Opinion Polls and Obama's Politics of Violence

by Rev. Richard Skaff
Global Research, March 20, 2010

Mr. Obama is a fast learner. He acquired many Machiavellian tactics from his predecessors. When George W. Bush’s polls were dipping, Bush and his cronies always had terror and low intensity conflicts on their minds to save them.

Mr. Obama has learned that the politics of violence and fear combined with empty rhetoric works well and might increase his numbers in the polls and keep him in office for a second term. Mr. Obama as a student of history also learned from the fate of the late president Kennedy that you would never oppose the intelligence community and the Military Industrial Complex in their ventures if you wish to remain alive. Two hard lessons that will definitely impact his policies and will lead his administration to promote additional terror alerts and low intensity conflicts to stay alive, as well as to distract the public from the economic woes and the prevalent and blatant corruption in every level of government that is comparable to that of the Roman Empire prior to its collapse.

President Obama’s polls have been sliding since March 2009 after the infatuation and novelty period of his presidency has evaporated.

The public became quickly disillusioned and doubtful that the alleged face of change is nothing but another farce played by members of the global corporate elite on the proles, and that Obama is like every other president a tool in the hands of the money masters. The herds also realized that the choice between left and right is nothing but a game of rhetoric and demagoguery as well as an illusion that leads them to the same slaughter house.

Let’s explore Mr. Obama’s poll numbers since 2009 until the present, assuming that polls are reliable and are not manipulated or skewed to promote a specific political agenda. Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal reported in March 13, 2009 that theoverall Rasmussen Reports showed a 56%-43% approval, with a third strongly disapproving of the president's performance. The WSJ also edified that this was a substantial degree of polarization so early in the administration, where Mr. Obama has lost virtually all of his Republican support and a good part of his Independent support, and the trend was decidedly negative. [1].

In October 2009, Gallup recorded an average daily approval rating of 53 per cent for Mr. Obama for the third quarter of the year, a sharp drop from the 62 per cent he recorded from April of that year. [2].

On December 8, 2009, the Mclatchy newspaper reported that president Barack Obama and the Democratic Party ended the year far weaker than they started it. According to a McClatchy-Ipsos poll Obama had the lowest approval rating of his presidency — 49 percent — slipping below 50 percent in the poll for the first time and entering a danger zone for presidents heading into a midterm election year. [6].

Unfortunately, the Christmas/underwear bomber did not help elevate Mr. Obama’s poll numbers as anticipated, because on January 6, 2010, Politico.com reported thatPresident Barack Obama entered 2010 with one of the lowest approval ratings of any president heading into his second year, based on a new Gallup poll that was out that week. Fifty percent approved of how Obama has handled his job as president, the second lowest total since Gallup started polling. Obama beats only Ronald Reagan, who started 1982 with a 49 percent approval rating.

The president had a 44 percent disapproval rating.

Gallup’s Lydia Saad stated that “President Obama has been walking the public opinion tightrope represented by the 50 approval job approval line since about mid-November 2009, with his rating wavering between 47 and 53.â€