AP Poll: Obama's job approval rises amid concerns(Approval 56%(Sept 50%), Disapproval 39%(Sept 49%))

[Pirate Smile]

AP Poll: Obama's job approval rises amid concerns

NEW YORK — President Barack Obama's approval ratings are starting to rise after declining ever since his inauguration, new poll figures show as the country's mood begins to brighten. But concerns about the economy, health care and war persist, and support for the war in Afghanistan is falling.

An Associated Press-GfK poll says 56 percent of those surveyed in the past week approve of Obama's job performance, up from 50 percent in September. It's the first time since he took office in January that his rating has gone up.
People also feel better about his handling of the economy and his proposed health care overhaul.

But not about the war.
Support for the war in Afghanistan has declined, the poll said Tuesday. And approval of Obama's handling of it is holding steady — in contrast to his gains in other areas — as he considers a big troop increase there. Poll respondents narrowly oppose the increase.

Overall, 39 percent said they disapproved of Obama's performance in office, down from 49 percent last month.
While a majority of those surveyed remain pessimistic about the direction of the country, that number has begun to improve, too. The poll found 41 percent now believe the U.S. is headed in the right direction, compared with 37 percent in September.

-snip-
The increase in Obama's job approval rating was driven by a more positive view of his handling of nearly all of those issues.
Fifty percent of those surveyed said they approved of the president's handling of the economy, up from 44 percent in September. And 48 percent said they approved of his handling of health care, up six points and about equal to the 47 percent who said they disapproved. Obama has made health care the signature domestic issue of his presidency.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hUOSaKy9FQJe8FdjyLRLQxJ4Z-sAD9B5RFJG0

His disapproval numbers declined by 10% - that is A LOT!

Edit to add:

"Obama's job approval has also gone up among independents. Fifty-three percent said they approved of the president's job performance, a nine point increase since September. Even more strikingly, the percentage of independents who said they disapproved plunged 16 points, from 53 percent last month to 37 percent now."

[ShortnFiery]

1. Of course corporate AP, et. al., want Obama's approval ratings up when he announces ENDLESS WAR.

:nuke:

[Pirate Smile]

2. The War was the one area where the numbers didn't go up.

"People also feel better about his handling of the economy and his proposed health care overhaul.

But not about the war.

Support for the war in Afghanistan has declined, the poll said Tuesday. And approval of Obama's handling of it is holding steady — in contrast to his gains in other areas — as he considers a big troop increase there. Poll respondents narrowly oppose the increase."

Be happy. People seem sane in this poll. That is not always the case.

Afghanistan sucks but people don't blame Obama for it yet. But they don't want to double down, that is for sure.

[Jennicut]

6. Exactly. I don't want an increase either. I think this poll is reasonable.

[lamp_shade]

3. Try to curb your enthusiasm will ya?

[jefferson_dem]

8. Oh my. Deep end much?

Surely, these positive poll numbers of our Democratic president cannot be correct. :eyes:

[Drunken Irishman]

14. Hey, don't you have a corporate consipracy card you can put in your post?

:eyes:

[ShortnFiery]

20. You're hilarious.

:eyes:

One things for sure, President Obama's numbers will drop like a rock if he sends increasing numbers of troops into Afghanistan.

[Odin2005]

29. Wow, what a stupid post.

[WonderGrunion]

4. But...but....but...the people are turning against Obama

Tweety and the M$M tell me that. He can't seal the deal and lacks leadership. These memes need hard numbers defending them. How DARE you post a poll that doesn't support them.

Think about the memes.

[Pirate Smile]

7. He's LOST the white vote AGAIN. ugghhhh. "Can the President relate to the working class (read

White working class ONLY)anymore?" says Tweety - rinse, lather and repeat ad nauseum for months. Tweety has a new (yet old) meme and will repeat it over and over again until something happens (like an election) to prove it is bullshit (again).

We had to listen to this crap for months and months during the Primaries and the General Election - nooooo, not again. Plus, he had Buchanan on and we all know this is Pat's favorite little issue.

[jenmito]

9. Matthews sounded like a continuation of the SNL skit, saying Obama hasn't

accomplished anything. "He needs to get a "w" on the board." And Buchanan said Obama has a "Messiah complex." :eyes:

[CakeGrrl]

23. How many DUers are agreeing with the two of them lately?

More than would admit, I'm sure.

[rocktivity]

5. Amid WHOSE concerns--the Rethugs'?

I think it has to do with the fact that we're finally having a honest debate about health care--thanks to Rep. Grayson, we don't have to pretend that it's not being driven by the profit motive anymore.


rocktivity

[SIMPLYB1980]

10. Wonder if the MSM will report this.

Yeah right. I won't hold my breath.

[Pirate Smile]

11. It is a +16 point swing for Obama in one month. That's big.

[SIMPLYB1980]

12. Yeah but that doesn't fit their story.

I hope they are unable to ignore it.

