Even Rasmussen now has Obama surging
It may prove to be an aberration, but I see that even Rasmussen now has Barack Obama polling in positive numbers, with 51 percent of Americans approving of his performance as president and 48 percent disapproving.
That three-point approval margin is the largest reported by Rasmussen since October of 2009.
Gallup doesn’t show quite that amount of approval. In fact, Obama remains barely “underwater” in that poll, with 47 percent disapproval and 46 percent approval. But that’s a significant improvement over the 38 percent Gallup approval rating as recently as October 2011.
You can attribute that improvement to a variety of factors, among them a slowly improving economy, a new willingness by Obama to confront congressional Republicans, the fratricide of the Republican presidential primary and his commitment to a more populist economic message.
Of course, none of that guarantees re-election, although futures traders at Intrade also have Obama’s prospects brightening recently, with the probability of another four years now at 54 percent. And whatever happens in November, the polling data cast an interesting light on claims posted here often by conservatives that “everybody hates Obama” and “even Mickey Mouse could beat” him.
Well, no they don’t and no he couldn’t.
It’s easy to talk yourself into that kind of belief, particularly if you live in deeply red areas of a pretty red state such as Georgia, where everyone that you see and know agrees with you and those who don’t agree just stay silent. That tendency can be compounded if you set up virtual residence within the right-wing echo chamber, where the anti-Obama drumbeat sounds 24 hours a day.
But as even Rasmussen tells you, if you’re going to beat Obama, it’s not going to be easy. (They have Obama defeating Mitt Romney 47-41, and defeating Gingrich 52-35). Because the basic notion that broad segments of the American people have rejected Obama and his politics is simply incorrect.
– Jay Bookman
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765 comments Add your comment
Joe Hussein Mama
January 31st, 2012
3:23 pm
JKL2 — “Nice! Trying to beat a stereotype with another stereotype. No wonder all this race crap is so popular down here.”
When I see y’all stop crapping about ‘welfare moms’ and the like, then “this race crap” can fall by the wayside like it deserves.
md
January 31st, 2012
3:26 pm
“Shrug. If you’re solely motivated by price, don’t be surprised if you get a substandard product. You have to do your homework to get a good price attached to a value product.”
Perhaps so…….but it also has a profound impact on our own future wages…….and that was the point.
But you probably aren’t alone in shrugging off the situation……….
Newt's divorce lawyer...........still working
January 31st, 2012
3:27 pm
Breaking News!!!!!
Fox News just reported that God spoke to Tim Tebow. God wants President Obama to bring Tebow his birth certificate………
Sean hannity is live with Tebow in front of the Church
JKL2
January 31st, 2012
3:27 pm
bush’s fault- Where was the Tea party when scooter was outing a CIA agent?
Too busy laughing at you for believing anything that media whore had to say. Hard to “out” someone who goes around telling everyone she’s a spy. But ti sure was a serious charge…
PS: Why did those Seal Team 6 guys get shot down? Might want to point some more fingers if you are truly outraged. Death trumps getting book/movie deals and time on Oprah.
Doggone/GA
January 31st, 2012
3:28 pm
“someone who goes around telling everyone she’s a spy”
got any proof of that?
Misty Fyed
January 31st, 2012
3:30 pm
Nobody is campaigning against him yet. He gets too look all stately and dignified. Once the repubs select their guy and the campaign turns against Obama, things will change. He should hope his approval ratings go higher than 50% before the ads start to point out all of his warts.
JKL2
January 31st, 2012
3:35 pm
the truth- let’s vote for Democrat’s, that way we can have unfunded wars, we can be afraid of the Al-Qaeda boogie man underneath our beds, we can allow corporations to pay a lower effective tax rate than blue collar employees and we can increase the debt by trillions of dollars while causing our economy to go into a landslide like it did under a Democrat Congress since 2006.
Couldn’t agree more.
you left out Republicans want to poison your water, kill everyone, keep children from getting an education, polute everything, take away your healthcare and Social Security, and drown everyone with their global warming.
Newt's divorce lawyer...........still working
January 31st, 2012
3:35 pm
Misty Fyed – President Obama is SCARED, so SCARED. He’s scared of a gop candidate that republicans don’t even like………..
They BOTH sucked
January 31st, 2012
3:37 pm
Misty
“Nobody is campaigning against him yet. He gets too look all stately and dignified. ”
Really? His name is mentioned almost daily be all Repubs running. Whether it is at a campaign stop, speaking to a reporter or during a debate
catch up
Kamchak
January 31st, 2012
3:38 pm
Misty Fyed – President Obama is SCARED, so SCARED. He’s scared of a gop candidate that republicans don’t even like………..
