For the 1st Time, More Folks Blame Obama for Economy Over Bush

[웃 910]

And a new Gallup poll suggests more people disapprove (47%) of Obama than approve (45%):

Rasmussen Reports

48% Blame Obama for Bad Economy, 47% Blame Bush

Monday, August 02, 2010

For the first time since President Obama took office, voters see his policies as equally to blame with those of President George W. Bush for the country's current economic problems.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters now think Obama's policies are to blame for the continuing bad economy, up three points from last month. Forty-seven percent (47%) say the recession that began under Bush is at fault.

With voters across the country expressing stronger belief that the economy is getting worse rather than better, these new findings spell potential bad news for Democratic candidates this fall. The president is already planning to limit his campaign appearances with candidates because of potential voter backlash.

In June and last October, 45% blamed Obama's policies for the country's ongoing economic woes, the previous high finding on this question. The number who blame Bush is down from 62% in May 2009 when Rasmussen Reports first began tracking the question regularly. Only 27% faulted Obama at that time.

As is often the case, Mainstream voters and the Political Class have wholly different viewpoints on this question. While 61% of Mainstream voters now blame Obama's policies, 87% of the Political Class say the bad economy is due to the recession that began under Bush.

Fifty-five percent (55%) of men blame Obama's policies for the current economic problems, while 52% of women think Bush is the cause.

Among voters not affiliated with either major party, Obama is now chiefly to blame by a 52% to 44% margin.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted July 30-31, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Sixty-two percent (62%) trust their own judgment more than Obama's when it comes to the economic issues facing the nation. Twenty-seven percent (27%) trust the president's judgment more. These findings have changed very little for months.

Republicans and unaffiliated voters strongly trust themselves more than the president when it comes to the economy. A plurality (48%) of Democrats place more faith in Obama.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of Mainstream voters trust their own economic judgment more than the president's. Sixty-two percent (62%) of the Political Class trust the president more.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of voters currently rate the president's handling of economic issues as good or excellent. Forty-seven percent (47%) view his handling of these issues as poor. These findings, too, have held relatively steady since last November.

Forty-four percent (44%) of voters still expect their taxes to increase under Obama. Sixty-four percent (64%) believe government spending will go up under the Obama administration.

The economy remains the most important issue to voters among 10 top issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports.

Looking back, voters remain unhappy with the government bailouts of the financial industry and troubled automakers General Motors and Chrysler.

Just 25% believe the $787-billion economic stimulus package created jobs.

Americans are now evenly divided over whether anyone who wants to work can find a job in the United States.

Americans' confidence that the economy will be better in one-year's time has fallen to its lowest level in well over a year.

http://www.rasmussen...y_47_blame_bush

Edited August 3, 2010 by Lord Infamous

[thongd4me 69]

Presidential popularity is very cyclical - you have honeymoon periods followed by times when

the perception is that the prez can do no right. From the perspective of the president he must

seem baffled by this because he thinks that he is carrying out his program to the best of his

ability.

They all think that, but that doesn't change public opinion.

A president who is so universally disliked that whoever

follows him can have a "cloak of infallability" can suffer

the most, but the one wearing that cloak soon finds out

that it has a short shelf life.

People forget that at one time, Bush's popularity was very very high.

Harry said it best, "The Buck Stops Here."

Edited August 3, 2010 by thongd4me

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Presidential popularity is very cyclical - you have honeymoon periods followed by times when

the perception is that the prez can do no right. From the perspective of the president he must

seem baffled by this because he thinks that he is carrying out his program to the best of his

ability.

They all think that, but that doesn't change public opinion.

A president who is so universally disliked that whoever

follows him can have a "cloak of infallability" can suffer

the most, but the one wearing that cloak soon finds out

that it has a short shelf life.

People forget that at one time, Bush's popularity was very very high.

Harry said it best, "The Buck Stops Here."

True enough.

[alienlovechild 75]

Presidential popularity is very cyclical - you have honeymoon periods followed by times when the perception is that the prez can do no right. From the perspective of the president he must seem baffled by this because he thinks that he is carrying out his program to the best of his ability.

