Obama losing some support among nervous Dems
NEW YORK — Could it be that President Barack Obama's Midas touch is starting to dull a bit, even among members of his own party?
Conservative House Democrats are balking at the cost and direction of Obama's top priority, an overhaul of the nation's health care system. A key Senate Democrat, Max Baucus of Montana, complains that Obama's opposition to paying for it with a tax on health benefits "is not helping us."
Another Democrat, Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma, tells his local newspaper that Obama is too liberal and is "very unpopular" in his district.
From his first days in office, Obama's popularity helped him pass the landmark $787 billion stimulus package and fueled his ambitious plans to overhaul the nation's health care system and tackle global warming.
Obama continues to be comparatively popular. But now recent national surveys have shown a measurable drop in his job approval rating, even among Democrats. A CBS news survey out this week had his national approval rating at 57 percent, and his standing among Democrats down 10 percentage points since last month, from 92 percent to 82 percent.
With the economy continuing to sputter and joblessness on the rise, many of Obama's staunchest Democratic supporters are anxious for his agenda to start bearing fruit.
"We are eager and impatient, so you're seeing a little bit of that," said Chris Redfern, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. "Elections have results, and those in the base are the most anxious to achieve what's promised in the election. That's why Democrats are showing some impatience in reaching our goal."
Obama won Ohio, a key swing state, by 4 percentage points in 2008 over Republican John McCain. But the one-time industrial powerhouse has been hit hard by the weak economy, and a Quinnipiac University poll released this month showed Obama with a lackluster approval rating of 49 percent.
Redfern argued that the stimulus program has begun to show tangible results in his state and people shouldn't expect the economy to turn around instantly.
A similar argument came from Nevada, another swing state Obama carried. Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Ross counseled patience, saying that voters in his state want Obama to succeed and that their support would be solidified once they saw stimulus-driven building projects under way.
"Generally, folks in Nevada are waiting to see the effects of the stimulus package," Ross said. "I think the president is probably just as impatient to get this money out in the country to employ people as anyone."
In Missouri, which Obama narrowly lost to McCain, Democratic strategist Steve Glorioso said hardcore base voters were as enthusiastic as ever for Obama but that there was a sense of disappointment about him among less committed Democrats and independents.
"People are scared," Glorioso said. "This is the worst economic time anyone under the age of 80 has ever experienced, and you can't discount people being afraid. Now that we are in July, the fear is turning to disappointment that the president hasn't fixed everything yet. I don't know why they thought he could change everything by now, but some did."
Glorioso said an open Senate race next year in Missouri, where Democrat Robin Carnahan is likely to face former Republican Rep. Roy Blunt, will be a crucial test of Obama's appeal.
"If the economy gets better and they pass a reasonable health care bill, his popularity will be way back up and Carnahan will win," Glorioso said. "If none of that happens, it's a moot point."
In Michigan, where the near-collapse of the auto industry has driven the unemployment rate to 14.1 percent, the nation's worst, the state's Democratic chairman, Mark Brewer, said support for Obama among Democrats has remained strong.
"People are very worried and concerned, I don't want to dispute that," Brewer said. "But they voted for the president in overwhelming numbers and want to support the things he's trying to do."
Obama traveled to Michigan this week to unveil a $12 billion program to help community colleges prepare people for jobs. There, he made an audacious declaration.
"I love these folks who helped get us in this mess and then suddenly say, 'Well, this is Obama's economy,'" the president said. "That's fine. Give it to me!"
Redfern, the Ohio Democratic Party chairman, said he welcomed that statement but cautioned it came with a price.
"When it's the president's economy, it's the president's trouble," Redfern said. "Americans are eager for the change that they voted into office. They support him, they just want to see results sooner rather than later."
Jul 21, 2009 at 10:09 a.m.
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this nation is in worse shape than when Obama took over, yet the liberals are still blaming President Bush!!! I do not want government running health care, they've screwed up the economy and are trying to push through their socialist crap! If you want health care go work for it! My husband, when we were first married, worked for a farmer, and we had no health care at all and survived! I had 2 babies, 3 miscarriages and 2 D&c's and paid for it all out of my own pocket! You don't Deserve health care you EARN it!! or pay as you go. we set up payments and paid it all off without asking people to give us welfare or a medical card or food stamps. We also didn't make alot of money either but we had our self respect when we were done!
Jul 21, 2009 at 12:33 a.m.
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"People HAVE died in emergency rooms."
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And? People will continue to die in emergency rooms...nothing in the proposed changes will stop that.
Jul 20, 2009 at 10:11 p.m.
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Yes, we pay. The problem is that Emergency Room care is the MOST expensive care there is. People HAVE died in emergency rooms.
MrScott, are you sure your government run statistics are accurate? I didn't think the government could do anything right and here you are quoting government statistics. Since you place such confidence in the government, I sure a government run health care system will be just fine.