Not to mention that the front runner is the one that lost to the guy that Obama defeated in 2008.
Newt's divorce lawyer...........still working
January 31st, 2012
3:38 pm
Remember this neo-cons
W for President – still laughing
They BOTH sucked
January 31st, 2012
3:38 pm
JKL2
“you left out Republicans want to poison your water, kill everyone, keep children from getting an education, polute everything, take away your healthcare and Social Security, and drown everyone with their global warming.”
Hanitty, Boortz or Rush’s talking pts? Or all three?
Joe Hussein Mama
January 31st, 2012
3:40 pm
md — “Perhaps so…….but it also has a profound impact on our own future wages…….and that was the point. But you probably aren’t alone in shrugging off the situation……….”
You can’t enforce individual purchasing behavior any more than you can enforce individual sexual behavior. People are gonna buy what they wanna buy (and copulate with who they wanna copulate with) and there’s not much society or government can do about it.
Union
January 31st, 2012
3:42 pm
Joe Hussein Mama
January 31st, 2012
3:40 pm
“You can’t enforce individual purchasing behavior any more than you can enforce individual sexual behavior. People are gonna buy what they wanna buy (and copulate with who they wanna copulate with) and there’s not much society or government can do about it.”
just ask obama how all those energy investments are doing…
Joe Hussein Mama
January 31st, 2012
3:42 pm
JKL2 — “Too busy laughing at you for believing anything that media whore had to say. Hard to “out” someone who goes around telling everyone she’s a spy.”
The fact of the matter is that Valerie Plame *was* a CIA employee, *had* engaged in undercover operations and *was* outed due to her identity being leaked.
It’s a shame that you apparently find our nation’s intelligence operatives to be of so little value that you can call them ‘whores’ and the like.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 31st, 2012
3:44 pm
JKL2 — “we can have unfunded wars”
President Bush the Decider.
“we can be afraid of the Al-Qaeda boogie man underneath our beds”
President Bush the Decider.
“we can allow corporations to pay a lower effective tax rate than blue collar employees”
President Bush the Decider.
“and we can increase the debt by trillions of dollars while causing our economy to go into a landslide”
President Bush the Decider.
Thanks for the assist, Champ! (laughing)
They BOTH sucked
January 31st, 2012
3:45 pm
JKL2
The media convicted Libby the Liar?
The media made the prosecutor say that there is a “dark cloud” over the VPs office?
Really?
JKL2
January 31st, 2012
3:45 pm
joe mama- His numbers may not be accurate but his theory is.”
And in support of your claim to truthfulness and factual analysis, you cite . . . an opinion column.
What part of “theory” did you not understand? He said obama will be re-elected by those (47% actual) 50% who don’t pay Federal income tax and blacks. The DNC said it is focusing on low-income families and minorities.
I guess I don’t see any correlation…
Joe Hussein Mama
January 31st, 2012
3:47 pm
Union — “just ask obama how all those energy investments are doing…”
Mine are doing well. They’re mostly *foreign* firms, though.
Thulsa Doom
January 31st, 2012
3:47 pm
“Not to mention that the front runner is the one that lost to the guy that Obama defeated in 2008.”
Simpleton logic. Kinda like saying that the team that lost 9-6 at home in the regular season wouldn’t come back and dominate the other team 21-0 in the championship game. How did that turn out sport!
So and so beat so and so who beat so and so therefore so and so can’t beat so and so who beat so and so….librul logic- it never fails to amuse the doom.
Kamchak
January 31st, 2012
3:49 pm
…under a Democrat Congress since 2006.
Democrats weren’t in control in 2006, sport.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 31st, 2012
3:49 pm
JKL2 — “What part of “theory” did you not understand?”
There’s a qualitative difference between a “theory” and a “wild-azz guess.”
This is why the creationists keep getting sacked for a loss when they try to take their case to court.
Stevie Ray
January 31st, 2012
3:49 pm
MRB
Getting back to your 112 post…the total is less than 10 million for the entire CSuite. I simply fail to see the connection of ceo pay to this issue. It’s typical liberal talking point but the greedy excesses that exist are the exception and not the norm no matter what silly pundit suggests…
stands for decibels
January 31st, 2012
3:50 pm
Read Ben Hamper’s “Rivethead: Tales From The Assembly Line” for a humorous but depressing account of life as an auto worker in the 1970s and 80s.
