The Administration Confronts Its Flagging Popularity
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-07-14/administration-confronts-its-flagging-popularity
President Barack Obama listens during a briefing about the ongoing response to the BP oil spill, at the Gulfport Coast Guard Station in Gulfport, Miss., June 14, 2010. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is seated at right.
Official White House photo by Pete Souza via Flickr
A new poll finds almost sixty percent of Americans are not confident the president will make the right decisions for the nation. How the administration is trying to fight back.
Guests
John Dickerson
chief political correspondent for Slate.com and CBS political analyst and contributor. Author of "On Her Trail: My Mother, Nancy Dickerson, TV News' First Woman Star."
Jerry Seib
executive Washington editor, "The Wall Street Journal."
Karen Tumulty
national political reporter, "The Washington Post."
Comments
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No argument that President Obama's popularity dropped after he took office and had to address a number of problems. Is anyone surprised? But we should take polling numbers with a grain of salt.
For instance, of the stated 60 percent "not confident", half say they have no confidence at all, but half have "Just Some" confidence. Since the next category is a "Good Amount" of confidence, it's probably inaccurate to consider all of the "Some" as being "not confident".
And let's be honest, most if not all of those answering "None at all" are the 30 percent GOP and other diehards who will disapprove of anything Obama does. As the saying goes, if he walked on water they'd say it just proves he can't swim.
The poll is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postpoll_07132010.html and the confidence question is #3.
As long as you are citing poll numbers...How about Congress Disapproval which is currently around 70%
Really, I wish the media would focus more on issues than numbers. The public would be better informed and we would all make better choices. Maybe the biggest problem we have is corporate media influence on the media? For example: I've been wondering how much British Petroleum pays NBC every time they run the commercial with the guy in the orange shirt telling us how great BP is doing??????
If we had a "Like" or "Recommend" button, I'd click it for Joyce's comment.
One big reason for the fall is all that was left by the previous administration, just like the congress has been playing catch up since the 110th, especially on veterans issues not done a thing about by the previous ones as they started two wars of choice, Afghanistan stopped being about 9/11 as soon as the drums beat towards Iraq. On the economy, Nobody is talking about the complete failure of the so called reaganomics nor the taxcuts, supposed to create jobs, for the wealthy. There is no Private Capital entering the economy, Wall Street is not the economy that creates jobs, it's just moving money around to make money. Talk about the so called 'free market' or the now dead 'reagan revolution, and the years since, we're living in the forecast results of, including the Gulf Oil Disaster!!!!!
The Republicans vowed to take President Obama down and they really do not care if they take the whole country down with him. Republicans are saying outrageous things to scare people into believing them and, unfortunately, people who listen to the far right radio and TV cannot separate the real truth and facts.
Thank you, love your show.
Barbara, Michigan
Good morning Diane,
I can tell you exactly why the presidents poll numbers are so bad. A majority of the American public is uninformed or miss informed because of news sound bites. And, because the GOP wants this country to fail so that they can take back control and power.
I am disappointed in the lack of democratic support and vocalization of such for President Obama. Our health care crisis, economic crisis, etc. did not happen overnight. The Republican party has become the party of no and I am amazed our citizens continue to stand for this action. They (Republicans) preach against big government but at the same time, in a crisis blame the president and the government for not doing enough. I continue to hear and see bias directed towards President Obama based upon his skin color and his intelligent and eloquent manner of speech. Look back at comments made after the election, for a talk show host to express his wish for our president to fail, still speaks loudly. The Republican Party has no concern for the overall good of our citizens or our country. Their concern is for their party and doing whatever it takes to maintain their status and regain the White House. President Obama is not running a popularity contest and I am proud of his performance. Has he made mistakes? Certainly, but please keep in mind, he is trying to address so many issues with little or no support.
Thank you. Kathryn (Indianapolis IN)
What a caller you just had! He associates progressive income tax rates with bigotry! Loaded words. Thinly veiled bias. I'll be turning off the radio now.