Jul 19, 2009 at 10:35 p.m.
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Sarah B1.....Go find a job that offers benefits, otherwise pay as you go.......
Jul 19, 2009 at 10:21 p.m.
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"What about those...who have no health care benefits"
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What most fail to recognize is all have health care; no one will be denied care---this is the most important part. So then the argument is over who will pay for the care, simple. The individual ALWAYS pays.
If you think govt pays, you are wrong, they get their money from taxpayers and business.
If you think business will pay, you are wrong, they get their money from consumers.
Remember this the next time you want something free---nothing is free.
Jul 19, 2009 at 7:58 p.m.
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Darwin......Don't be so dramatic......People aren't dying in emergency rooms. People who have no ambition to work, simply use the emergency room as their own free doctor's office. They cannot be denied care. It would be nice if those that are a drag on the system were forced to work off their bills, or face getting get denied care when their next "emergency" comes up.........
Jul 19, 2009 at 7:26 p.m.
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The numbers are on the bureau of labor statistics website...
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The U.S. has lost 2.2 million jobs since President Barack Obama took office. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the total number of jobs nationwide fell from 134.3 million at the end of January to 132.2 million at the end of May.
The unemployment rate now stands at 9.4 percent, up from 7.6 percent at the end of January.
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“I think my initial measure of success is creating or saving 4 million jobs,” said President Obama on February 9.
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Monthly job losses reported by the BLS are as follows:
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Feb: 651,000
Mar: 663,000
Apr: 539,000
May: 345,000
Total: 2,198,000
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“President Obama demanded that Congress spend hundreds of billions of dollars to stimulate the economy,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. "On Friday, February 13 Congress approved a disgraceful trillion-dollar spending and debt package under the guise of economic stimulus. Since that date at least 1.5 million jobs have been lost in America.”
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“Spend more money. Have fewer jobs,” continued Norquist. “Let's stop this madness.”
Jul 19, 2009 at 6:11 p.m.
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How is it that we can build the multi-multi billion dollar F22 that the Pentagon doesn't want but not health care? Because these politicians care more about the aristocracy that they have helped create. We are no longer citizens but rather subjects of a corrupt political class that panders to the wealthy. Evidently, people dying in emergency rooms is acceptable but not a tax on the rich: talk about class warfare.
Jul 19, 2009 at 2:16 p.m.
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Oh and before anyone makes some ignorant comment about whether Im a republican or not Ill just say that I voted for Obama. Not because I thought he was the savior like some poor souls did, but because I thought he was the lesser of two evils. I may have been wrong.
Jul 19, 2009 at 2:15 p.m.
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SarahB1, your lack of intelligence gives the midwest and America in general a bad name. A perfect example for the need for education reform. Ive read some of your previous posts. And lets just say, I cant stop laughing at your ignorance. You CLAIMED that 150000 jobs had been created. HAHAHAHAHA youre ignorant as they come. The stimulus which passed in february was supposed to CREATE 3 million jobs, however, 2.5 million jobs have been LOST since its passing. Also in April, DObama said that things were turning around. Now on July 11th he says that it was designed to take 2 years to take effect that is why we are still falling further into a recession.
Jul 19, 2009 at 12:19 p.m.
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During the campaign the right wing kept saying that the left considered Obama the "Savior". Now barely 6 months into his Presidency it is the right wing nut jobs that expect him to produce miracles. After what Bush and Cheney did to this country, I'm think we need to give him some time to try and clean up the mess left behind by the Bush circus. And after that is done send Cheney to the Hague to be prosecuted for his crimes.
Jul 19, 2009 at 11:29 a.m.
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An increase in taxes is what moves us sanely towards changes (supposedly good ones) in health care, the enviroment,infrastructure maintenance and the military...really?
Also can someone who supports Obama clue me in when the guy is going to stand on his own two feet and noboby blames ex-president Bush for anything anymore? Obviously it's not after Obamas first 100 days,doesn't seem like its going to be after 6 monthes (that would be tomorrow)....a year?...maybe two years?
Jul 19, 2009 at 8:40 a.m.
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I'm pleased with the job President Obama has done so far. One of the reasons I voted for him was to see the status quo shaken up a bit. After the past 8 years the need for a change in direction was sorely needed.
Will my taxes go up? I expect that they will and I'm okay with that. If increasing my taxes moves us toward a more sane approach to health care, the environment, infrastructure maintenance and the way we use our military, then I'm all for it.
Jul 19, 2009 at 5:19 a.m.
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Millions went to the polls to vote for obama, republican, independent, and democrate, because, after Two Long Years of campaining, they did Know alot about him. AND they also knew about the alternative.
Jul 18, 2009 at 10:42 p.m.