Seconded. GREAT book.
Robert Lee
January 31st, 2012
3:51 pm
But Joe HM, didn;t you know that she wasn’t a REAL American cause she and her communist husband didn’t adhere to the party line and provide justification for W’s stupid actions in Iraq?
The cons love to claim they are more American that anyone else
Stevie Ray
January 31st, 2012
3:52 pm
Why all the traditional barbs of RED v BLUE here daily? Why don’t we all agree that until our electorate is held to the same laws as us, and campaign finance gets reformed, does any of these “debates” really matter??
JKL2
January 31st, 2012
3:54 pm
they Both- Hanitty, Boortz or Rush’s talking pts? Or all three?
Try Olberman, Stewart, Maddow talking points. i’m sure you could read all about it on the Huffington Post.
PS: Don’t like hannity, never heard Boortz, and only get to listen to Rush less than an hour per week.
Union
January 31st, 2012
3:55 pm
Robert Lee
January 31st, 2012
3:51 pm
“The cons love to claim they are more American that anyone else”
other than the indians.. they are more american.. logically could you see a liberal going to settle in a new country?
They BOTH sucked
January 31st, 2012
3:56 pm
JKL2
Don’t get your thong all in a wad………… Just replying with some of the same generic stereotypes you love to throw out
No harm, no foul
JOE Cool (I'm Voting 2x or 3x For MESSIAH OBAMA)
January 31st, 2012
3:58 pm
“and only get to listen to Rush less than an hour per week.”
Dayum, thats that power. Pied Piper
Robert Lee
January 31st, 2012
3:59 pm
Union, huh? What herbs are you smoking today?
They BOTH sucked
January 31st, 2012
4:00 pm
Union
“logically could you see a liberal going to settle in a new country?”
Regardless of political ideology….. you get the gold star for the most asinine post of the day
Give it up for Union everybody………..
JKL2
January 31st, 2012
4:02 pm
joe mama- The fact of the matter is that Valerie Plame *was* a CIA employee, *had* engaged in undercover operations and *was* outed due to her identity being leaked.
It’s a shame that you apparently find our nation’s intelligence operatives to be of so little value that you can call them ‘whores’ and the like
Was an agent(worked there) had been undercover (currently wasn’t) and was “outed” even though it was well know to many in Washington she worked for the CIA because she bragged about it and used her undercover name in public. She is laughing all the way to the bank. If anyone should have been put in jail, it probably should have been her.
Now what’s your feeling on the Seal Team 6 guys being shot down since you glanced over that part. Having heard any screaming over obama’s lack of OPSEC.
JOE Cool (I'm Voting 2x or 3x For MESSIAH OBAMA)
January 31st, 2012
4:02 pm
-Santorum has $1.1 million in bank for GOP campaign-
He’ll be out after Nev.
YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)
January 31st, 2012
4:02 pm
Adam
January 31st, 2012
1:03 pm
That Black Guy: So one person that it took 4 hours to find and who said something over 2 years ago represents “some” people?
It may be nuts to think of Obama as a deity, but it is more nuts to think that entire swaths of liberals think that.
It didn’t take 4 hrs to find it, it was 4 hrs after you posted your statement that I read it.
I never said “entire swaths” of liberals think that.
If you don’t ADD to or TAKE from what I post then you will understand what I said. If you still don’t understand, try this.
“That Black Guy, what are you saying?”
JKL2
January 31st, 2012
4:04 pm
Joe mama- Thanks for the assist, Champ! (laughing)
I guess you’re welcome, but not sure how any of that is credited toward me?
Aquagirl
January 31st, 2012
4:05 pm
when’s the rest of us going to get a peek at Aquagirl’s trident?
I’m not sure you have that much money.
Talking Head
January 31st, 2012
4:07 pm
CBO announced earlier today that we have for the 4th straight year in a row…a $1 trillion + budget deficit! Clearly the answer is that we need higher taxes, certainly not less spending.
Tom(Independent)
January 31st, 2012
4:08 pm
Joe Hussein & Doggone – You are correct sirs, it is cavalry(like needing troop help). Thanks My 1st mistake in years!!
JKL2
January 31st, 2012
4:09 pm
joe mama- There’s a qualitative difference between a “theory” and a “wild-azz guess.”
