In the first major national poll since President Obama's second inauguration, a new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows the president's popularity reaching a three-year high -- his 60% favorability rating is up 10 points since the summer, and the highest it's been since November 2009.
The same poll asked respondents whether they approved of the president's inaugural address, and by a two-to-one margin, Americans liked it just fine.
This is of interest because of the nature of the partisan pushback over the last week or so. Literally within hours of Obama's speech last week, his Republican detractors complained that the president failed to strike a "conciliatory" tone to the right and neglected to do "outreach" to the GOP. A day later, Karl Rove's attack operation, Crossroad GPS, released a video blasting the inaugural address as overly "liberal."
Almost immediately thereafter, D.C. pundits piled on. Ron Fournier said Obama had been "fiercely partisan" and paid no mind to the "delicate art of compromise." Michael Gerson heard a president argue "even the most commonplace policy disagreements indicate the bad faith of his opponents." Dana Milbank was terribly disappointed that the president could have presented a "unifying" message, but didn't.
The message from the Beltway to the public was simple: Obama, freed from the burdens of re-election, has become a meaner, fiercer ideologue pushing an aggressively liberal agenda. Hoping to mock the president, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declared, "The era of liberalism is back."
Except, at least at this point, the public doesn't seem to mind. The president's "fiercely partisan" speech was well received by the American mainstream and Obama's favorability ratings have gone up, not down.
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Our President is indeed popular because what he says makes sense to us!
For too long we've been saturated with the rhetoric of division, but the president brings to the microphone a different set of words - words that promote common sense (policies targeting balanced effects), common identity (the middle class), and common unity (our communities' needs for smart government)!
Yes our political dynamic has shifted, and it would do the Republicans well to quit complaining, and begin to really access the American experience and come along with us into the future!
Instead, what I'm witnessing from Republicans holed up in our Congressional hallways are the myriad shenanigans they've become known for - pulling complaint and division out of a magic hat!
Dang, we'd be in so much better shape as a people if only those people over at FOXNEWS, and those Republicans named Mitch, John, Marco, Paul and Rand would quit acting like little privileged divas and begin providing what they should:
For FOX - Stop the propaganda and begin serving as a news outlet or fold!
For the list of first names - Watch your backs because we don't like you and the Tea Partying monster you've created is awaiting your next election cycle to primary your asses! -Kevo
He spent the last 4 years being "bipartisan" and we've had all that time to see what it got him.
News flash! Free stuff is popular!
News flash! Shooter is a troll!
Oh boy the ole "free stuff" meme again, and you wingers wonder why you got creamed in the election. When all you've got is silly, stupid retorts like that, its a wonder you nuts got any votes.
Well let's see... tax cuts, hurricane money, spousal rights for gays, food stamps, unemployment, bank supports.... would you like to point out where I'm wrong?
Ok Shooter when in the hell does a Conservative complain about Tax Cuts? You guys must be getting desperate, if you're throwing Tax Cuts under the bus now.
Sorry Calvin, I should have said tax hikes on the rich. That's considered free money, yes?
Shooter . It must suck to be in your world ... them damn libruls confounding all that is righteous and good.
With only the light of your monitor and and your witty barbs and repartee to see you through, who will save you?
Tax Hikes on the rich isn't considered 'free money', that's called paying your dues.
They pay more than their dues and part of yours too. Mo free money.
http://taxfoundation.org/article/summary-latest-federal-individual-income-tax-data-0#table1
This to is easy pointing out were your wrong.
1. Taxing the rich is having them pay their fair share in times of need.
2.Hurricane relief was passed by both houses of congress, and you guys control the house, so blame republicans for letting it pass. All Obama did was sign the bill.
3.Rights for Gays is called equal rights for all Americans.
4. Food stamps. If you have lost your job, can't find another job and need to feed your family, should we Americans just let those people starve? If that had happened to you, you'd be singing a different tune.