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Joe Biden: ‘We Have to Go Spend Money to Keep From Going Bankrupt’
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These are the people we have in control of our government and you wonder why unemployment and the national debt are both climbing at alarming rates...
Jul 18, 2009 at 10:14 p.m.
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werpknarly: I disagree. If you pigeon hole yourself with a political party then you are essentially a mindless drone. Millions of them went to the polls in 08 and voted for a man they knew very little about based on a campaign of pixie dust and fairy farts. He was going to solve all our problems. Now they are starting question their own wisdom. That said, I can't say the Republicans have any brighter ideas. One of the two parties needs to focus on small businesses. Road construction jobs don't last forever.
Jul 18, 2009 at 9:46 p.m.
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I don't think helping people who need a job is a bad thing but I do think in order to eat one has to work.
Last depression there were the work camps and many project were completed that are in use even today.
The guys were happy as they had good meals and a days work done. it is not good for people to not have meaningful work.
Jul 18, 2009 at 7:50 p.m.
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oh how the red necks shine, "his people"? it appears white hoods have been bleached starched and pressed for the ready. How sad it is to see a BUSH bumper sticker on a $500 rusty truck as he gave BILLIONS of tax breaks to the rich.
where's the stimulus money? http://stimuluswatch.org/
btw. democrates are not mindless drones who follow their good ole boy leader no matter what. Not reported is that just as many dems think obama is not going far enough. balance, its a good thing !
Jul 18, 2009 at 7:28 p.m.
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I should say the "chronically unemployed". Not those unfortunate folks who have lost their jobs involuntarily. We all know who im referring to.
Jul 18, 2009 at 7:19 p.m.
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Think I puked in my mouth about a dozen times when they showed clips of him addressing that joke of an organization called the NAACP. Its getting pretty close that I think a NAAWP is needed.
Jul 18, 2009 at 7:18 p.m.
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Obama doesnt care about the "working" person.. Hes just trying to help out his "kind" of people. Thats why so much of what hes doing caters to the unemployed and long term welfare recipients.
Jul 18, 2009 at 6:10 p.m.
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Off. Friendly, when 90% of the wealth is controled by 5% of the population(including media, ie FOX), what chance does the bottom 90% have?
SO, its no skin off your back if the working poor dont have health care? how about a runaway outbreak of drug resistance of typoid? think about that the next time someone sneezes on your frys !
are the sameones who gripe that this is a christan nation and want the cross on the flag, on here yippin about how the poor dont need our help ? how christan is that.
We have no clue as to how rich and powerful the RICH are in this country. Bill Gates has more wealth than the bottom 40%. He will pay no more SS tax than someone making $110,000 a year, he will collect it tax free. some of that will be paid by a single mother working for minumum wage. bill gates thinks that a crime. he is giving his wealth to help the poor.
as for small businesses, i cant hire someone because i cant afford to pay health care. currently we live off my wife's health insurance. its changed three times in the last four years(same job) Her income has not gone up, our deductables have gone from $10-$20 copay to nearly $3000. good thing shes not making min.wage.
and in the end... remember: "let them eat cake" got a lot of heads choped off
Jul 18, 2009 at 5:40 p.m.
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Excellent reading Officer Friendly
Jul 18, 2009 at 4:45 p.m.
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Officer--Excellent quote.....This is the key problem with Obama's plan to redistribute the wealth within this country.......
Jul 18, 2009 at 2:20 p.m.
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Not only 2 million jobs perviously lost, but thousands of jobs still being lost. After Obama said unemployment would only reach 8% under his plan, unemployment continues to rise and is now nearing 10%. Regardless, we're still losing more than we're gaining.
Jul 18, 2009 at 1:14 p.m.
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How can anyone say he's not doing anything for small business? Of course he is: he's relieving them of the hard decisions about what to do with their profits by planning to take more than half of them (for the most successful ones), by making tough employee benefit decisions by dictating them through his health plan, and helping their employees to unionize without secret ballots. Plus, he's raising their interest rates with world record deficits. Who can reasonably say he's not doing anything for small businesses?
Jul 18, 2009 at 1:06 p.m.
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Isn't the comment by Nemesis a barely veiled suggestion to assasinate the President of the United States???
Jul 18, 2009 at 11:04 a.m.
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He needs to do more for small businesses. I've been saying that since he released his first stimulus. That is where the long term decent paying jobs come from. That is where growth will come from. Infrastructure improvements were needed, but those are only short term. It's ridiculous to think revamping health care won't add more to our deficit. In addition, he is trying to push for too many agendas in a short period before the midterm elections. Obama is suffering from Jack of everything master of nothing syndrome. He'll make a change in direction at some point.
Jul 18, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.
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Not even close to funny.
Jul 18, 2009 at 9:35 a.m.
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