I guess you draw the line at 3% (50-47% who don’t pay tax).
josef
January 31st, 2012
4:09 pm
Dang! I know that’s a sho nuff pretty graph, even if it does kinda make you wonder if it’s time for a new spectacles perscription, and I know he’s waiting on the polls to close in the national geriatrics ward, but 15 pages of comments are a bit too daunting a task, so, what’s on the b*tching buffet today? As for the thread topic…it’s kind of hard to comment since surge is like rich, I still don’t know the magic number of where it begins….
AmVet
January 31st, 2012
4:11 pm
At the risk of annoying the lovely Aquagirl, Redneck, I like the way you think!
AmVet
January 31st, 2012
4:15 pm
So regarding the “Who gives a rats ___ primary in Florida”, have any of the conservative media outlets released a “Dewey Wins!” proclamation yet?
Joe Hussein Mama
January 31st, 2012
4:16 pm
JKL2 — “Was an agent(worked there)”
She *was* an agent. That was acknowledged by the CIA.
“had been undercover (currently wasn’t)”
You know, my security clearance lapsed almost 20 years ago, but I’m still not going to tell you about the classified stuff I worked with in the Army.
The CIA and the Federal government have regulations regarding when and how a classified operative’s identity can be divulged, and under those regs, Plame’s ID was still to be kept confidential. The fact that she wasn’t on a classified op at that time is irrelevant.
” and was “outed” even though it was well know to many in Washington she worked for the CIA because she bragged about it and used her undercover name in public”
Conservative lie, thoroughly debunked. Nothing but an excuse to break Federal law in wartime and laugh about it.
“She is laughing all the way to the bank. If anyone should have been put in jail, it probably should have been her.”
You should be ashamed of yourself.
“Now what’s your feeling on the Seal Team 6 guys being shot down since you glanced over that part.”
What specific part of that situation are you looking for a comment on?
“Having heard any screaming over obama’s lack of OPSEC.”
You clearly don’t recognize that the President is the ultimate authority on what is and is not classified. If the President decides something’s no longer classified, he can reveal it.
This policy dates all the way back to President Bush, who personally articulated it.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 31st, 2012
4:17 pm
Tom (Independent) — “Joe Hussein & Doggone – You are correct sirs”
Doggone is a lady.
Union
January 31st, 2012
4:17 pm
Robert Lee
January 31st, 2012
3:59 pm
“Union, huh? What herbs are you smoking today?”
i will plead the 5th…
They BOTH sucked
January 31st, 2012
4:00 pm
“Regardless of political ideology….. you get the gold star for the most asinine post of the day”
my post was dry humor.. and even if it werent.. it would not qualify for the most asinine post of the day… have you even read any of the others?
Aquagirl
January 31st, 2012
4:05 pm
“I’m not sure you have that much money.”
well now that we have established that you will take the money.. we just need to agree on a price..
JOE Cool (I'm Voting 2x or 3x For MESSIAH OBAMA)
January 31st, 2012
4:17 pm
They about to clean house on you CONs!!
-Obama campaign rolls out Square mobile fundraising platform-
The Obama reelection campaign is providing headquarters staff, field organizers and volunteers the ability to take campaign donations with their mobile phones.
josef
January 31st, 2012
4:18 pm
ZamVet
“I like the way you think…”
Really? At least under this shtick you do…you don’t much care for him under the other one!
Joe Hussein Mama
January 31st, 2012
4:19 pm
JKL2 — “I guess you draw the line at 3% (50-47% who don’t pay tax).”
Given how often you guess incorrectly, I recommend that you ask more questions and jump to fewer conclusions.
md
January 31st, 2012
4:22 pm
“You can’t enforce individual purchasing behavior any more than you can enforce individual sexual behavior. People are gonna buy what they wanna buy (and copulate with who they wanna copulate with) and there’s not much society or government can do about it.”
No you can’t, but one can educate folks on the consequences of their actions and if (big if) they choose to act in concert can make a difference………..the alternative does not bode well for the masses……in this country…….but the world masses will thank us.
As for making a difference:
“The call to boycott French wine in retaliation for France’s opposition to the war in Iraq put a cork in demand that may have cost millions in sales, researchers say.
Two Stanford University economists found that weekly sales of French wine dropped an estimated 26 percent at the peak of the boycott and resulted in a 13 percent slip for the six months or so that it lasted.
The findings contradict the perception that consumer boycotts don’t have a measurable economic impact, said researcher Phillip Leslie, assistant professor of strategic management.”
Union
January 31st, 2012
4:24 pm
md.. cmon.. it was france for crying out loud..
