Polls: Americans Want Republicans To Drop Ideology And Work On Obama’s Priorities
Polls: Americans Want Republicans To Drop Ideology And Work On Obama’s Priorities
In the past few days, a number of national polls have been conducted that measure President Obama’s performance after one month in office. Beyond Obama’s continuing high job approval rating, the polls have found that the public believes Obama has made a good faith effort to work in a bipartisan manner to address America’s problems:
WaPo/ABC News: 73 percent say Obama is “trying to compromise with the Republican leaders in Congress” while just 34 percent believe Republican leaders are trying to compromise with Obama.
NYT/CBS News: 74 percent think Obama is “trying to work with Republicans in Congress” while just 31 percent think Republicans in Congress are trying to work with Obama.
Fox News/Opinion Dynamics: 68 percent believe that Obama “has sincerely tried to reach out to Republicans and be bipartisan” while only 33 percent believe Republicans have “sincerely tried to be helpful to Barack Obama and be bipartisan.”
As Greg Sargent points out, the New York Times/CBS News poll had a particularly interesting finding regarding bipartisanship. According to the poll, “a sizable majority wants Obama to pursue his policies with or without Republican support” while “a huge majority says that Republicans should emphasize working with Obama in a bipartisan way over pursuing their policy ideas.” Matt Yglesias put the numbers into a chart:
The polls had other interesting finding unrelated to bipartisanship.
On Health Care:
– CNN/Opinion Research Corp. found that 7 in 10 Americans “would favor a proposal that would increase the government’s influence over the health-care system in an attempt to reduce costs and expand coverage.”
– NYT/CBS News found that after the economy, health care is the domestic policy area that Americans “want the President and Congress to concentrate on MOST right now.”
– Fox News/Opinion Dynamics found that 66 percent of Americans that it is “the responsibility of the federal government” to “make sure all Americans have health care.”
On The Size Of The Recovery Package:
– WaPo/ABC News found that 63 percent believe that “more economic stimulus by the government will be needed” to improve the economy.
– NYT/CBS News found that 69 percent believe that the stimulus package wasn’t big enough and more money will be needed in the months ahead to stimulate the economy.
Finally, the majority of respondents to the NYT/CBS News poll were against congressional hearings into the Bush administration’s detainee and wiretapping policies, with 58 percent saying they didn’t think they were necessary. Only 37 percent want hearings. Another 68 percent believe that some Democratic lawmakers favor hearings “mostly for political reasons.”
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– Fox News/Opinion Dynamics found that 66 percent of Americans that it is “the responsibility of the federal government” to “make sure all Americans have health care.”
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Whoa!?!?!
On Fox News? Has BillO’s head exploded yet?
February 24th, 2009 at 11:19 amTo all those who were complaining about Obama holding out his hand to have it bitten over and over again, I suspect that these numbers are exactly what he was going for. As long as it’s clear that he’s trying to be nice and they’re not, he comes off as the good guy and they come off as a pack of rabid weasels “playing politics.”
February 24th, 2009 at 11:19 am.
What’s ideology…
… I thought (R)ushpublicans wanted America to fail.
.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:21 amPolls: Americans Want Republicans To Drop Ideology And Work On Obama’s Priorities
We liberals/progressives have been wanting that since the Ronnie Retard administration ; not a chance in hell that is going to happen.
The GOP – Wrong for America 30 years ago , and haven’t changed 1 bit………..
February 24th, 2009 at 11:22 amWonder how the right will try to spin these numbers…trolls? Any thoughts? (Haha, picturing a troll thinking is funny until I realized that a lot of hamsters probably die of exhaustion just trying to kick-start the troll’s brain…)
February 24th, 2009 at 11:24 amYeah, but see, the thing about polls is this: to a wingnut, polls only provide valuable information if they tell you what you want to hear.
Otherwise, they’re useless, and obviously manipulated by the “librul media”.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:24 am…a sizable majority wants Obama to pursue his policies with or without Republican support”…
Bingo! The House GOOPers are irrelevant – Obama needs only to pick off a Senator here and there, as needed, to further his agenda for the country.
Lead, Mr. President. If you can be “nice” and “bipartisan” at the same time, great. If not, don’t capitulate and don’t be sidetracked from what you want and think is needed.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:26 amThe simple fact that rethug obstructionism and “ideology” is losing handily to President Obama [roughly 70% in Obama's favor, in a poll which was NOT conducted along party lines] won’t make a dent in the typical mini-me, a-synaptical repukelican brain.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:29 amI’m beginning to lose patience with President Barack Obama. His priorities are not my priorities.
