Approval Ratings Down

How are we likin' him now?  Not as much.

Heading into a critical period in the debate over health-care reform, public approval of President Obama's stewardship on the issue has dropped below the 50 percent threshold for the first time, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The idea that Congress will be stampeded into a massive, complicated overhaul of the health care system in the next few weeks with time set aside for a vigorous public debate over a weekend in August is absurd and irresponsible.  We've been talking about a health care crisis for fifteen years and now we have to solve it in the next fifteen days?  Why the rush?

Comments

[JM Hanes]

Can't believe I get the honor of posting today's -7 per Rasmussen in this thread.

[JM Hanes]

"Why the rush?"

Because Obama needs an identifiable great leap forward for mankind on at least one of his signature issues for his permanent campaign -- which includes a Democratic achievement which comes early enough to start touting in the 2010 elections. Virtually nothing he has done, or will do, would be possible without a Democratic Congress. Even a preliminary down payment, in the form of an amorphous, as yet unfunded mandate, will do. The salesman needs something to sell, and telling folks without jobs that "It could be worse," is like, say, a pitch that falls short of the plate.

[Original MikeS]

The 49% who still approve of Obama's handling of health-care haven't read this article about Tennessee's health-care

 

One thing that grabbed my attention was that the person at the center of the Tennessee debacle, Nancy-Ann Min DeParle is now Obama's Health Reform Czar-toon.

[Appalled]

JMH:

Thing is -- if he would give up the "public option", Obama could get this thing passed. Then, you'd have the national version of the Romney plan -- which ought to get the votes of folks like Grassley and Graham.

Problem is, once yu do healthcare, it's going to be hard to do another major reform of it. A public option is something that can be expanded -- even, perhapsm, by regualtion. Without that shoehorn into the marketplace, the Dems may never be able to change Obamacare into a version of the UK NHS without yet another major deate, legislation. If that's the intent, then look for Obama to keep fighting for his version, until the fight starts doing him irreperable political damage.

[clarice]

He's even lost Ann Althouse. (What took her so long?)
As news of the money pissed away on the stimulus pkg which he rather outsourced to Congress to pay off their friends do you suppose there will be more or less support for his next gotta have it right this minute plan?

[clarice]

***As news....gets out...**

[PeterUK]

"The Dems may never be able to change Obamacare into a version of the UK NHS without yet another major deate, legislation."

If they do you're broke!

[hrtshpdbox]

Barack Obama illustrates today how consistent and true he is to his beliefs. His court nominee believes in the superiority of Latina women's experience and decisions, and Barack himself believes that blacks "are more fundamentally rooted in the American experience" (of course, his rationale for this is demonstrable nonsense, but let's not trifle). Vive la difference! A divider, not a uniter!

[bolitha]

I think that most older people do NOT realize that their Medicare will be limited in the future ie O has appointed a committee to review medicare payments to the doctors. And, under this plan, older people will be forced to a review every 5 yrs. or so to see what their health options are ie do you realy think you need this procedure at your age?

[I Won]

The reforms we seek would bring greater inefficiencies to our health care system.

[GMax]

BTW the unrounded numbers put Obama in RAS today at 49.6%! Thats right, DOT. Less than half now support him. Its rounding that shows him at 50 / 49. And the 49 is north of 49 too, just not enough to get rounded up to 50. He has a plurality of something like .25%. And a month from now that may look like a wopper of a lead, as he is headed towards the lower regions...

[Danube of Thought]

He's in a rush because he knows damn well that the more people learn about this plan, the more they oppose it. And a growing number of people realize that his every utterance on the topic is rank falsehood.

[Extraneus]

They have to know that what they want to do will be unpopular with a lot of people, and quite possibly get them slaughtered in 2010 and/or 2012. In fact, the over-reaching itself, even if slapped down, may have that same effect. Which just begs the question again.

Why?

[jean]

I was just over at Huffington Post reading an article about the IG for treasury. I must say the comments after the article were very negative toward Obama.If Obama has lost the Huffington Post readers,who does he have left.

[Pagar]

I would recommend changing that sentence to read "And a growing number of people realize that his every utterance is a rank falsehood"

[centralcal]

Excellent, Pagar! Your edit perfected that sentence.

[PDinDetroit]

Obama's Approval Numbers Go Down, Detroit's Murder Rate Goes Up.

HMMMM...

The natives are growing restless!

[PeterUK]

Heading for Obama's Last Stand ?