[Connie_Corleone]

13. It's good news. No, it won't be reported by the MSM.

Keith might mention it.

[ind_thinker2]

15. Gallup 50% vs AP

Gallup dropped 3 points in past few days, I was wondering if this due to olympic defeat.

AP poll looks promising.

[uponit7771]

16. An average above 50% before a prez election is good, during a hard economic downturn is excellent..

[Phx_Dem]

17. On cue Tweety found a way to make this poll a bad thing.

Showing the poll numbers and talking about how their rising, he suggests Obama is just an empty suit who gives good speeches.

These cable pundits are the worse kind of rumor mongers. One of them makes a comment, probably at a cocktail party while stuffing little wienies down their throats, and the others then take that comment to their cable TV show or newspaper column and claim "some people are saying" and ponder on TV it until it becomes fact.

You can literally follow the trail. Months ago Republicans started claiming Obama was overexposed, the media immediately starts repeating the meme. Then the Republicans decide that Obama had "taken on too much." Oh heavens, get the smelling salts. The media takes the ball and runs, repeating it incessantly for weeks.

Then Saturday Night Live does comedy sketch claiming Obama hasn't done anything (exactly the opposite of what the medis has been saying), and now he's an empty suit that can't get anything done. It took all of 3 days for Tweet to decide a SNL skit was fact.

Instead of laughing at the SNL skit and then examining what Obama has accomplished so far (we can give you lazy assholes a list, if you want!) and reminding the public (and themselves) that not only has his administration prevented 3 (that we know of, and with his direct involvement) potentially devasting terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, he is also on track by nearly everyone's thinking to pass a major health care reform bill this year, not to mention his speedy and successful nomination of a Supreme Court Justice and turned the recession in a recovery (jobless so far, but still a recovery). Instead of looking at the facts, and pondering that, the media just echoes a fucking comedy sketch.

And people wonder why some of us get pissed when SNL does a skit that is not based on fact. Because whatever they say, will be fact in the morning.

Jesus, a 5 year old is more independent-minded and less easily influenced than the American media.

[Pirate Smile]

18. The speed with which they switched from "he's doing too much" to "he's done nothing" is

amazing - and disgusting.

What a shock that some things take time. The only thing he really hasn't moved on - or is in the process of moving on so far is DADT. I think they wanted to get past HCR first based on the Clinton experience. I expect him to do it after HCR passes. There are NO excuses at that point.

I'm thinking (hoping) they start pushing the regulatory reform BIG after HCR passes and use that as a way to get back on the populist offense - and put the Republicans on defense as the defenders of the big corps. That would be a good tack going into an election year. I may be wrong but that is what makes sense to me. I'm sure the Republicans will cry that it is taking over too much power for the government but we should be able to squash that argument.

[Jennicut]

21. Yeah, I have whiplash from keeping up with the total opposite memes

the media wants to push. They freakin need to make up their minds already.

[Odin2005]

31. The MSM in unwatchable. All dreck.

[uponit7771]

33. AMEN on the 5 yr old observation, people like Todd, 95% of CNN and 100% of Fox are all group thinker

...thinkers and outside of the box type thoughts kill them and shut them down on a regular basis.

[jenmito]

19. I bet his numbers improved, in part, because people saw how the Repubs. were

cheering for his/America's failure to get the Olympics even though he tried by going to Copenhagen.

[Honeycombe8]

22. Schwing! Just when I think approval should go down, it goes up. And vice versa.

There's just no tellin'!

But this is good news. Hope it lasts.

[Pirate Smile]

24. kick

[Tarheel_Dem]

25. Some here won't like this. (nt)

[CakeGrrl]

26. No, they won't. I've seen several

"regulars", not trolls, say that we don't have a real leader in the WH.

I saw someone say that they assumed "thinking people" posted on GD and "cheerleaders" got the GD: P thread.

I've seen someone excuse Bill Clinton putting DOMA/DADT into effect because he essentially 'meant well, but had to do it', yet they write off President Obama for affronting the GLBT community by not repealing it fast enough and associating with Rick Warren - despite the fact that Clinton invited Warren to his Global Initiative last year.

:wtf:

With attitudes like that, I seriously wonder how many here aren't secretly rooting for the RW/Birthers to do their dirty work?

In the meantime, I'm sure they have a plan to put up their 'dream progressive' in 2012 since it was so effective in 2008.

[Tarheel_Dem]

32. It's amazing isn't it? They're actually rooting for this administration's failure.

It's actually sickening to come to a democratic site, day after day, and see regulars spouting rightwing talking points. I think this president has more to fear from the enemy within, than the republicans.

[freddie mertz]

27. This is good news. I think we owe the Becks, the Repubs and teabaggers

A big debt of gratitude here..

By acting like immature ass-balls, they have thrown the relative maturity and probity of the Dems and Obama into stark relief.

the fact that the numbers have gone up despite some serious issues and controversies is especially significant.

[Pirate Smile]

28. kick

[Odin2005]

30. The haters won't like this.