5. Unemployment insurance... If you had a job and worked for a living you would know that you paid for that insurance. Maybe you should look up the meaning of insurance.
2 out of 3 Americans don't give a gnat's fart what the punditry is saying. And that is the best news hidden in this poll. And even conservative pundits like Brooks start to get it.
The religious fascists/neocon coalition had its time. The writing's on the wall that now they are collapsing.
They say "fiercely partisan" because they can't say "uppity."
Holy @!$%#... GDP negative .1% So much for starting strong.
GDP is not at -.1%, GDP fell .1%. So much for GOP math.
No wonder you guys are so lousy at handling the economy.
??? Negative GDP is the same as falling/reducing/shrinking GDP. Which part of that are you having trouble with? And you're giving me a hard time?
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100419252
Blankman, negative GDP is more about your side of know nothings preening around whining cause "we didn't get everything our way". It isn't good for the nation over-all and it certainly rattles those "small businesses" the GOTP pretend to care about.
Face it, you and yours are collapsing due to the albatross of religuluoun, know nothing & hate tied around your own necks.
Sadam Hussien, Fidel Castro and Kim Jung Ill always had good numbers to start terms as well.Polls, schmolls, they mean little in this wag the dog age of media manipulation.
The real approval number is about fity-fity ! A half-aiss rating. That's an F in private schools.
I see buy your avitar you get your political points at the local tractor pull.
Polls mean little, huh?
Ya'll said that when polls showed the President ahead in anything, then lo and behold, the Republican "polls" predicted a Romney landslide and ya'll sucked it up like a sponge in a bathtub.
Tuesday night was hell for ya'll when Ohio went to the President, Rove went bananas, and it turns out the President didn't need Ohio to win, anyway.
Much to your chagrin, the President is ahead, yet again, and there you go waving the red bull@!$%# flag.
:P
Neener, neener, yo.
Ricky: Only people who allow themselves to get manipulated get manipulated. You are showing strong signs that you indeed have allowed this to happen by your talking point useage. Break out, rise above, be all you can be. It's about time we get a better cross section of right wing troll here, it's been a terrible drought...
You're obviously going to be popular if you're saying what people want to hear even if it doesn't make sense in reality.
I got bashed here yesterday for saying "illegal" is a bad term and therefore should be considered in this immigration policy. I didn't bash the people, their ideas, or their desire to work. I just said do it legally...and then like Nate Silver, I got pilloried!
How is the food at your pity party? BBQ? If so, count me in...
Obama is popular because too many people in this nation are democrats described as follows:
If you
ever wondered which side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test!
If a Republican doesn't like guns, he doesn't
buy one.
If a Democrat doesn't like guns, he wants all
guns outlawed.
If a Republican is a vegetarian, he doesn't
eat meat.
If a Democrat is a vegetarian, he wants all
meat products banned for everyone.
If a Republican is homosexual, he quietly
leads his life.
If a Democrat is homosexual, he demands
legislated respect.
If a Republican is down-and-out, he thinks
about how to better his situation.
A Democrat wonders who is going to take care
of him.
If a Republican doesn't like a talk show host,
he switches channels..
Democrats demand that those they don't like be
shut down.
If a Republican is a non-believer, he doesn't
go to church.
A Democrat non-believer wants any mention of
God and religion silenced.
If a Republican decides he needs health care,
he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A Democrat demands that the rest of us pay for
his.
Nice job... solidly resonating with 20% of the country... I love how you play the Fairness Doctrine game... you are now a certified pity-party planner... keep it up and you might get promoted to pity-party concierge...
@#9 - ever heard of stereotyping, let alone spreading untruths? It usually doesn't advance one's standing with those who don't sterotype when trying to convince others they ought to change their views to agree with yours.
"...if by a liberal they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people - their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties... if that is what they mean by a "liberal" then I am proud to be a liberal."
~ John F. Kennedy
Lotsa "mudslinging" on here, yuk,yuk,yuk!!!