[PeterUK]

Obam better dump "Kill Granny". WE outnumber the little whippersnappers.

[jimmyk]

The rush is that they will never again have such large Dem majorities in both houses in a non-election year. And O himself knows his honeymoon is rapidly running out of steam.

[PDinDetroit]

This LUN looks like a job for John "Homeless Breck Girl" Edwards.

[Extraneus]

They're blowing it. If they came in and acted moderate, tried to get their nefarious schemes implemented slowly but surely, they might have stayed in power long enough to get the fascist takeover done. This way, it's like a death wish or Hail Mary thing. Maybe they'll survive, and maybe they'll be tossed out on their asses. I could see if their plans were popular, but they're not.

Strange strategy.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

Good article at Front Page Mag on China's Potemkin economy.

[Original MikeS]

"Why the rush?"
It's a bunco artist's shell game tactic. The con man places a ball under a cup and starts sliding the cups around so fast that the "mark" doesn't really see what is going on.

Obama's plan is to move so fast that no one will see what's really in the legislation.

[Pagar]

For those who believe that Obama's words have meaning, would someone please explain these?

"That’s part of the African American experience. You are, in some ways, connected to this distant land, but on the other end, you’re about as American as it gets, In some ways, African Americans are more fundamentally rooted in the American experience because they don’t have a recent immigrant experience to draw on. It’s that unique African American culture that has existed in North America for hundreds of years long before we actually founded the nation."

I think he needs to hire a speech explainer.

[Neo]

... and a gift for the trial lawyers

The newly added language in the Thursday morning version of the health bill (for those following along, it’s Section 1620 on pp. 713-721) would greatly expand the scope of these suits against third parties, while doing something entirely new: allow freelance lawyers to file them on behalf of the government — without asking permission — and collect rich bounties if they manage thereby to extract money from the defendants. Lawyers will recognize this as a qui tam procedure, of the sort that has led to a growing body of litigation filed by freelance bounty-hunters against universities, defense contractors and others alleged to have overcharged the government.

[PeterUK]

But Obama is an American African.

[Lou Shumaker]

What's the rush? They have to suppress a budget report with some very very bad news:

The administration’s annual midsummer budget update is sure to show higher deficits and unemployment and slower growth than projected in President Barack Obama’s budget in February and update in May, and that could complicate his efforts to get his signature health care and global-warming proposals through Congress.

The release of the update — usually scheduled for mid-July — has been put off until the middle of next month, giving rise to speculation the White House is delaying the bad news at least until Congress leaves town Aug. 7 on its summer recess.

[PeterUK]

Lou Shumaker.

The slithering socialist scumbags have done that here.A good time to bury bad news.

Gangster Government.

[Old Lurker]

"If they do you're broke!"

PUK, checked our federal balance sheet lately?

LUN

[ben]

Can you imagine the headlines if for example McCain had won and started out with 80% approval and then tanked like Obama has....
MCCAIN APPROVAL IMPLODES, PUBLIC LOSES CONFIDENCE, POPULARITY PLUNGES, ETC. All the "pollsters" and "political analysts" would be interviewed ad nauseam to explain why.... But the MSM instead is all about Obama fights back on healthcare for the poor, the downtrodden, the children...

[Semanticleo]

Obama ought to make a play for sympathy by telling America about how bad the health care is for his son in Iraq.

[DebinNC]

Obama: Mayo Clinic is beacon on health care... Mayo Clinic: ObamaCare stinks lol

[Fresh Air]

My prediction for the second scandal of the Zero Administration: Rahmbo or his henchmen will be caught trying to get the Bureau of Labor Statistics to fudge the unemployment numbers. It will get worse from there.

I disagree on the comment above about Zero's strategy. His strategy is the same as a randy midshipman in a whorehouse. Liberals always take the bait. They can't help themselves, and it's why their power is always fleeting. As Mark Twain said, they are the same as the criminal class.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

Something that hasn't entered into the conversation on this healthcare idiocy is the consitution.
The SCOTUS has done a not inconsiderable amount of narrowing of the interstate commerce clause in the last ten years or so.
Wonder what effect that would have on challenges to this monstosity? Is there any other part of the constitution that could conceivably be stretched to cover this?
The 14th amendment, for Pete's sake?
The "privacy clause" as that magnificent imbecile Susan Sarandon said one time?
Medicare was easy as it piggy backed onto the clearly unconstitutional but already existing social security.
What possible consitutional power enables the feds to mandate how those under retirement age buy our health insurance, especially since insurance is explicitly a state issue?

