebell effect” of our entrenched media wasn’t tilting the playing field so far uphill for the critics of these inane policies.
Trillions of dollars spent, millions of words expended, …on ideas that aren’t worth a plug nickel.
If ideas were properly vetted (or candidates for that matter), instead of propagandized into force fed existence, we might find that poll numbers reflected the “mainstream” beliefs of the citizens of this land of ours.
Instead, you have four groups. Those who foist the propaganda on us, bending the truth to their whim. The sheep that blindly follow them. The folks who get their poisoned well “facts” from them…and those of us who dig for the truth.
The playing field is slanted on a pitch three times as steep…and they STILL can’t get majority approval for horrific and destructive ideas. Think what the numbers would be, if 75% of the people weren’t being fed a steady diet of lies and distortion.
Sure it sucks to be him. But it’s literally all his own doing. And I thnk you left out one important point. The further we get from the Bush years the more pathetic he sounds blaming all his problems on them.
What’s doubly sucky is that he’s losing the left for being too righty, and the moderates for being too lefty. But he got elected by simultaneously promising one group to be a “progressive” and the other to be a “uniter.”
Now he just has to keep up the trick for another 3+ years.
(comment painstakingly reconstructed after accidental — I assume — nuking)
The interesting thing is that people are most against him in areas where he is actually fulfilling campaign promises.
What do you do with that?
In part blame the media for lying about Obama throughout the campaign, in part blame the Republicans for running a cold fish against him, but there comes a point where you have to blame the voters themselves. 53% of America did this to the other 47%.
Tim, also blame the snake-oil salesman himself. He told the liberals it would cure baldness, and he told moderates it would cause baldness but make you a great dancer. Unfortunately for him, they all believed. So this is what he gets for dividing the electorate and making irreconcilable promises.
Of course I also blame the 53%. They really deserve to go bald.
If the media had been doing their job, both groups would have known Obama was lying to somebody. Of course, it’s also possible both sides assumed he was lying to the other side.
Be nice to think that trick won’t work again soon — but I expect to see it in use again no later than 2020.
You’d think that in 2020 we’d have better hindsight.
You’d think after Jimmeh Carter we’d have better hindsight…
What’s weird about Obama is that he’s getting slammed for things he said he’d do. What’s even weirder is that he’s doing them anyway. This stuff about progressives v. moderates and those v. everyone else isn’t surprising, since there’s just no way to make everyone happy. Also, it’s hard for Presidents in the Executive Branch to control Congressmen in the Legislative, which is the source of most of the left’s unhappiness. The public option is something that will have to get through the Senate before the pen signs off on it, but those looking for some weird version of “leadership” from the President on that issue really want some sort of government that isn’t ours, or at least shouldn’t be.
Where I’m most surprised with Obama is in his willingness to make Afghanistan his. His words on that matter aren’t all about blaming Bush for spending eight years with little planned for once our side kinda sorta won kinda all those years ago, but Obama is proposing his strategy, his metrics for success, and his exit strategy even. He’s owning it. It’s almost like he’s trying to be responsible or something.
Good second paragraph there jon. I completely agree with you. I’ve never understood why Obama would want to own Afganistan but own it he now does and barring a well defined victory it can only go badly for him.
Now I have to take issue with your first point. Obama has way more influence on the congress than you imply. He did not lead the way on health care he simply differed the creation of the legislation over to Pelosi and company. If he suddenly did a 180 and said no to health care legislation with a veto threat it would be dead dead dead an no blue dog worth a flip would go near it without him on board much less agree to an override. A president is as someone once sad a “Super Senator” with a bully pulpit. Just because he’s going along don’t think that he’s not in control.
Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
jon, I don’t know what you mean by “weird,” and I don’t know what you mean by “things he said he’d do.” I do know that he said he’d be all Prejean on gays and lesbians, and he’s doing it, and he’s being slammed for it by his base. Is that the sort of thing you’re referring to? He promised healthcare reform and oceanic retreat as if he is in fact the head of some sort of government that isn’t ours, and now he’s being slammed by conservatives for his attempt to fulfill those promises (of course — they’re opposed to that shit) and by his base for failing to fulfill them, because (see above regarding some form of government that isn’t ours).
“willing to make Afghanistan his”? No, he’s blaming Bush for that, too. Paraphrasing his teleprompter, A-stan was “neglected” for 8 years and the previous administration didn’t even so much as tell him what they were doing there. We’ll see on Tuesday what the number is — 34k or the 40k McChrystal asked for. If it’s 34k I’ll agree he’s willing to make A-stan his own.
All I’ve got to say regarding this miserable communist goat dropping is that he needs to be removed, and tried for treason.