Obama never had a track record of accomplishments to his credit prior to becoming president. His outsider credentials helped his image as someone "new" and "different".

Now the novelty has worn out and people expect to see some positive results. Regardless of whether you place the lion's share of blame on Bush/GOP or Obama/Dems, the party in power takes a hit at the ballot box for their inability to fix the mess no matter who made it.

If the GOP wins in 2010 and 2012, I'm sure they be blaming Obama for everything and the public may buy it until 2014 or 2016 when the public says, ok what have you guys in power done for me lately?

[spookyturtle 9,465]

I still blame Bush.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I still blame Bush.

Aye.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I blame Reagan and Clinton more than W. Bush and Obama. Reagan was the one who pushed deregulation, and Clinton perpetuated it because the economy was good, so he reaped the positive image associated with it. Bush and Obama both had their opportunities to change things, but both are proving inept at it. I am not against the stimulus packages, but there should have been much more accountability, and we should have given the money to corporations in the form of interest free loans, not a blank check with no expectation of repayment

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I blame Reagan and Clinton more than W. Bush and Obama. Reagan was the one who pushed deregulation, and Clinton perpetuated it because the economy was good, so he reaped the positive image associated with it. Bush and Obama both had their opportunities to change things, but both are proving inept at it. I am not against the stimulus packages, but there should have been much more accountability, and we should have given the money to corporations in the form of interest free loans, not a blank check with no expectation of repayment

I blame people like Alan Greenspan and Larry Summers more.... They shut down any opposition to their Ayn Rand style of economics. There were quite a few people in the late 90's who said that the economy needed to be reigned in, especially the derivatives market... Those people were treated as heretics though. Quite sad when you look at it now.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I blame people like Alan Greenspan and Larry Summers more.... They shut down any opposition to their Ayn Rand style of economics. There were quite a few people in the late 90's who said that the economy needed to be reigned in, especially the derivatives market... Those people were treated as heretics though. Quite sad when you look at it now.

Hmmmmm who was it that pushed for deregulating the banking industry? Could it have been the very same guy who nominated Alan Greenspan? ding ding ding.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Hmmmmm who was it that pushed for deregulating the banking industry? Could it have been the very same guy who nominated Alan Greenspan? ding ding ding.

with advisement from the likes of Greenspan.. The chairman of the Fed is and always has been an enemy of the United States. The interests of the chairman are not that of the country, but of the investors into the Federal Reserve. So of course a chariman would want less regularion, of course a chairman would want you to print more money, etc. They don't work for us.

[thongd4me 69]

with advisement from the likes of Greenspan.. The chairman of the Fed is and always has been an enemy of the United States. The interests of the chairman are not that of the country, but of the investors into the Federal Reserve*. So of course a chariman would want less regularion, of course a chairman would want you to print more money, etc. They don't work for us.

*The banks & banking instituions that control the FED.

[The_Dude 1,142]

with advisement from the likes of Greenspan.. The chairman of the Fed is and always has been an enemy of the United States. The interests of the chairman are not that of the country, but of the investors into the Federal Reserve. So of course a chariman would want less regularion, of course a chairman would want you to print more money, etc. They don't work for us.

You still didn't address what I said. Who put him into the chairman position, and who was it that pushed for the deregulation of the banking industry? I'll give you a hint, it rhymes with monald magean.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Change is slow. Business as usual can't stay business as usual because it doesn't work anymore. If Bush can get a second term with as unpopular as he was and surprise many of us then I think it's possible Obama can get a second term as well if he runs again. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next election. Now that I'm older 4 years seems to go by fast, especially with everything that is happening this Presidential term.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

You still didn't address what I said. Who put him into the chairman position, and who was it that pushed for the deregulation of the banking industry? I'll give you a hint, it rhymes with monald magean.

You miss the point. It wouldn't have mattered who was President. The President is irrelevant in cases like this.

[The_Dude 1,142]

You miss the point. It wouldn't have mattered who was President. The President is irrelevant in cases like this.

Irrelavent? Come on now, Greenspan isn't the one who rammed banking deregulation down congress' throats. He does advise the president, and it was Reagan's fault for putting him in that position.