Joe Hussein Mama
January 31st, 2012
4:27 pm
md — “No you can’t, but one can educate folks on the consequences of their actions and if (big if) they choose to act in concert can make a difference………..”
FWIW, I have no quarrel with this. I think that educated and informed consumers tend to make wiser purchasing decisions.
YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)
January 31st, 2012
4:39 pm
Adam
January 31st, 2012
3:03 pm
That Black Guy: Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Carol M Braun (sp), Alan Keys was “What about the votes we got?”.
None of them were the candidate for President.
They didn’t run for Prez? Ok.
md
January 31st, 2012
4:39 pm
“md.. cmon.. it was france for crying out loud..”
And?
It’s an example of consumers using the power they posses as a group……the power they are currently using to lower their own wages………..
Tom Middleton
January 31st, 2012
4:44 pm
Compare him to the almighty and he can’t win, Jay. But compare him to a Republican instead and he’s looking very, very good, especially when we remember what their “stick to principles” approach gave us the last time they were in charge – the self-destructive Bush years.
Maybe we should send the Republicans home this November, you know, to sit and think awhile, at least till they have figured out all the many things they did wrong!
YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)
January 31st, 2012
4:45 pm
Adam
January 31st, 2012
3:06 pm
Erwin: Adam @3:03 – Jessie ran in ‘84 and ‘88
But did not get the nomination in the general election, which is what was being discussed.
MAKE A HOLE MAKE IT WIDE!!!! Goalposts coming through!!!!
Neither the primary nor the general was mentioned in the origional post @ 11:33
YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)
January 31st, 2012
4:52 pm
Doggone/GA
January 31st, 2012
3:14 pm
Gee, I must have missed the years they won their party’s nominations for President. Enlighten me…when did that happen?
They ran for prez and received votes.
Did Jessie’s slogan say “Jessie Jackson for President” or “Jessie Jackson for Democrat Nominee”?
Jm
January 31st, 2012
5:14 pm
Funny hot mic moment
Reagan: “my fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”
Too damn funny
Of course in this day and age, jay would be screaming about the guy being a neo con, etc
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
January 31st, 2012
5:29 pm
The Manchurian Candidate could commit armed robbery on national TV once a month between now and the election and he would still be “surging in the polls”. Unemployment will be no greater than 7% by mid-July, and the Democrat spin machine (i.e. you, Jay) will be reporting sightings of Emperor Nero walking on water around that time, also. Bottom line, you may have dumbed down enough of the population to actually reelect this abomination. God help us.
Adam
January 31st, 2012
5:41 pm
“That Black Guy, what are you saying?”
Ok, you’re not Dave R so I will take you at your word on that one. But really, a good number of people do not deify Obama who support him, and from what I can see the right side of politics ascribes more power and deification towards the Presidency (even if their party isn’t currently there). I see a lot more people on the liberal or left side recognizing that the President is NOT responsible for absolutely everything that happens in the world, even when Bush was in there.
So, that’s my point about the whole “messiah” thing. You are free to tell me what you mean to say by pointing out one guy on the left side who thinks of him as god.
Adam
January 31st, 2012
5:43 pm
That Black Guy: Also regarding the candidate for President, it should have been obvious that the general election was what was being talked about when someone said that the black vote voted 100% for the white candidate for the presidential election. The primary votes for who the eventual candidate should be, and until one of them wins, all of them are candidates for the nomination, not candidates for President.
YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)
January 31st, 2012
6:03 pm
Adam, I posted that because it has been said that “NO ONE on the left” sees Obama that way. Nothing more, nothing less.
As to your 5:43
ALL of the candidates are running for President. If not, they all need to change their campaigns, including this guy:
See also: United States presidential election, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007.
Notice it did not say “See also: United States presidential election, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the NOMINATION of the Democrat Party for the President of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007.
Also: “it should have been obvious that the general election was what was being talked about ”
There are people here who get all ssplody headed when someone says “47% of people don’t pay taxes”, they know what the person is refering to but still attack.
Adam
January 31st, 2012
6:07 pm
There are people here who get all ssplody headed when someone says “47% of people don’t pay taxes”, they know what the person is refering to but still attack.
So? That makes it ok? On either side?
Ninja
January 31st, 2012
9:21 pm
Well, he’s sane, so he wins by default, but I fail to see how that’s really that great.
Adam
February 1st, 2012
3:54 pm
Ninja: It’s not. But really, every election should be about electing the best candidate available.