SMRs and AMRs

Monday, February 23, 2009

Poll Shows Broad Support for Obama’s Leadership

By JEFF ZELENY and MEGAN THEE-BRENAN
NYT

President Obama is benefiting from remarkably high levels of optimism and confidence among Americans about his leadership, providing him with substantial political clout as he confronts the nation’s economic challenges and opposition from nearly all Republicans in Congress, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

A majority of people surveyed in both parties said Mr. Obama was striving to work in a bipartisan way, but most Americans faulted Republicans for their response to the president, saying the party had objected to the $787 billion economic stimulus plan for political reasons. Most Americans said Mr. Obama should pursue the priorities he campaigned on, the poll found, rather than seek middle ground with Republicans.

Mr. Obama will deliver his first address to Congress on Tuesday evening against a backdrop of deep economic anxiety among the public, with worries spanning party, class and regional divides. A majority of Americans, 55 percent, say they are just making ends meet, with more than 6 in 10 concerned that someone in their household may lose their job in the next year.

Americans are under no illusions that the country’s problems will be resolved quickly, but the poll suggested they would be particularly patient when it comes to the economy, with most saying it would be years before there was significant improvement.

(More here.)

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home