Presidential Race Maps Writing on the Wall Voices on the Ground The Obama Project

Americans Less Certain About Obama's Handling Of The Economy

Posted Jun 24, 2009 at 9:34 AM by Maurice Berger

A new poll out from ABC News/Washington Post suggests that while President Obama continues to hold a relatively high approval rating, voters are less approving of his handling of the economy, a possible future red flag: "President Obama remains on his honeymoon -- but with a hint of clouds over the beach. They signal economic impatience. A still-impressive 65% of Americans in this new ABC News/Washington Post poll approve of Obama's job performance. But there's been a retrenchment in the expectation that his stimulus plan will improve the economy -- and, consequently, a halt in what had been steadily improving views of the nation's direction. A narrow majority, 52%, now thinks Obama's stimulus program has helped or will help the nation's economy -- down from 59% in late April. While he's vulnerable elsewhere as well, it's the economy that's his make-or-break issue -- and his advantage over the Republicans in trust to handle it, while still broad, has narrowed from a record 37 points, 61%-24%, in April, to 24 points, 55%-31%, today"

Both Obama and McCain Are Well Regarded By Voters

Posted Oct 27, 2008 at 9:32 AM by Maurice Berger

Despite voters preference for Obama in many surveys, Gallup reports (and a number of other polls confirm) that the two candidates for president are generally well liked by the electorate. Gallup notes that "recent favorable ratings of 61% among likely voters for Barack Obama and 57% for John McCain are two of the more positive assessments of presidential candidates this late in the campaign in recent elections. . . . Usually, by this late stage of the campaign, presidential candidates' ratings have settled in the 50% range. George W. Bush had the highest favorable rating at the end of the campaign for any president since 1992, at 58% just before the 2000 election."