Bloodthirsty Liberal

That’s how I’d describe President Obama’s fleeting escape from disfavor in the polls:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 26% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove which Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -15. That matches the President’s ratings just before the State-of-the-Union Address. While Obama received a modest bounce in his ratings following the speech, today’s results suggest that the bounce is over.

I’ve been meaning to announce a new occasional series called “What Was That All About”?

You know, Obama announces he intends to try KSM and his war criminal buddies in Night Court (with John Larroquette as the DA), which announcement is met with holy hell from everyone involved (mayor, governor, congressmen, cabbies), and then he says, oh never mind. What was that all about?

The president of Honduras announces he wants to ignore his country’s constitution and remain in office like forever, except his country’s supreme court and legislature say we don’t think so—and we back the putsching president, and call his removal from office a coup? And after the whole thing dies down, and the democratic institutions of Honduras have their say, the ousted tinpot, banana republic dictator wannabe stays ousted, we accept it without a peep on the back pages of the A-section of the newspaper. What was that all about?

President Obama surges to near parity in the polls, only to plummet to pre-speech paucity—his Strongly Disapprove numbers within three of his Total Approve—in less than a week. What was that all about? (Ditto “Cash for Clunkers”, “Leases for Layabouts”, etc. etc.)

I think I might have clue on what that last one was all about:

The American people overwhelmingly reject the basics of Keynesian economics: only 11% believe more deficit spending is needed to spur the economy while 70% say deficit cutting is the answer.

Both are wrong: a temporary deficit from broad, deep tax-rate cuts would in short order then balloon receipts after the resultant economic expansion, and go far toward erasing said deficit.

And then you know what we’d say about the panic over the deficit? What was that all about?

PS: Ed Morrissey:

This explains why Obama likes to keep himself on TV screens. He usually gets these kind of bumps from his major addresses, but those temporary increases now evaporate more quickly than before. People appear to sense potential in Obama, but are less patient for him to demonstrate it than they were at his election.

Charge to 200… CLEAR:

NPR Poll: Obama’s First Year

January 26, 2010

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president?

Congress

If the 2010 elections for United States Congress were being held today, for whom would you vote: the Republican candidate or the Democratic candidate in this district?

An NPR poll? N-freakin’-P-freakin’-R???

Darn you, Robert Siegel, live! Don’t you quit on me, Linda Wertheimer! Stay away from the light, Susan Stamberg!

PS: Ed Morrissey:

I think we can safely say that the war on Rasmussen is over, and the Democrats lost. That bastion of conservative thought — NPR — polled 800 likely voters and found that the Republicans had taken a solid five-point lead on the generic Congressional ballot. And that was actually the good news for Democrats.

Because if he can’t be fixed, he might have to be returned (not to office, I hasten to assure):

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 24% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -19.

These figures come from nightly telephone surveys and are reported on a three-day rolling average basis. Today’s update is the first based entirely upon interviews following Tuesday’s election in Massachusetts and the Approval Index has fallen eight points since Tuesday morning.

The number of Democrats who Strongly Approve has fallen from 55% on Tuesday morning to 48% today.

The number of unaffiliated voters who Strongly Disapprove has increased from 43% on Tuesday to 51% today. It remains to be seen whether those changes are a temporary reaction in the wake of a stunning election upset or the beginning of a more lasting change.

Indeed. Obama couldn’t have had a worse week if he were discovered carrying C-4 in his drawers at the State of the Union. He had been on a bit of a rally in Rasmussen lately (as the chart shows). Not no more.

As this simpler chart makes ferociously clear:

That downward slope is triple black diamond. It would look like this:

Meanwhile:

Sixty-one percent (61%) of voters nationwide now say Congress should drop health care and focus on the economy.

Put me down on the 30.5% who want Congress to drop health care—but dear God above, don’t let them touch the economy! Anything but that.

The other day, I noted that President Obama’s Rasmussen Poll numbers tend to plummet, then recover, then plummet again.

How right I was:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 25% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-six percent (46%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -21 That’s the lowest Approval Index rating yet recorded for this President.

…

That negative rating had never topped 42% before yesterday. However, it has risen dramatically since the Senate found 60 votes to move forward with the proposed health care reform legislation. Most voters (55%) oppose the health care legislation and senior citizens are even more likely than younger voters to dislike the plan.

…

Overall, 44% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President’s performance. Fifty-six percent (56%) now disapprove.

Those who strongly disapprove of Obama’s performance now outnumber the overall number who approve—strongly, half-heartedly, or hardly at all.

