Does this scare you and remind you of Mao?

[Lief]

ROFL @ JJ

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/12/24/cnn-poll-obama-transition-draws-approval-of-4-in-5-americans/

(CNN) – Hawaii's always been a great spot for honeymoons — and Barack Obama, who's spending the holiday season there on the beach at Kailua, is unquestionably having one of the best in modern presidential history.

Eighty-two percent of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday morning approve of the way the Obama is handling his presidential transition. That's up 3 points from when we asked this question at the beginning of December. Fifteen percent of those surveyed disapprove of the way Obama's handling his transition, down 3 points from our last poll.

The 82 percent approval is higher than then President-elect George W. Bush 8 years ago, who had a 65 percent transition approval rating, and Bill Clinton, at 67 percent in 1992.

"Barack Obama is having a better honeymoon with the American public than any incoming president in the past three decades. He's putting up better numbers, usually by double digits, than Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, or either George Bush on every item traditionally measured in transition polls," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

The poll also suggests that the public approves of the President-elect's cabinet nominees, with 56 percent of those questioned saying Obama's appointments have been outstanding or above average, with 32 percent feeling the picks have been average, and 11 percent saying Obama's choices have been below average or poor.

That 56 percent figure is 18 points higher than those who said then President-elect Bush's cabinet appointments were outstanding or above average and 26 points higher than those who felt the same way about then President-elect Clinton's nominees.

"Obama walks in with nearly twice the support on the economy that President-elect Clinton had in January, 1993, and he beats Ronald Reagan as well," adds Holland.

A third say that their impression of Obama has gotten better since the election, with only 8 percent saying their opinion has gotten worse.

Presidents usually start to lose support once they assume office and start making the tough decisions. But with eight in ten currently approving of Obama, he can give away 20 or 30 points, estimates Holland, and still have a majority of the country on his side.

The CNN/Opinion Research poll was conducted Friday through Sunday, with 1,013 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

[So the Heroes Fall]

ROFL @ JJ

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/12/24/cnn-poll-obama-transition-draws-approval-of-4-in-5-americans/

(CNN) – Hawaii's always been a great spot for honeymoons — and Barack Obama, who's spending the holiday season there on the beach at Kailua, is unquestionably having one of the best in modern presidential history.

Eighty-two percent of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday morning approve of the way the Obama is handling his presidential transition. That's up 3 points from when we asked this question at the beginning of December. Fifteen percent of those surveyed disapprove of the way Obama's handling his transition, down 3 points from our last poll.

The 82 percent approval is higher than then President-elect George W. Bush 8 years ago, who had a 65 percent transition approval rating, and Bill Clinton, at 67 percent in 1992.

"Barack Obama is having a better honeymoon with the American public than any incoming president in the past three decades. He's putting up better numbers, usually by double digits, than Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, or either George Bush on every item traditionally measured in transition polls," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

The poll also suggests that the public approves of the President-elect's cabinet nominees, with 56 percent of those questioned saying Obama's appointments have been outstanding or above average, with 32 percent feeling the picks have been average, and 11 percent saying Obama's choices have been below average or poor.

That 56 percent figure is 18 points higher than those who said then President-elect Bush's cabinet appointments were outstanding or above average and 26 points higher than those who felt the same way about then President-elect Clinton's nominees.

"Obama walks in with nearly twice the support on the economy that President-elect Clinton had in January, 1993, and he beats Ronald Reagan as well," adds Holland.

A third say that their impression of Obama has gotten better since the election, with only 8 percent saying their opinion has gotten worse.

Presidents usually start to lose support once they assume office and start making the tough decisions. But with eight in ten currently approving of Obama, he can give away 20 or 30 points, estimates Holland, and still have a majority of the country on his side.

The CNN/Opinion Research poll was conducted Friday through Sunday, with 1,013 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Please note my sig when analyzing any of his posts.

[Inks.LWC Supports Chuck Hagel]

It reminds me of Mao, and I would note that Mao didn't have to contest elections.