I want the military out of Iraq AND Afghanistan. I want us to save the money we’re pouring into those countries, and to finally admit once and for all that the U.S. is NOT omnipotent, is NOT a neocon fantasy of the New Roman Empire.
I want the Bush administration investigated, indicted, arraigned, tried, etc. Everyone. Even those who were ‘pardoned’ by the Criminal-in-Chief.
I want President Barack Obama to repudiate and refuse the dictated powers of the Unitary Executive, as per John Yoo and David Addington. He has done the opposite, actually defending in court the rights George W. Bush usurped by way of the warped briefs of those two monsters. This is not change I can believe in, my friends, to quote a disgusting old white man who, thank Koresh, is NOT in the White House.
Grrr.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:30 amwhat am i not get†ing?
according to that chart, it looks like almost 80% of congressional repugs are “working in a bipartisan way”…
i don’t think so…
February 24th, 2009 at 11:33 amI wonder when the Republicans will get the idea that they are barking up the wrong tree. Would you believe November, 2010?
February 24th, 2009 at 11:33 amwhere did that strange ‘t’ come from…
is it a “Sign”?
February 24th, 2009 at 11:33 amMcMetal says:
The GOP-wrong for America 70 years ago,and haven’t changed a bit.
I fixed it for you :-)
February 24th, 2009 at 11:34 amFunny how we keep seeing that 30% floating around, isn’t it?
February 24th, 2009 at 11:34 amPolls…Huh,…funny thing about polls, in my life time no one has called me about any polls on any thing..Not once..Who the hell are these people the poll taker’s call.?….Seem’s to me they are the same year after year…Some group of people that can’t get a job doing anything else is my guess and using the same list over and over to call…
Here’s my poll vote…Time to boot all the reich out of every part of government and put green’s or another more inviromently friendly group of law abiding citizens in their place…All obstructionests and law breaker’s on both side’s need to be put in jail for their crime’s….P.B. & J
February 24th, 2009 at 11:35 amkaty Says:
what am i not get†ing?
according to that chart, it looks like almost 80% of congressional repugs are “working in a bipartisan way”…
i don’t think so…
The chart indicates what people think should be happening, not the impression of what is really going on.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:38 amraynman Says:
Funny how we keep seeing that 30% floating around, isn’t it?
Yes, just as stink floats around a fresh, steaming pile of dog sh*t, so floats that 30%.
Not sure which is worse.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:38 amAccording to the poll, “a sizable majority wants Obama to pursue his policies with or without Republican support”…
Yeah, the poll we took last Nov. 4 showed the same thing.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:40 amIn yesterday’s discussion, President Obama called on both McCain and Cantor, then skillfully used them later as punchlines to his teasing. It was a beautiful thing to behold.
McCain looked like a whiny old man (duh) complaining about the scandalous Marine One helicopter orders placed by the previous administration (and perhaps given to the Italians as a payback for the forged yellowcake docs, but I digress…) and Obama put him right back in his place by saying that his current helicopter seemed just fine with him, but that he’d never had his own helicopter before.
While I don’t always agree with what our new president is doing (I hold grudges and seek justice, apparently) I fully support and trust him over the long run.
PEACE
February 24th, 2009 at 11:44 amWow even the Faux News poll shows that,” Sean Hannity’s America,” is shrinking and shrinking. The G.O.P. has yet to realize that obstructionism is the political equivalent of jumping into a cold swimming pool. Even faux viewers pay attention when Repolicies hit their wallet!
February 24th, 2009 at 12:00 pmIn the meantime, Republicans are busy plotting retribution against any who cross party lines to work with Obama and the Democrats. Michael Steele has said that he is “open” to any primary challengers to those who voted for the stimulus bill. Republican leadership is proving itself to be ideologically self-absorbed and entirely inflexible. At a time when America needs to look beyond party and ideology, the Republicans are only aware of their own narrow self-interests
February 24th, 2009 at 12:04 pmWhen did a poll ever stop a Repub on an ideological bender?
* See historical record of Bush, George W, from 2001 – 2009.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:04 pmThat last finding about Congressional hearings on the Bush administration’s lawbreaking is just sad. “Moving past” all that crap is a sure way to repeat it all soon.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:05 pmLooks like you could get 50+% to say the R’s should just fold up shop and quit altogether.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:21 pmThis is just stunning. Republicans are against all these items. The GOP is really on the wrong side of history.
