Next week, Barack Obama will mark his first year as President of the United States. This week, President Obama wrestles with declining poll numbers and a growing lack of American confidence. Is the Obama-luster fading?
Americans have become deeply divided on Barack Obama’s first year in the White House, while polls show his ratings on priority issues including health care and the economy have hit new lows. Independent voters, who were crucial to his win last January, are also turning away from the President in numbers that must certainly be making the White House take notice.
A CBS News poll showed Mr. Obama’s job approval rating at just 46%, marking the first time he has polled below 50% in the survey. But a CNN/Opinion Research Organization poll showed his approval rating at 51%, however that was down three points in a month. The 50% job approval barrier is traditionally seen as crucial for most Presidents, affecting their political standing and ability to attract support for their policies in Congress.
That’s the bad news. But the good news is that despite a suffocating recession that has disproportionately affected their community, African-Americans appear dramatically more upbeat about their progress in this country than at any time during the past quarter century, according to a new Pew Research Center poll.
Barack Obama’s election as the nation’s first African-American President is credited for the increased optimism that is reflected in a range of issues, including race relations and expectations for further African-American progress. “It’s the politics of expectations,” said retired University of Maryland political science professor Ronald Walters. “It’s having an African-American President and the hope that, when all is said and done, he will help (African-Americans). Those of us who have been critical of him for things he hasn’t done in the first year, even we expect he will do something.” 39% of African-Americans surveyed said “the situation of black people in this country” is better off now than it was five years ago, almost double the 20 percent who said that in 2007.
President Obama has been a trailblazer. Aside from being the first African-American President in U.S. history, Mr. Obama has taken on huge and politically dangerous issues in his first year in office. From Health Care, to the economy, to Gay and Lesbian equality, Mr. Obama has chosen to tackle head on some extremely controversial issues. But the double-edged sword is he has avoided the “splash” factor: going for popular policy by handing Americans something they can tangibly see right away, even at the expense of the nation. His predecessors took that easier road, however Mr. Obama seems more focused on doing the dirty work and cleaning up the huge mess the last White House occupant left him.
With his first year in office about to be behind him, President Obama may soon find tangible success in health care reform, jobs creation and an improved economy. Tackling these tough issues now may actually afford him the luxury of relaxing a bit in the coming years and passing more voter-friendly policy as he heads toward a second term.
Obama inherited a COLOSSAL nightmare that's been DECADES in the making! But he knew when he took the job, he was only going to have a certain amount of time before people would start complaining. Their lives are being affected and they want answers NOW. Nevertheless, it's going to take a lot of TIME and HARD work to tackle the critical issues America finds itself facing__ and the truth is, most Honest and reasobnably intelligent people know this. They may NOT like it. But they know it.In short: I think the President will weather the storm and get the job done. If he doesn't, he knows he'll be a "one-term" President.