Poll: What is your feeling about the differences in opinion regarding the President's job approval.

[LaurenG]

Poll question: Poll: What is your feeling about the differences in opinion regarding the President's job approval.

Please don't vote with disruptors in mind they are not counted in this poll.

If you choose other please explain what you would like to see happen assuming there is no primary challenger.

I don't believe that any of us want the President to fail. I do believe that many people are very unhappy with the direction the country is going.

[Ozymanithrax]

1. I am just unhappy and don't think he is going to change...

(A protest against the word "very") But, I certainly don't want him to fail.

Unless Limpbaugh is sneaking into DU between rounds of golf in Hawaii, I don't think people here want him to fail.

There are people, including myself, who oppose some of his policies and do not want those policies to pass into law, but that is not wishing him to fail.

[LaurenG]

2. That is my take on it as well.

and I agree I am looking for more progressive policies and fewer concessions.

[Parker CA]

3. Well said. I'm in that camp.

[tblue]

5. I don't want him to fail at working on progressive legislation.

I want him to fail at cutting the Soc Sec COLA and helping banks get away with fraudulent foreclosures, for example.

[TheKentuckian]

18. Well said, well said

[silverweb]

4. I am happy AND unhappy with the President.

He has kept a great many of his promises, but failed to keep others both through his own decisions and/or because of reTHUG obstruction/opposition.

I believe he holds very liberal ideals and would love to pursue them through purely executive extra-legal means, but has confined himself, for good or ill, to working through Congress and the system we have.

It is certain that his opponents, including some here at DU, want him to fail. Some because he is not liberal enough in their eyes and some who are troll reTHUGs, who will do everything in their power to bring him down, even if it means taking the entire country down.

As with President Clinton, I do not agree with everything President Obama has done, but I believe his heart is in the right place, and he is doing the very best he can in extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

He absolutely deserves a 2nd term, where reelection is not an issue and the sword of Damocles is not hanging over his head.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. I am totally disgusted and fed up with our entire political system. It is broken beyond repair.n/t

[LaurenG]

8. Does it make you feel hopeless for the foreseeable future?

I think that once I'm convinced that the system is broken beyond repair I might want to just give up. I would be making arrangements to get off the grid and live far away from the insane way we are heading. It's really kind of scary to me.

[NRaleighLiberal]

12. Yes, to tell the truth, it does. My reasons - see below

Mindless Television
Inherent Greed of most human beings
Right wing controlled media and a public that believes what gets blasted at it
Politics of both parties controlled by special interest and money
A public of one issue voters that manage to vote against their best interests much of the time
Split second attention spans - people don't remember - or care to remember - what got us here.
I don't know how creativity and progress can possibly happen in this environment - or where the jobs are supposed to come from

We got rid of cable TV years ago, only get the Sunday Times - have a huge garden, and do what I can through that - donate my extra plants to non profits, teach small groups about gardening. I am unemployed/retired (take your pick...haven't decided which it is yet), so don't have the noise of the work place - my wife quilts and makes crafts. So we are moving away from the grid, away from the masses - not saying it is for everyone, or even admirable - but with what I see happening, just trying to make the best of each day.

By the way I voted in with what the majority seems to have voted. And I like Obama and support him in principal (or in terms of the candidate) - I worked to get him elected. What I am seeing is not what I expected - or, perhaps better stated, hoped - because I've been cynical about our political system and our US culture for many years now.

[gateley]

7. Other -- some are madder/more disappointed in him than

others. I don't think ANYBODY wants him to fail. I think we'd all like to see him do great things.

[ThomWV]

9. What crappy wording - why do you think any Democrat wants Obama to Fail at anything?

No one wants him to fail - and yet nearly all of your answers require that mindset. Its nothing but a Republican talking point, repeated over and over for 3 years now and its just nonsense. It spreads far too easily on its own, it doesn't need repeating. Stop it.

[LaurenG]

10. I don't but I think there are those here who believe that some of us do

I wasn't trying to offend or "talk like a republican" I was mirroring the thoughts that have been put forth in a bunch of posts here and so far the results are exactly what I had been seeing and what I thought would happen.

I am sorry that it offended you.

[MuseRider]

11. I don't know anyone

who wants him to fail. I don't think there is any chance he is going to do anything differently and I am very unhappy with that but damn, no one that I know wants that to be the truth.

[Scuba]

13. 4 and 5

[zipplewrath]

14. That's me too

I can't vote twice but they both apply to me.

[BlueIris]

15. I went with "Other." Mostly because I don't think this poll addresses the reasons

for the differences in opinion you refer to.

I personally believe those who are still "happy" with the job the president is doing are motivated by blind loyalty, professional obligation, and lack of understanding about what the parameters of these policies are and what their impact is going to be.

For the record, I do not want the president to fail. He has failed and continues to fail because he had no plan to govern this nation when he came into office and did not bother to make one since taking office. Not a good or functional plan, anyway. As for the reasons he chose to allow things to go this terrible route--I don't know. I have no idea why anyone, especially any president, would consider the choices he has made to be valid, let alone defensible. Wanting him to fail or succeed has nothing to do with my opinion of him, or to what degree I "approve" of the job he's doing.

Also for the record, I did choose to vote for him--twice, for those counting--and fully expected him to make a plan, as well as good choices for how to effect that plan. So b.s. smears about my not liking him, wanting him to fail, or having been unfair or disloyal to him or the party don't apply to me, thanks.

[LaurenG]

17. I don't think it applies to any of us that are unhappy with him

but as you can see at least from this poll those who support his policies only think that those of us not happy want him to fail. Its been repeated over and over again on myriad posts and I wanted to point out what people are perceiving on this site and what I consider to be THE disconnect here.

[Demeter]

16. For those who think any Democrat wants Obama to fail

Get real and face reality. Obama has failed. Repeatedly. He lied, very convincingly, to get people to vote for him, and immediately and continuously reneged on his campaign promises. He is thoroughly corrupt and lives in Wall Street's pocket. He's been bought off or extorted off; it really doesn't matter why he betrays us. The fact is, he has and does on a daily basis betray his party, his people, and his oath of office.

His campaign of Hope and Change and Audacity captured a nation, captured the world...Well, that tactic isn't going to work the second time around.

And anyone who wants to shoot this messenger should really start being honest with him/herself. Nobody on this website wanted him to fail....but he is a miserable failure and a crushing disappointment. It was a very successful con job. "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."

In the words of another recent miserable failure, one who KEPT every promise he made, by the way: "Ain't gonna get fooled again!"

[ZombieHorde]

19. I think many of the disagreements on DU are a matter of priority.

I think those who are a big fan of President Obama appreciate any progress after eight years of GWB. I think they look at the Lilly Ledbetter Act, the repeal of DADT, etc., and think that is an obvious improvement over what we had, and what we could have.

Those who are disappointed with President Obama look at the wars, PATRIOT Act extension, whistle blower crack downs, etc., and think that is more of the same.

I have read many valid arguments made by "both camps" here on DU. I have also read a few "holy shit I hope you were laughing maniacally when you posted that" arguments by "both camps" here on DU.

That is my current opinion of DU.

[deacon]

20. I think with Obama, we see what it would be like to have an Independent as president. He doesn't

govern like a democrat. I see a decent president but a bad democrat.

[Raine]

21. I'm very unhappy, it's not wanting him to fail he has failed but

he could still turn it around. If Obama would be his own man, move in the direction that he that he campaigned on, keep the promises he made he would have a chance and he would have my support again.