There is a problem that a few folks have raised, and and we have seen developing.  What if Obama disappoints?  It started with the gay community and I should note that some of the more serious attacks on Obama have come from the highest ranking openly gay politician, Barney Frank.

My question was what if he disappoints, mainly economically - will people blame Obama, or Bush?

[J. J.]

So far, there are some rough patches, and he has yet to be sworn in.

Your first paragraph was spot-on, but are we going to have to deal with your 2008 Election form of analysis for four years?  Look at Obama's approvals in public polling.  Why would you ignore that, in lieu of "there are some rough patches, and he has yet to be sworn in"?

Alcon, I was surprised by Frank's comments, first on the bailout and the gay community's reaction.  I do not recall a president elect being so criticized by one of his own constituency groups before he was actually sworn in.    If Frank were a Republican or an old-style bole weevil, it wouldn't be a blip.  It is a bit more than a blip.

Then there is the Blago "scandal" which wasn't handled particularly well, at least in keeping with the "change" mantra.  Obama, and his staffers to be, are probably not hiding anything improper, but the delay in releasing makes it look like he's hiding something.

Like I said, rough patches.  There is a difference between things are not going as well as they should, and "OMG Obama's doomed."

[Grad Students are the Worst]

J. J.,

Why would you focus on "rough patches" when he has the highest approval ratings of any incoming President in decades?  Especially because the interest group he pissed off is one of the least likely to abandon the Democratic Parties even when they disapprove.

I mean, if he's pissed off the gays and still has these approval ratings, he'd be approaching 2012 with the potential for an incredible landslide.  Yet you characterize his process so far as having "rough patches," instead of having incredibly high approvals?  That's the characterization you choose to center your analysis around?

Reminds me of all the stuff you looked at when you botched this year, just saying.

[J. J.]

J. J.,

Why would you focus on "rough patches" when he has the highest approval ratings of any incoming President in decades?  Especially because the interest group he pissed off is one of the least likely to abandon the Democratic Parties even when they disapprove.

I'm not focusing on them, but I'm not ignoring them either.  And, I've seen very high approval ratings nosedive with actual performance.   If they were actually based on performance, I'd be impressed.  I'm not and I feel it's a bit unfair to praise or criticize Obama as president elect, because there is not too much there yet.

I mean, if he's pissed off the gays and still has these approval ratings, he'd be approaching 2012 with the potential for an incredible landslide.  Yet you characterize his process so far as having "rough patches," instead of having incredibly high approvals?  That's the characterization you choose to center your analysis around?

Reminds me of all the stuff you looked at when you botched this year, just saying.

The thing with the Frank problem is that this the first time I've heard part of a president's core constituency voice criticism of (minimal) action before the guy is even sworn in.  Some things, like appointments, I have seen, but not the comments on the bailout.

Right now, the approval is for the cabinet appointments (which generally get my approval as well) and some other thing.  People are saying, "We approve of change," or "We approve that we're not a racist country (sorta, anymore)."  Those last two things will melt away with the Spring Thaw, when actual performance comes into play.  Those things are not going to last. 

[Rob]

he has the highest approval ratings of any incoming President in decades

Those polls are tainted by the Bradley Effect.

[J. J.]

he has the highest approval ratings of any incoming President in decades

Those polls are tainted by the Bradley Effect.

No, but it might be that in Obama people see Obama as symbol of change and of "inclusion."  He has to be inclusive, inclusion has to be seen being important, and he has to make the right kind of change for the numbers to hold.

At this point, I think he's made some good cabinet choices, but that was expected.

I've seen good poll numbers come and go.  Right now, they are pretty meaningless, which is both good and bad.  Even if six months from now, they drop 10-15 points, it's just settling back down.

[RosettaStoned]

Not scary at all.

[Rob]

Those polls are tainted by the Bradley Effect.

Hey, maybe you aren't as dumb as I thought you were! Any mention of the "Bradley Effect" deserves an eye-roll.

[So the Heroes Fall]

meh, no more than this:

that wasn't put out by the Bush campaign

I don't think these were from the Obama campaign either. There was a blurb in the City Pages about the local artist who designed them.