AP Poll: Americans High on Obama, Direction of US.

[elleng]

Source: NYT/AP

For the first time in years, more Americans than not say the country is headed in the right direction, a sign that Barack Obama has used the first 100 days of his presidency to lift the public's mood and inspire hopes for a brighter future.

Intensely worried about their personal finances and medical expenses, Americans nonetheless appear realistic about the time Obama might need to turn things around, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. It shows most Americans consider their new president to be a strong, ethical and empathetic leader who is working to change Washington.

Nobody knows how long the honeymoon will last, but Obama has clearly transformed the yes-we-can spirit of his candidacy into a tool of governance.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/04/23/us/politics/AP-US-Obama-100-Days-AP-Poll.html

[elleng]

1. GOOD MORNING!!!!!

:bounce: :fistbump: :woohoo: :applause:

[onehandle]

3. BAD MORNING!!!!...

...for Dick Cheney.

:evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[SeeHopeWin]

6. lol...

[curiousdemo]

10. Also it's bad news for the racist Tea Party and

Fox Noise.......:bounce: :bounce:

[annabanana]

2. Americans HATE being the "bad guy"...

We are not, by nature "the enforcer".

We are very very persuasive by example. That has always been our greatest strength and Americans know that.

If we allow our Justice system to work the way it is designed to do.. the people responsible for dragging our Country through the slime will be punished and we will be able to really feel good about America again.

[Odin2005]

12. The "Shining city on a hill" and all that. n/t

[Psychic Consortium]

4. Finally a leader with the temperament, morality and intellect

to be a true public servant.

[democrattotheend]

52. Here, here

Very well said.

[UnrepentantUnitarian]

5. Another message here is...

...that the radical right-wing cult really doesn't extend as far as Rush-radio and Fox Noise channel want people to believe they do. Even with the "all fed up" campaign recently, the cult can only count on the same several million ditto-head followers in a nation of well over 300 million. The polls show that these people remain the clear minority...a very noisy and obnoxious minority but still just a minority.

[nxylas]

20. They're probably not more than 5% of the population

Which means that the other 95% aren't real Americans :sarcasm:

[AlbertCat]

34. They must be so angry...

....they can't even make a decent sign! I mean everything is at least spelled correctly on this one, but they keep almost running out of space.

I'm sorry, but if your message is so important, you could maybe make a sign that looks like an adult wrote it.

[nxylas]

48. Hey, that was pretty good for South Carolina, where this photo was taken

The handwriting is neat and the spelling is correct. Must be one of them damn Yankees with their fancy book-learning. Go back to Taxachussetts, ya faggot!

[greyghost]

42. Spot on! eom

[SeeHopeWin]

7. Let's go ahead and CRUSH the fucking GOP'ers...I am for passing ALL our agenda, don't care if we get

a single vote from the mother fuckers...God Bless President Obama!!!

[DUlover2909]

9. Imagine how sour they'll get in 2011 after they lose their fillibuster ability.

I mean, OMG! I am so looking forward to that. Even here in Texas there's a chance we could get Hutchinson's seat.

[Baby Snooks]

23. If she resigns...

She has to resign first. And if she loses the primary against Governor Goober in March well, you can expect her to stay in the Senate and run yet again. For the good of the people of Texas. For the good of her husband's law firm is more like it. And if she runs again, well, there will be Democratic women who will vote for her. As they always do. She is, after all, one of them. It truly is scary in Texas at times.

[Stevepol]

47. Get rid of the voting machines or require auditing of all elections

and TX will be suddenly a blue state or awful close to it (Premier, aka Diebold, Inter-Mark, ES&S, Sequoia, etc., etc., etc.)

Get rid of all touchscreens since they can't be audited.

[Vinca]

8. But, but, but . . . Jim DeMint says we have buyer's remorse.

:rofl:

[mdmc]

11. The War on Obama Continues - Americans "High on"

Get off the pipe America!

-- I don't mind the wording myself, but I doubt they would use the same verse if President McCain had favorable ratings, would they?

[gorfle]

13. I'm still in awe

I'm still in awe every time I watch a president on TV that can put more than two words together coherently and without a smirk.