[Semanticleo]

"style attempt to sell a policy has actually succeeded in selling the policy? I can't remember it."

I can. Although Carter approved the MX missile in 1979, it was Reagan and his Band who manufactured the dog and pony show wherein. Soviet LIQUID fuel missiles were
pictured next to the advanced solid-fuel
US missiles which were dwarfed by the Soviet's.

Of course it wasn't the INTENT to fool the public into supporting the deployment, but it was the public selling of this system which led to the undeserved credit Reagan received when the Berlin Wall fell in '89, which was hailed by the Media as a Reagan triumph. Pfeh.

[JM Hanes]

Appalled:

"Thing is -- if he would give up the "public option", Obama could get this thing passed."

The public option is his signature issue.

[PeterUK]

Odd how some live in the past.Nonetheless the Wall came down,unfortunately under the Obama regime it is going back up a few thousand miles West.

[Dennis D]

Obama was a pathetic State Senator who voted present 130 times. He went on to become a very Below Average US Senator. 10 years of mediocrity at best in elected office. Why should people be shocked that he is a terrible President and miserable failure?

[DebinNC]

If the surtax is now dead (as is being reported) and Obama has told Baucus taxing health benefits is dead (because he castigated McCain for that), what's left as a revenue stream only tapping those $250,000 and up?

[J.]

Chris Dodd...resign NOW

You have NO business writing the healthcare legislation.

The corruption has got to stop.

Chris Dodd...resign NOW

[PeterUK]

"Why should people be shocked that he is a terrible President and miserable failure?"

Give him time,he can do better. Obama will prove to be an epic failure. "Let a thousand flowers bloom".

[daddy]

Well was at the gym early and the View and CNN was on, and from the ads and what I could stomach of watching Joey Behar fondle her guest, Brian Williams, the MSM'ers are out in force to make this guys numbers go back up.

Thankfully had on the radio headsets. Rush's speeded-up speeches of Pelosi and Obama were killer. Especially good though was Dennis Praegar today on the Honduras debacle, mainly hour 2. He mentioned the phony election ballots discovered in the Presidential Office (Which still hasn't hit the major media), and had on an excellent WSJ CentAm expert ">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124804541071763577.html"> Mary Anastasia O'Grady, who did a nice job of overall education on the issue. I had not realized that Zelaya was booted by his own political party, and that the interim president was in essence the leader beneath Zelaya in the party--sort of the equivalent of Joe Biden to Obama. At least that's how Dennis explained it, and it made big sense to me.

[Semanticleo]

Want real healthcare reform? Get off yer lard ass and bicycle the McD's drive-thru lane.

from Yglesias...........

"Charles Courtemanche, an economist at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has produced a study suggesting that permanent hikes in gas prices may slash obesity rates. The amount is hardly nominal: A sustained $1 increase in the price of a gallon of gasoline equals a 10% dip in the nation’s obesity rate–that’s about 9 million fewer obese people clogging up health care systems and costing society (and themselves) money. “The price of gas is a powerful lever when it comes to medical expenses and mortality rates,” Courtemanche says. “There’s a savings in this for all of us.”"

Unfortunately, the approaching oil glut will take it to $20 per barrel shortly. But we can still dream of an America without a gargantuan gut.

[clanndaeid]

How are we likin' him now?

Whadya mean 'we,' paleface?

[royf]

Man the democrats must be a naive and incompetent bunch, someone is always misleading them. LOL!

Democratic Governors Accuse NGA Staff of Misleading Them on Costs of Health Care Reform

[PeterUK]

Yea Gods! Imagine a nation of skinny sanctimonious cyclists displaying their lycra covered rumps.Multiply this by 300 million.

[centralcal]

"Obama will prove to be an epic failure."

I agree, PUK. Without the adulation that he thinks is his birthright, I suspect the nasty Obama that we get glimpses of from time to time, will emerge more frequently,too.

[hrtshpdbox]

My prediction for the second scandal of the Zero Administration: Rahmbo or his henchmen will be caught trying to get the Bureau of Labor Statistics to fudge the unemployment numbers.

Maybe that will be Scandal 3, beaten to the punch by Scandal 2, which might be "How freshly printed is the money that's been boosting the stock market the last week or so, and who's doing the buying?"

[Semanticleo]

"Obama will prove to be an epic failure."

Salivate in one hand while holding hope in the other. See which fills up first.....

[royf]

Speaking of bicycles one President is a real cyclist.

