10.15.2009

In the catbird seat


FROM GALLUP TODAY

Hillary Clinton Now More Popular than Barack Obama

President Barack Obama’s favorable rating is down 22 points since January, to 56 percent. Meanwhile, his chief rival for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination (and current Secretary of State) Hillary Clinton has a favorable rating of 62 percent, little changed over the same time span.

Read the Gallup Poll.

BOTH POPULAR

Let me hurriedly point out that 56 percent of Americans view President Obama favorably. That rating still can be viewed positively given the blatant hatred of Obama coming from the right.

Hillary Clinton’s popularity has always been consistent. Maybe those who don’t like her are very vocal, but she always ranks high in such polls.

OLD DEMWIT

Here is one of DemWit’s earliest posts:

12.28.2007

A love-hate thing

In the annual USA Today-Gallup poll released 26 December, the following were named as the men and women most admired by Americans:

MOST ADMIRED MAN

President George W. Bush – 10 percent
Former President Bill Clinton – 8 percent
Former Vice President Al Gore – 6 percent
Senator Barack Obama – 5 percent

MOST ADMIRED WOMAN

Senator Hillary Clinton – 18 percent
TV host Oprah Winfrey – 16 percent
First lady Laura Bush – 3 percent
Actress Angelina Jolie – 3 percent

So, let’s get this straight: the most-hated man in America, presumably, President Bush, making his 7th appearance atop the list, and the most hated woman in the country, former first lady and New York State Senator Clinton, topping the list for the 12th time, are also the most admired.

Tell me this is not a “house divided.”

Posted by B.J. at 4:49 AM

THREE CONCLUSIONS

Some of my readers came over to DemWit from my archived blog, “I See My Dreams.” They know I’ve been unwavering in my support of Hillary.

They also know that when Barack Obama became the Democratic Party nominee, I voted for him and have supported him.

In my opinion, today’s Gallup figures reflect three conclusions:

President Barack Obama is in the catbird seat in the Oval Office. Perhaps the 40 percent who view him unfavorably is reactionary: he and our country inherited difficult issues which require difficult solutions.

Sadly, it is my belief that some in that 40 percent are racists – plain and simple. This is reflected across the right-wing blogosphere and in remarks by conservative politicians and pundits.

Finally, and possibly primarily, the 22 percent drop in Obama’s popularity might indicate the powerful influence of a well-oiled propaganda machine headed by Fox News and right-wing radio. And, never underestimate the impact of those anonymous and false emails continually circulated via the Internet.

Bolstering this last point is this fact: there are an awful lot of people in America who don’t keep up with the day-to-day minutiae of politics. I talked with four persons this week who had no idea who had won the Nobel Peace Prize. I’m not even certain they know what the Nobel Peace Prize is!

This Gallup poll was conducted October 1-4, before the Nobel jury honored Obama. Given the caustic reacton from the right - and Gallup points this out – it is unclear whether that honor will affect Obama’s upcoming ratings.

A SIMPLE QUESTION

I have been struck by the vitriolic hatred of America which bleeds through many right-wing blog comments. These people not only belittle Obama, they frolic in his failure.

Granted the same could be said for the eight years of the Bush administration. But, that was eight years, and Bush’s record speaks for itself.

The attacks which are dragging Barack Obama’s numbers down began before he took the oath of office.

We all – conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats alike - know that our country’s future depends largely on the success of our president.

Can’t we give him that?

5 comments:

Frodo, pop quiz tomorrow said...

If Frodo is not mistaken, Barack Obama got 56% of all votes cast for the Presidency (or darned close). Frodo will be very pleased if he keeps those percentages through the 2012 Election.
As for Mrs. Clinton, she is perhaps the most qualified individual for the position of Secretary of State in Frodo's extended lifetime.
Frodo dast not speculate had the roles been reversed, in all likelihood, difficult issues and times would be different. A Presidency, like Foreign Policy, is a process, and is judged best in the larger context than by solitary events.

Sue said...

BJ I was a Hillary supporter too but agree, Obama is our president and he has my respect and honor. I hate polls, I don't know how you can poll 1,000 people and say it represents the country. I just don't buy it.

Infidel753 said...

Sue -- Polling samples are carefully selected and weighted so as to give a statistically-valid sample of the population. There are exceptions, but in most cases they represent actual public opinion fairly accurately in cases where there is independent confirmation (for example, they usually predict the results of elections fairly well).

Political parties spend millions on polls. If polls didn't give them reasonably accurate information most of the time, they wouldn't do that.

B.J. said...

Not to get too far from the point of the post, here’s another from Gallup FYI:

10/16/09: John Edwards’ favorable rating is 21%, a new low for him, after a steep 27-point slide from Gallup’s prior measurement in January 2008. Another former vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, has her lowest favorable rating (40%) since she became a well-known political figure last fall.

Tiny said...

Tiny thinks Hillary is in the best position to help heal the rifts in the international community that the self-proclaimed "uniter" brought about in his eight years as the "appointed one" in the oval office.

Who knows, she may eventually be awarded that "worthless award" the radical right proclaims was given to Presidents Obama and Carter, and former VP Al Gore. Now that would scrape some barnacles off their ole ships of Zion!

Should that happen, the radicals low poll ratings would probably tank, if any of them are still around. Their hate must be a heavy load to carry and is probably the reason they spew so much of it in the air. Wonder where that would measure on the polls?