:)

[No Elephants]

65. In fairness to the Presidency, Dummya was the ONLY one in 220 years who could not do that.

[BigD_95]

14. Im so glad

we had those tea parties.


After all that media attention you would think the polls would be way different. LOL

[shadowknows69]

15. Well, not like Bush was a real hard act to follow.

But nice to see people appreciating an articulate, intelligent President again.

[No Elephants]

66. Agree on both counts.

[Deep13]

16. You mean POTUS really is a giant doobie?

I think it will last as long as he keeps doing the right thing.

[LynnTheDem]

17. Dear freepers...

"For the first time in years,"

Can you understand us now?

[Dollface]

18. Let's face it, President Obama is one of Bush 1's Thousand Points of Light.

He must get so depressed when he looks at Bush 2

[jmowreader]

30. Just one?

He's more like 500 of those points of light--the one around Obama himself, and the 499 that trail behind him as Americans see just how good of a man we elected.

The teabaggers are nothing. Faux Noise pumped up those little shits, but the truth remains that about 80 percent of the people who feel as the teabaggers do were at the teabagging parties. I won't stoop so low as to say ALL the people who feel as they do were there--some had to work, some were in hospital, some didn't know enough like-minded people around them to hold a party--but the vast majority of the far-right contingent were teabagging that day. Sad, ain't it, that a once-great party (right up to January 20, 1961, the Republicans were a party you could actually trust) has become the Party of Fatass Limbaugh.

[Dollface]

31. I stand corrrected.

I watched those tea parties and didn't see Alice anywhere although the Mad Hatter really got around.

[No Elephants]

67. In the immortal words of Dukakis, I don't even know what that means. Obama is NOT one of Bush's

thousand points of light. Bush made up that junk.

http://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/25/us/basic-speech-michael-s-dukakis-believe-america-that-s-command-its-destiny.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2

[Jackpine Radical]

19. Obama's popularity must just grate on the nerves

of all the nihilistic right-wing operatives working so desperately to pull him down. Goddam it, nothing fucken works--tea parties, Muslim rumors, the Chavez smile...Jeez, guys, what we gonna do?

[No More Bushbots]

22. I'm sure it grates on the left wing Obama Bashers also

They are getting as annoying as the right wing. I'm sure that the Ron Paul/Bob Barr 2012 campaign can count on getting at least 2% of the popular vote.

[starroute]

24. I think you just hit the nail on the head -- it's all about his popularity

None of this latest crap from the right has anything to do with programs or policies. It's all about trying to pull down Obama's popularity -- by fair means or foul, and devil take the hindmost.

Maybe now that it's failed they'll find something more positive to do? No, I'm not holding my breath either.

[Barb in Atl]

33. This morning on CNN

John King(? is that the name of their morning guy?) spoke with Gamblin' Bill Bennett about "Teflon Obama" (seriously, that was the caption) and how nothing sticks to him. Bennett says that he expected President Obama to get 100 days free, but expect the next 100 days to have less complacency.

I mean, Obama should have been able to right the economy, fix healthcare (i.e. leave it alone), and fix the energy problem (i.e. more tax credits to big oil and drill, baby, drill) all in 100 days. If he hasn't done that, well, obviously he's an EPIC FAIL.

(sigh) I know I shouldn't watch those shows. Invariably I regret it.

[Jackpine Radical]

40. Do what I did.

I went to a hypnotherapist who delicately removed my memory of how to turn on the TV.

[Barb in Atl]

62. LOL! - Thanks, I'll look into that. (nt)

[Moonwalk]

58. Teflon Obama? He has to do something bad and--

not have it stick to him to get that title! And so far he hasn't done anything "bad." He's done stuff that people may disagree with, believe is very wrong headed, or even hate, but when we refer to a "teflon" president, we mean someone who does something scandalous or wrong; someone who steals an election or has sex with an underage intern, and still comes out of the mess smelling like a rose. Not someone who does things that some folk really don't like, but are still perfectly legal, above board, and in no way corrupt or evil or even under the table.

I mean, his worst faux pas verbally was the reference to the Special Olympics. He doesn't even stumble when he talks.

