Poll Finds New Optimism on Economy Since Inauguration

[Barack_America]

Source: New York Times

By ADAM NAGOURNEY and MEGAN THEE-BRENAN
Published: April 6, 2009

Americans have grown more optimistic about the economy and the direction of the country in the 11 weeks since President Obama was inaugurated, suggesting that Mr. Obama is enjoying some success in his critical task of rebuilding the nation’s confidence, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

These sometimes turbulent weeks — marked by new initiatives by Mr. Obama, attacks by Republicans and more than a few missteps by the White House — do not appear to have hurt the president. Americans said they approve of Mr. Obama’s handling of the economy, foreign policy, Iraq and Afghanistan; fully two-thirds said they approve of his overall job performance.

<snip>

For all that, the number of people who think the country is heading in the right direction has jumped from 15 percent in mid-January, just before Mr. Obama took office, to 39 percent today, while the number who think it is heading in the wrong direction has dropped from 79 to 53 percent. That is the highest percentage of Americans who said the country is heading in the right direction since February of 2005, the second month of the second term of former President George W. Bush.

The percentage of people who think the economy is getting worse has declined from 54 percent just before Mr. Obama took office to 34 percent today. At the same time, 20 percent now think the economy is getting better, compared with 7 percent in mid-January. “It’s psychology more than anything else,” Arthur Gilman, a Republican from Ridgewood, N.J., said in a follow-up interview after participating in the Times/CBS News Poll. “President Obama has turned around the negative feeling in this country. He’s given everything an impetus because he’s very upbeat, like Roosevelt was. It’s too soon to tell if the spending stuff works but some things have improved.”



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/us/politics/07poll.html?hp

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Link to complete results:

http://documents.nytimes.com/new-york-times-cbs-news-poll-on-the-approval-ratings-of-president-barack-obama#p=1


Republican approval also reached a new low!

Good news all around!!

[Thrill]

1. Approval at 66%

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/06/opinion/polls/main4923710.shtml?tag=topStory;topStoryHeadline

[Richd506]

2. I hope this drives the die hards mad

Obama is not perfect but those who say he's a dictator make me gag.

[bluestateguy]

3. Nothing for the official water boy to the Establishment, Adam Nagourney, to spin?

nt

[Omaha Steve]

4. Poll: Obama Approval Hits New High - 66%

Source: CBS

CBS/NY Times Survey Finds Most Believe World Leaders Respect President, Though They Maintain U.S. Is Not Respected Overall

(CBS) As President Obama concludes his well-publicized trip to Europe, Americans are more positive about the respect accorded to a U.S. president than they have been in years, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll.

Sixty-seven percent say world leaders respect Mr. Obama, while 18 percent say they do not respect the president. That's a sharp contrast to the response when this question was asked about Mr. Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, in July 2006: Just 30 percent then said the president is respected by the leaders of other countries.

Mr. Obama's overall approval rating, meanwhile, has hit a new high of 66 percent, up from 64 percent last month. His disapproval rating stands at 24 percent. Nearly all Democrats and most independents approve of the way the president is handling his job, while only 31 percent of Republicans approve.

While Americans approve of the president and believe he is respected worldwide, however, they do not believe the U.S. is respected by other countries in general. More than half of those surveyed - 52 percent - think the United States is not respected around the world today. Thirty-six percent say the country is respected around the world.



Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/06/opinion/polls/main4923710.shtml

[Hope And Change]

5. K & R!

[depakid]

6. Well, if they didn't after 8 years of corruption and utter ineptitude

and especially after the bizarre budget and delusional statements coming from the more vocal Republicans, one would have to really have to wonder....

[Barack_America]

7. I know this poll must be disappointing for you.

My condolences.

:eyes:

Sheesh. Can you give Obama at least a *little* bit of credit? Did you see the jump in the other numbers regarding direction the country is going, etc.? It's not like just anybody could cause such a jump. Like it or not, the country is eating up Obama's policies.

[depakid]

8. Why would it be disappointing?

:shrug:

The conclusions re: before and after are obvious- and yes, to an extent, damn near any Democrat at this stage would be expected to show major gains. Pretty basic stuff.

[Uzybone]

9. K&R