Fox News/Opinion Dynamics found that 66 percent of Americans that it is “the responsibility of the federal government” to “make sure all Americans have health care
FOX NEWS!!!! And you have Hannity and Beck call Obama a socialist every night. Goes to show you the level of influence they have over their audience.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:23 pmBut of course you wouldn’t realize that Americans feel this way if you watch television. Network and cable news shows have nothing but opponents on day in and day out.
So given these polls that directly contradict the talking heads, it makes me wonder if television news shows are losing their viewership. I’d like to see a study and determine if this is the case.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:27 pmShorter national polls:
The American people have a liberal bias.
Can’t wait to see how the righttards try to spin this …
February 24th, 2009 at 12:38 pmMr. Phluffy: 63% approval is still about 3 times what your hero George W. Failure had at any time in the last 2 years. Don’t let the numbers confuse you, dumba$$…
February 24th, 2009 at 1:03 pmMr. Philby-
Not true at all.
Here’s for everyone’s real analysis, not Mr. Philby’s smokescreens.
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-presapp0605-31.html
February 24th, 2009 at 1:09 pmWell Mark didn’t have to wait long for Pillsbury to apply some rotational inertia, albeit haphazardly…
50% of the Country didn’t vote for W, so I don’t think 60+% approved of anything about him.
The Quisling Quarter will disapprove of Obama no matter what -unemployment at 1.5%, Dow at 14,000, deficit halved, the QQ will still exercise their Hatriotic Doody. And so will Pillsbury.
February 24th, 2009 at 1:26 pmKeep repeating it Pillsbury.
Won’t make it true, but I guess it makes you feel better.
February 24th, 2009 at 1:27 pmI don’t get it, Mr. Philby. I mean I know Wall Street Journal charts aren’t gospel, but you wanted proof. In no way was Dubya as popular the first month! Sheesh! You guys make me feel like I’m taking crazy pills.
February 24th, 2009 at 1:34 pmDaddy-O, your entry at #11 is directed at the wrong people on the wrong site. Take it to http://www.whitehouse.gov and shout it there. Don’t think that this is a flame against what you said, it’s just that you and many others are preaching to the choir, here. President Obama needs to hear, loud and clear, what the people of this country expect from this new administration.
February 24th, 2009 at 1:37 pmlike i said – keep repeating it P.
February 24th, 2009 at 1:44 pmDinosaurs will be dinosaurs.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:27 pmThey take the polls in mid afternoons. Its just all welfare people being polled. They are the ones that voted for obama.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:44 pmPhilby is a moron!
February 24th, 2009 at 2:46 pmctcadguy Says:
Philby is a moron!
It’s Mr. P., Mr President, and all the other idiotic names he’s posted under since ‘06-’07.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:52 pmNo matter HOW MANY concessions or capitulations the Democrats make, the Republicans will complain to their media lapdogs about the lack of bipartisanship…
February 24th, 2009 at 3:20 pmLet’s hope the notoriously short memories of the American public is a thing of the past. Let us hope, no matter what happens that people will remember what the GOP represents. It represents fear, control over their own. It also presides over an ideology that favors wealth and loss of free thought. Obedience over creativity and lack of respect for their own members but a dislike for this country. What a hateful, hypocritical party.
What other group of Americans can desire the failure of their own government? What other group of people can want suffering of a nation simply because the President is a black, Democrat? What other group of people have as it’s main spokesman a former drug addict and alcoholic? Who but them would want to claim a Limbaugh or a Palin?
This party deals in fear, racism, and greed. If they ever get into office again. I pity us all.
February 24th, 2009 at 3:44 pmWow, other than the last bit about going after the Bush Crime Family those poll numbers are horrible for Republicant’s. But, since they have become totally tone deaf in recent weeks, they will find some way to spin those poll numbers as being a victory of their party.
February 24th, 2009 at 4:02 pm“According to the poll, “a sizable majority wants Obama to pursue his policies with or without Republican support”…
‘Yeah, the poll we took last Nov. 4 showed the same thing’.”
Just like the “poll” in Nov. 2004, I sure enjoyed all that bi-partisan support of the President
February 24th, 2009 at 7:04 pmThis American wants republicans to drop the ideology nonsense and work on President Obama’s priorities.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:12 pm