At least, that's what I always thought the definition of "Teflon president" meant. Who knew it now means a president who can, in the public's eye, do no wrong...even if he hasn't done anything wrong yet!

[Barb in Atl]

63. You forgot....

sell arms to a sworn enemy (Iran) to fund guerrillas in a foreign nation (Nicaragua).

I think "Teflon" first came into fashion around Ronnie's time, but I could be wrong. Oddly enough, it was used as a compliment. Then.

[happygoluckytoyou]

21. PREPARE FOR 4 YEARS OF GOP CRYBABIES.... RENAME THE PARTY THE SOB

[Baby Snooks]

25. Ummmmm...

Prepare for 4 more years of AP polls spoon fed to AP by the government who simply wants to paint a pretty picture. The president may have changed. The government itself has not. And probably won't.

Life is good for some. For them, well, Obama has all the time in the world. When you still have several hundred thousand dollars in income each year, well, you have to make sacrifices but life is still good.

For everyone else, well, the Titanic is at 180 degrees and about to split in two and begin its plunge to the watery depths.

The survivors are already in the lifeboats. Peerage always has lifeboats. Steerage is always locked in on the lower decks and left to drown. They simply don't matter. Never have, never will.

[Zeke]

28. Yea, Verily...

I voted for Obama, but despite any AP Polling, the truth is...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jobless claims are up to 6.1 % and rising.
The WH bank bailouts and shielding the wealthy from economic pain continues.
Tax rates for working class and poor remain high, unchanged, there's no legislation before the congress for such.
The WH continues violating international law RE torture.
The WH said no torturers will be prosecuted.
The WH keeps claiming the "states secret privilege" for itself thereby shielding Bush's wrong doing.
The Iraq War continues.
The Afghanistan War is heating up.
American soldiers keep dying in those theaters.
Universal Health care is not on the radar screen, no health care changes coming I can see.

These are huge items remaining un-changed by candidate, now President Change, and the majority Democratic Congress.

[Dollface]

32. I'm going to give Obama the full 4 years to fail before I vote Newt Gingrich into office.

[cliffordu]

37. Yeah, he sucks for not fixing THAT laundry list of absolute horrors.

I wish I had your complete ignorance of how long 90 days is.

And how much he actually has done.

[AlbertCat]

38. 10 huge problems to solve in the 1st 100 days.

That gives Obama....who is just the president and not Congress... 10 days on each problem.


Why can't he get it done????? :eyes:

[Moonwalk]

69. And your point is? The poll was about whether Obama is going in....

...the right direction. It wasn't about what problems he'd solved. If the poll was "do you think he's solved all our problems" and the majority had said "yes," then you could say, "The truth is...." as if all these people were being fooled.

The poll didn't lie. It simply said that people felt Obama was going in the right direction in order to solve some of these problems within his term. So I don't see the point of listing what he hasn't done in 100 days of a 4 year term. It just comes across as unreasonable and obvious. I mean, yeah, so, he hasn't done those things. AND? That doesn't mean people should all say, "100 days and these aren't solved? He's going in the wrong direction..." You can say he's going in the right direction even if these things have not yet been solved and don't look like they will be solved right away.

And you're wrong about the Health Care change on the radar. They're right there happening now. Maybe they're not all you want, but change is happening.

[Moonwalk]

68. You state the obvious and miss the point of the poll....

That "Peerage always has lifeboats. Steerage is always locked in on the lower decks and left to drown," is, well, DUH! And your point is?

That said, for about fifty years after FDR Steerage had a chance of hanging onto the sides of the lifeboats thanks to certain programs. Those were torn down. If Obama can get some of them back us, then we can save more Steerage. Will we magically become Sweden? Probably not in your or my lifetime. But the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Obama is a step in the right direction at least. And that's better than before.

If you're going to believe that the boat is going to sink no matter what, then why bother voting, being part of a political party, or posting on any forum any where? We here may have doubts about how many of those thousand miles we'll travel, but we have some hope that we're at least not walking backwards any longer. I think we can give Obama at least that much credit without feeling like we're faking ourselves out or being faked out by false polls.