Another won not so much.

[PeterUK]

Septic.
"Salivate in one hand while holding hope in the other. See which fills up first....."

Could you elucidate old girl? I don't understand your gibberish.

[Semanticleo]

I still think Obama just needs to tell more lies.

You racist wingnuts don't deserve the truth, and we smarter, enlightened people who voted for him will believe any "shovel ready" truth that comes out of his cornhole.

[daddy]

Speaking of approval ratings:

Narciso, In hour one today Dan Fagan publically apologized to his audience for being over the top in his meanness and unfairness to Sarah Palin. Wonder who or what got to him? Station ratings, or the new national polling numbers for Sarah?

In other news, a new Ethic's Complaint against Sarah was filed today by ">http://community.adn.com/adn/node/142472"> by one of the usual suspects. Only 1 week left to get yours in before she leaves office.

[PeterUK]

Tell us another story Uncle Obama.

[Ranger]

One thing that people seem to not even mention about Team Barry's drop in the polls is that this is all without a real leader of the opposition. He is cratering on every front just from the total carpiness of his ideas and his actual performance in office.

[MayBee]

Matt Yglesias talking about obesity rates is funny, funny stuff.

[PeterUK]

Don't be nasty about President Icarus Obama.

[Semanticleo]

I must confess that I was so drawn to the story of David Carradine's interest in auto-erotic asphyxiation. Would someone here be kind enough to supply me with some how-to instructions? I am by nature of slight almost girlish build and I'm just not sure if I have the requisite upper body strength to safely pull this off. TIA.

[RichatUF]

Ranger-

Great point. I did notice that during his press conference today he made some sneering comments about DeMint's Waterloo comment. He stuck in the usual "if we do nothing" and that heathcare (insurance?) reform is a panacea for our economic troubles.

[narciso]

It's Tuesday, it's Andrea McLeod, water falls down, yadda, yadda, I think this one has to do with those chocolates and the hockey stick she received in Indiana. Even the PPP poll was generally positive today

[centralcal]

What I love about these polls is that most of them over sample Dems and adjust/weight in Dems favor. Just imagine how bad the polling must really be if his declines can't be hidden or padded.

I like it!

[matt]

Some interesting economic currents. The UK government buries a L32 Bn turd as they walk out the door for summer recess, and Obama is doing the same now with the budget numbers.

The most transparent administration ever! No lobbyists! bipartisanship!Repudiating the evile Bushitler in all things military and mean!

These guys are robbing the candy store before our very eyes. And they incompetent to boot from what I am now reading. They are going to have half the Democratic Party after them in the near future.

[PeterUK]

Obama mobbed by supporters on tour.

[Sue]

According to Ras, 97% of blacks still support Obama. That is why his numbers are remaining above 50%.

[PeterUK]

Matt,
Socialism at work.

[Ranger]

DeMint shot back at Obama today too. Hot Air gets the best headline of the day for me:

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/07/20/demint-to-obama-on-health-care-hows-that-stimulus-working-out-champ/>DeMint to Obama on health care: How’s that stimulus working out, champ?

[windansea]

inefficiencies????

strategery?

see Drudge

PS thanks to ladies of JOM for saying hello in the other thread :) I am fine and weathering the crisis with aplomb, as is my wont

[centralcal]

Ha Ha, PUK - I spotted several of our trolls among those supporters.

[lurker9876]

Hoping to see Obama enter a one-term lame duck status soon!

[Fresh Air]

Centralcal--

Agree on the overweighting. Most likely Rasmussen is using exit poll data from last fall, which, given new party I.D. numbers, probably overstates Zero's support by at least 5 points.

[RichatUF]

Winnie the Pooh isn't the go-to text for national security anymore:

Tell Dr. Obama where it hurts.

Oh, and look, the Bush twins were hellraisers according to WaPo hack Kessler.

[Pagar]

As the American Thinker details, There is another group that gives their complete support to Obama and help keep his numbers up.

(1) Obama's policy agenda and that of the CPUSA are in perfect alignment:

(2) Obama's political approach is also in perfect harmony with that of the CPUSA's

Which means that the Democrats and CPUSA are in perfect alignment,and have been for years,IMO

[RichatUF]

Damn it that picture didn't carry over. Crappy image link crap...Pelosi

[PeterUK]

The new Govmo Obamamobile.Accelerates from nough to zero in six months.

[boris]

Yer clown shoes are already full of whatever that is running down yer leg.

