Gallup's new numbers show 50 percent of Americans disapprove of how Barack Obama is handling health policy (I am sure his shoving speeches about it down their throats every single day isn't helping his case). Only 44 percent of Americans approve.
The partisan divide is one we would expect to see with 86 percent of Republicans disapproving and 74 percent of Democrats approving.
The key number is the Independents with 55 percent disapproving and only 40 percent approving.
His numbers are even lower on the issue of the Federal Deficit.
Obama's ratings on the economy have declined over the course of the year, from 59% approval in February to 47% in the current poll. Most of this decline has occurred since late May, perhaps due to continued rising unemployment and some concern about the slow pace of spending from the economic stimulus package passed earlier this year.
Obama's approval ratings for handling the federal budget deficit have also fallen in recent weeks, from 46% in late May to 41% in the current poll. Now, a majority of 55% of Americans disapprove of his handling of this issue.
Underscoring the deficit as an area of weakness for the president, a separate question in the poll finds 59% of Americans saying Obama's proposals to address the problems facing the country call for too much spending. Only 27% say he is spending the right amount to tackle the nation's problems.
It makes perfect sense why the public support for his healthcare reform is losing support when his healthcare calls for even more spending, not savings.
The White House, of course, is blaming Republicans, according to ABC's Political Punch:
The White House expressed irritation at Republican obstructionism and "playing politics," but Republicans countered that it's unfair to blame them -- pointing to the substantial majorities Democrats have in the House and Senate.
It isn't just the American public or Republicans in general that is expressing frustration with Obama on health reform, Democrats are starting to publicly make some noise about Obama's push for them to pass America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, without offering any ideas, specifically ideas to pay for it.
One Democratic senator tells CNN congressional Democrats are “baffled,” and another senior Democratic source tells CNN members of the president’s own party are still “frustrated” that they’re not getting more specific direction from him on health care. “We appreciate the rhetoric and his willingness to ratchet up the pressure but what most Democrats on the Hill are looking for is for the president to weigh in and make decisions on outstanding issues. Instead of sending out his people and saying the president isn’t ruling anything out, members would like a little bit of clarity on what he would support – especially on how to pay for his health reform bill,” a senior Democratic congressional source tells CNN.
According to The Hill, Democrats cannot figure out how to stop the support, within their ranks and with the American people, from eroding further.
House Democrats’ drive to overhaul the nation’s healthcare system sputtered Tuesday, fueling doubts that the complex legislation can be passed before lawmakers leave town for the August recess.
If Democrats in the lower chamber do not pass a healthcare reform bill before the recess, it would be seen as a major step backward from the legislative timetable President Obama initially outlined. As recently as last week, leading Democrats were predicting they would pass bills through the House and Senate before adjourning for the summer.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee canceled a markup session Tuesday so that Obama could lobby seven centrist Democrats who are threatening to block the bill. Lawmakers said the markup will not resume on Wednesday.
In another blow to the Democrats’ healthcare reform efforts, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday launched an advertising campaign targeting a key aspect of Obama’s healthcare plan — a government-run “public option.”
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce provides video to explain the seriousness of the problems as well as the "political promises that do not match up with financial resources."
Seeing the support erode along with his credibility, Barack Obama will be, once again, preempting regularly scheduled programming to pitch Obamacare to the American people.
Any takers on how much lower the polling goes for him after said speech?
My lord, news came out that he doesn't even know the wording in the bill, doesn't know whole portions of what is written into the House bill, yet he is pushing for it to pass?
What is wrong with this picture?
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