[imdjh]

26. I wouldn't say that I'm "high on Obama"

I'm more optimistic than I would be with McCain in office. I have some degree of confidence that Obama will choose to do the right thing on many issues, and less on others. I tend to think that no matter who is elected, be it to Congress or the White House, he is immediately faced with some hard realities which change HIS view of what he can do and how quickly he can do it.

One of the reasons that I'm not quick to toss Obama on the woodpile for the military strategy is that, putting flameproof suit on here, I really do think that the President and Secretary of State get to know things about situations which very few people actually get to know.

[Alcibiades]

29. Some of what they are learning,

such as the situation with the torture being used for political reasons by the Bush administration, are disturbing. That little bit of it--torturing the same folks dozens of times, not for any reason that would enhance our security, but instead to provide a rationale for war--was part of the whole situation most folks did not guess, even though we were right on most of the other picture. The other shoe that has to drop on that, BTW, may be that Bushco did know that Saddam Hussein was not involved in 9-11, because we had already tortured Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, having had him in custody since early March, 2002, and we didn't invade Iraq until March, 2003. One of the reasons why they might not press charges against the actual torturers is that some of them may by talking to the AG.

There is a lot going on that we don't know, but I think this administration is casting some light on some dark corners.

[Baby Snooks]

53. So?

Casting light on the dark corners and then telling us we should ignore the dark corners isn't really very "illuminating" nor is it very encouraging. It's pandering to both sides.

It's like telling the little boy he's a bad little boy for shooting the little girl with his pop gun. And then handing the pop gun back to him.

[Alcibiades]

61. But they are not saying "we should ignore the dark corners"

Once the next batch of torture photos come out, there will be an outcry for full disclosure, investigation and prosecution. This will give the White House and the AG the political cover they need to do what I suspect they have wanted to do all along.

By which time you'll have some other reason to be outraged at our president. :crazy:

[DFW]

27. Yeah, but as everybody knows

AP and the New York Times are just a bunch of libbrul soshalist kommanist mouthpieces,
beholden to Muslim interests who are hell-bent on destroying America.

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

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[NMDemDist2]

39. welcome to DU!!!!

:hi:

[underpants]

36. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8365620&mesg_id=8365620

[Overseas]

41. I've been thrilled to see diplomacy on the front burner !

After the brutal Bush years, it has been very encouraging to see President Obama and his team actively engaging with world leaders.

Diplomacy is really valuable and I am glad to see it being respected. I am glad my fellow citizens also appreciate what President Obama has been doing.

I am glad the constant criticism from the GOP on our mostly conservative TV media has only served to confirm their status as losers with destructive ideas. I wonder how long it will take before the conservative owners of the TV media get the picture and stop giving the losers with their poisonous Trickle Up Economics and brutal approach to foreign policy so much air time.

[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

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[Autumn Colors]

46. FacelessDem, huh? Yeah right..... (nt)

[Baby Snooks]

54. Looting is in the eye of the looter....

He isn't looting America. But he is blinding himself to the looters. Although at this point they are looting the taxpayers. There's not much else left to loot.

[bowens43]

55. go back home.

drink some tea, bitch and moan, screen to your buddies on FR and vote for Palin in 2012

[Laura PourMeADrink]

44. this sucks. repukes support down. I actually thought

they might get some sense. but rush and others continue on their negative, destructive ways.

[Towlie]

45. Think that's something? Watch those poll numbers soar if the torturers are prosecuted!

No sane person would dream of claiming our country is "headed in the wrong direction" if prosecution of the Bush administration for their torture policies proceeds.

[imdjh]

57. It will be dubbed a witch hunt- and when has that been a good thing?

[Towlie]

60. When? When you actually find one.

[bdamomma]

49. I hear heads exploding from the right.

HA!!!

[loyalkydem]

50. So much

for Buyer's remorse then (LOL)

[democrattotheend]

51. Check out Gallup today too

Obama's approval rating is up to 65%, which I think is the highest it's been in a while.

[Canuckistanian]

56. Hmm, I'd call that "political capital", wouldn't you?

Hope he spends it wisely.

Not like the last guy who had it.

[wroberts189]

59. KNR ...YES ..this is what we need. A *real* "morning in America". nt

[and-justice-for-all]

64. I would rather be "High" on Obama then drunk on bush...nt