Thread: Poll: Obama has squandered renewed faith in the presidency

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Poll: Obama has squandered renewed faith in the presidency
hotair.com

Poll: Obama has squandered renewed faith in the presidency

posted at 11:21 am on June 30, 2014 by Noah Rothman

Americans faith in the three branches of government is nearing all-time lows, according to a recent survey via Gallup.
In 2009, President Barack Obama entered office at a time when confidence in the office of the presidency had reached historic low level, bottoming out in 2007 at 25 percent. Obama’s election amid a wave of “hope” resulted in a rebound in Americans’ faith in the presidency. Six years later, however, that rating has again collapsed.
In 2009, 51 percent said they had confidence in the Oval Office. Today, only 29 percent say the same.

The executive branch is in good company. In 1991, 48 percent expressed confidence in the judicial branch. Only 30 percent say the same today. Whereas 30 percent said that they had faith in Congress in 1991, only 7 percent say the same today.
The June 5 – 8 poll showed that confidence in government has ebbed dramatically in just the last two years. Since 2012, confidence in the Supreme Court, the presidency, and the Congress has plummeted by 7 points, 8 points, and six points respectively.
Gallup’s conclusions are among the most disturbing for those who support America’s tradition of representative governance:

While Americans clearly have the lowest amount of confidence in the legislative branch, ratings for all three are down and are at or near their lowest points to date. At this point, Americans place much greater faith in the military and the police than in any of the three branches of government.

The only institutions which maintain the public’s support are those with a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence. While a Seven Days in May scenario remains an unthinkable one, one wonders if the public would be particularly disturbed if one did arise.


http://hotair.com/archives/2014/06/3...paign=haupdate

The worst part of these polls, since they keep going downward, is that none of the 3 branches seem concerned about low grades of faith in them! Constantly, I ask myself, "What should I determine from that? It MUST be indicative of something."

Curtain Closing on Obama Presidency



by Mike Flynn 14 Jun 2014 628 post a comment
President Obama has faced low job-approval ratings for much of his presidency. In the current RealClearPolitics average of polls, his job-approval is currently 42%. According to Gallup, Obama's job-approval has never averaged more than 48% in each of his last four years in office.

A new survey from Gallup, however, shows Obama crossing a threshold from which presidents don't rebound. Obama's personal approval ratings are now underwater.
Gallup notes:

Americans' views of President Barack Obama as a person have turned slightly negative, with 47% saying they have a favorable opinion of him and 52% an unfavorable one. That net favorable rating of -5 is the least positive personal assessment of Obama to date.

Personal approval ratings are far more important than the ups-and-downs of job approval numbers. Outside events, often beyond the control of the White House, can weigh down job approval numbers. They can also cause a bump in these numbers. A president's personal approval ratings, though, act as a kind of check on how much job-approval numbers can swing.
Obama's current personal approval ratings are the lowest of his presidency. A majority of Americans do not find Obama "honest and trustworthy." A majority no longer think he is a "strong leader" or "shares their values." Just 34% of Americans believe he has a "clear plan" for solving the nation's problems.
These results aren't the result of hyper-partisanship. Earlier this week, Pew Research Center released a survey concluding that Americans are far more partisan and idealogical than in years past. This is possibly true, although given how much politics impacts our daily lives, it is hardly surprising. It also doesn't explain, in itself, Obama's low approval ratings.
For much of his presidency, Obama's job approval numbers have tracked closely with previous presidents. Throughout his first term, his numbers were in-line with Presidents Clinton and Reagan. At the midterm elections of their first terms, Obama's job approval numbers were slightly higher than Clinton's and Reagan's. (George W. Bush's approval ratings were very high in the aftermath to the 9-11 terrorists attacks.)
After their successful reelections, however, Clinton and Reagan enjoyed higher approval ratings throughout their second terms. In their final years in office, the two men had approval ratings in the high-50s and low-60s. Both left office around the peak of their job approval numbers.
Since his reelection, however, Obama's numbers have tracked more closely with George W. Bush's approval numbers. Bush's approval numbers held where Obama's currently are until the Iraq uprising in early 2006. After that, and a concurrent drop in his personal approval ratings, Bush's job approval numbers collapsed, never to recover. The Democrats swept to control of Congress just months later.
Obama is on the cusp of repeating this history. Any hope that he could repeat the successful second terms of Clinton and Reagan have evaporated. Obama won reelection not on the issues, but on the question of which candidate was more "in touch" with average voters, according to exit polls. Today, however, Obama seems increasingly out of touch.
Earlier this week, answering questions on social media site Tumblr, Obama said the world was "less violent" than ever before. Politicians can be excused a certain amount of rhetorical flourish, but Obama's statement flies in the face of what Americans read every day in the news.
Ukraine is in the midst of a minor civil war. The Middle East is wrecked by conflict and Syria and a burgeoning sectarian civil war in Iraq. Islamic militants are escalating violence in Pakistan, Nigeria, and North Africa. Even to a casual observer or Americans dependent on the mainstream media for information, the world certainly doesn't seem to be overflowing with peace.
The White House seems flat-footed in dealing with these crises.
Whatever one's opinion of the circumstances surrounding the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner exchange, it ought to be clear to all but the most-partisan observer that the decision to announce the swap in a Rose Garden ceremony was a political mistake. The high-profile announcement, with Bergdahl's parents as supporting characters, was likely intended to dominate the Sunday political shows the following day.
The White House, however, had full knowledge of the potential controversy surrounding the release of the five Taliban leaders and the murky details of Bergdahl's capture. That it plowed ahead organizing one of the more iconic bits of theater a president possesses suggests not just tone-deafness, but an almost pathological desire to bend the political narrative in its favor. A successful White House understands its own limitations.
Presidencies have a rhythm and have a diminishing ability to dictate the narrative as the time in office lengthens. In just a matter of weeks, the political dialogue will be overwhelmed by the looming midterm elections. Even if the Republicans do not sweep control of Congress, they will make significant gains.
Just a few months after that, the nominating campaigns for the 2016 Presidential election will be in full swing. Obama will have little opportunity to shape political events as these events dominate the headlines.
Barring some extraordinary event, Obama is probably locked into low job approval and low personal approval ratings. America is closing the curtain on the Obama presidency.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Governm...ama-Presidency