[PeterUK]

Pagar.
Not surprising since Obama was born and raised a communists and his most influential friends and mentors were/are communists.

"If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck."

[Rick Ballard]

Rich,

Do you think the Regime will delay the BEA Q2 advance announcement on July 31? The credentialed moron consensus appears to be around -2-3% and I just can't get there. There was a minimum wage loss of around $400 billion in Q2, consumer credit outstanding actually dropped by $20 billion and total bank credit outstanding was only up $31B while deposits (AKA "savings") were up $233B.

Annualized, the lost wages and increased saving come to more than $2T. Rail shipments do not indicate any measurable inventory increases.

I can't figure out how GDP could have dropped less than 4-5%. I'll send whoever can proffer a believable scenario relieving me of my ignorance a bright, shiny nickel for doing so.

[PeterUK]

"...President Obama ... has expressed a readiness to engage with countries that during the Bush years were considered mortal enemies - Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, and others."

One can judge a man by his friends.

[Sue]

Apparently Obama needed another distraction if we are going after the Bush twins again.

[Semanticleo]

WaPo;

" Many of the banks that got federal aid to support increased lending have instead used some of the money to make investments, repay debts or buy other banks, according to a new report from the special inspector general overseeing the government's financial rescue program.

The report by special inspector general Neil Barofsky calls on the Treasury Department to require regular, more detailed information from banks about their use of federal aid provided under the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The Treasury has refused to collect such information.

Doing so is "essential to meet Treasury's stated goal of bringing transparency to the TARP program and informing the American people and their representatives in Congress about what is being done with their money," the report said.

In a written response, the Treasury again rejected that call. Officials have taken the view that the exact use of the federal aid cannot be tracked because money given to a bank is like water poured into an ocean."

Reg-yoo-ation anybody? The legacy of
Reagan and the Libertine Conservative movement.

[Semanticleo]

Reg-yoo-lation.

Want some more?

[PeterUK]

"In a written response, the Treasury again rejected that call. Officials have taken the view that the exact use of the federal aid cannot be tracked because money given to a bank is like water poured into an ocean."

And who poured that money into the ocean? Why Obama and the Democrats.

You have got to stick to this century kid.otherwise you will be trying to pin something on George Washington.

[Semanticleo]

"Yer clown shoes are already full of whatever that is running down yer leg."

Boris is unduly influenced by an intellectual
superior, PUKe.

[windansea]

inefficiencies...

want some more?

[Semanticleo]

"inefficiencies...

want some more?"

The transition from childlike governance to the Unified Field Theory of Governance, will manifest inefficiencies.

Primary hindrance; The Regressive movement comprised of Status-Quo Sympathizers.

[boris]

Leg-yer-Ration Clown Shoes.

[windansea]

Harvard ed u ca tion

[Semanticleo]

You can't top the previous idiocy as you burn up yer reserves far too quickly.....

[PeterUK]

Slipping a $23.7 trillion deficit bombshell out in the recess.

want some more?

[Semanticleo]

Lead, join or GTFOOTW. Or, just whine and carp from the permanent minority sidelines,
New Whigs................

[PeterUK]

"Unified Field Theory of Governance" a euphemism for totalitarianism.Other than that bollocks.

[windansea]

"this isn't about me"

it's about the inefficiencies

"The reforms we seek would bring greater competition, choice, savings and inefficiencies to our health care system," Obama said in remarks after a health care roundtable with physicians

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25165.html#ixzz0LqnKaSTz

[PeterUK]

New Bolsheviks.We know how that ends don't we.

[Semanticleo]

John Bull talkin' about totalitarianism.

Remember what Einstein said when asked the difference between stupidity and genius...

"genius has it's limits"

[boris]

GTFOOTW?

No.

[PeterUK]

GTFOOTW?

Give The Fools Our Own Taxable Wages.

[Semanticleo]

"New Bolsheviks."

Ends with the New Romanovs.

[PeterUK]

"genius has its limits"

Stupidity knows no bounds,go for it Septic".

[RichatUF]

Rick-

Do you think the Regime will delay the BEA Q2 advance announcement on July 31?

Doubtful, but since they are delaying the mid-term budget report who knows with these guys. If the folks at the BEA don't start playing ball though, the Obama Administration might bring some pressure to bear. On the numbers, I'd go with -4% to -5%. cathyf had posted up a few days ago the LA port volume and it hasn't recovered either (which goes well with the China link that Ignatz posted on one of these threads).