And geezers hate him like an arthritic hip (which is fitting, since under ObamaCare, they’ll have to live with both for years to come).

So, the bad news is that we’re likely to be saddled with another mandated social program we can’t afford, which is likely to mire the budget in deficit for as far out as anyone can see, and will only get more pork-packed and noxious with each passing revision.

And the good news is that, well, maybe under a Republican majority in Congress and a lame duck, single-term president, some of this can be walked back. Although I’m not sure how.

Third or fourth hand, but worth passing along:

Usually, trawling the “comments” section following any column in the on-line newspaper causes one to feel frustration or worse, but this comment to E.J.Dionne’s column in the Washington Post this morning about how the Democrats need Bush was perfect:

BUSH:

- Two wars
- Gitmo open
- Don’t ask. Don’t tell.
- Patriot Act
- Stocks 14,000
- Unemployment 4.5%

OBAMA:

- Two wars. 60,00 additional troops.
- Gitmo open
- Don’t ask. Don’t tell.
- Patriot Act extended
- Stocks 10,000
- Unemployment 10%

Democrats don’t need Bush. America needs Bush.

As the polls have indicating.

Yesterday, Aggie posted the latest Rasmussen poll, showing that President Obama’s popularity had dropped to a new low. I was going to post an observation that such dips are usually followed by a period of a few days in which his numbers recover a bit before the next plunge.

Good thing I held off. I would have looked stupid:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 23% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-two percent (42%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -19.

Today is the second straight day that Obama’s Approval Index rating has fallen to a new low.

You think that’s ugly:

Among voters not affiliated with either major party, 21% Strongly Approve and 49% Strongly Disapprove.

Among those who consider the economy to be the most important issue, just 26% Strongly Approve of the President’s performance while 39% Strongly Disapprove.

Among those who consider fiscal policy issues the most important, just 1% Strongly Approve and 81% Strongly Disapprove.

The President’s Approval Index rating is -2 among voters under 30 and -29 among senior citizens. From an income perspective, the President’s ratings are weakest among those who earn $40,000 to $100,000 annually.

Independents hate him, geezers loathe him, pocketbook voters can’t stand the thought of him. Even Obama Jugend have fallen out of love. All this as he jets off to Denmark to give away the store. Maybe he’ll ask for asylum there, citing persecution at home. He wouldn’t be wrong.

Do you know what you’re looking at?

That’s a graphic representation of President Obama’s popularity plunge. Let me show you a physical representation:

I’m just relieved that the president (and his family, and Congress, and their families) has a decent health care plan to treat the bruises and thousand cuts from which he is suffering.

Go ahead, twist my arm:

Often/sometimes is up 10 points since Obama became president and five points since he and Cheney started tangling over this, with support at a clear majority for the first time since Pew began polling it.

What’s more, the increase has been stronger among Independents than Republicans—most of whom already had the electrodes charged, it must be admitted—and strongest of all among Democrats!

The cherry on top: the number of people who think President Obama is a pansy (not their word, mine) is equal to the number who think he’s either too tough or just right.

We thought we elected a Messiah, but we got a metrosexual.

Cheney/Palin ‘12!

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 27% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -14. That matches the lowest Approval Index rating yet recorded for this President.

…

Overall, 46% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President’s performance. Fifty-three percent (52%) now disapprove.

The number of people who strongly approve of President Obama is now sinking to about a quarter of likely voters. I know why I’m smiling.

And the people further prove their wisdom with this opinion:

By a 3-to-1 margin, voters believe that tax cuts will create more jobs than additional government stimulus spending.

He’s so far removed from the American mainstream, I’m beginning to wonder if Obama’s American at all.

No! No, I don’t mean that. No Birthers, please!

On the day of the first Obama referendum, let’s see how he’s playing to Joe and Flo Sixpack:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 28% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -13.

…

Overall, 46% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President’s performance. Fifty-two percent (52%) disapprove.

Interesting side note:

It’s Election Day. Our latest polls show a very close race in New Jersey and a solid lead for Republican Bob McDonnell in Virginia. Also, we look at what New York-23 race says about the GOP and its voters. Nearly half the conservatives nationwide do not consider themselves Republicans.

While that’s bad news for Republicans, it’s certainly not good news for Democrats.

Also:

The number who blame Obama’s policies for the nation’s economic woes has grown to 45%, the highest level yet. However, 49% still blame George W. Bush.

All in good time, my pretty, all in good time.