Regarding the Mr. Axelrod inteerview:
It is no wonder that people do not feel that Pres. Obama is not communicating effectively ... his senior advisor fails to directly answer questions and instead, fills his responses with political speak by concentrating his responses on "spinning" to past accomplishments and lateral issues.
Please answer the questions!!
My observation of previous elections is that voters want to vote out all the sitting members of Congress except their own Congressman.
If Obama could get rid of Fox, other right wing shows, then people wouldn't know about Obama's missteps (to term it mildly). That would boost O's popularity. By and large, mainstream media is either supportive of Obama, or barely runs critical pieces -- like, for just 1 example, when Eric Holder disparaged AZ law before he even read it. (And all those unaccountable czars!! I could go on and on....) There are hundreds of other examples, many much more damning of this far leftist administration. Clinton was so centrist by contrast.
I see why the Obama's FCC wants a version of the fairness doctrine back.
(btw, when will you have Glenn Beck on your show, Diane? Are you afraid of what he'll reveal? He is a force in this society today, whether one likes him or not.)
It is so hard to believe that so many have not really studied what President Obama has done for this country. He is a man who cares, works hard, is smart, a family man and is respected by other countries. People should be concerned that the republicans have the power to bring so many lies out and not be corrected by the press.
Does anyone one else see an organized effort on the part of the right wing and the callers to the show? The questions seem to me to be more appropriate on Limbaugh's show and the panelists are not challenging the right-wing assumptions of the questions
Our President and the Democrats inhered a mess- a terrible recession and two wars. But this was not all they inherited. They inherited years of deregulation on industry, corporations sending jobs overseas to maximize profits- all in the name of globalization. Since the fall of the Soviet Union and our growing dependency on China for cheap goods and cheap loans, we as a nation forgot about our own middle and working class. Capitalism "gone a mock" and decentralization which we inherited from Regoneconomics and even carried out by President Clinton continued until the Wall St. gambled everything away. By that time, it was too late. Instead of being forward thinking and looking at green jobs, green industries, we continue to puff up the old industries- oil, big banks, etc. Americans need to
realize- such interests were pulling the sheets over our eyes as we thought we were doing well in the nineties but we were really losing our foundation jobs in manufacturing and production.All this on the backs of the middle and working class.
Polls matter because politicians put so much faith in them and they drive legislation.
Citing racism is a pathetic crutch of the ignorant.
America is asking itself if it is better off since Democrats took control of Congress and the White House. The answer is no, plain and simple. Extending unemployment benefits and more fiscal spending does nothing to create sustainable economic growth.
There is a litany of promises broken or ignored, because the truth is the rhetoric doesn't match the actions. The administration has done little to change the policies of the one that preceded it: states secret privilege, extraordinary renditions, Afghanistan/Iraq, oil exploration, meetings with Jamie Dimon and other financial scoundrels, ....
Where were all the deficit hawks when Bush and Cheney started an unnecessary war and mismanaged it disastrously? American jobs were moving over seas long before the current presidential administration. Wake up America. Your bias is showing. Critical thought is a largely a lost concept. Fox News reigns.
I agree
I wish the president would act as a teacher now.
I honestly believe that a few charts and graphs on the recession -- with a historical note on what happened when spending was stopped during the Great Depression -- would help citizens make better decisions.
@ Bo Jones
Should we have Rush Limbaugh on as well, because he is a force in this country? Did you see the comments Rush made about George Steinbrenner last night? Glenn Beck is a similar polarizing figure who adds nothing to the public debate. How audacious for you to want people to listen to a clown who lies (see his comments about Barbara Walters being whisked passd everyone else on Amtrak), attacks children (even though he said in the same week that politicians children's should be off limits) and can't even make a sincere apology when called on his infantile behavior. We want to listen to adults and responsible people who want to add something to the debate, not some immature guy who wants to make Rush Limbaugh money and be an entertainer.
Unlike several of your previous callers, I believe some of the policies passed by the Obama administration have helped. As a small business owner providing health insurance to all of our employees health insurance premiums are killing us. Anything that will help lower the premiums or at least make us more competitive (by making the competitor provide coverage) is welcome and long over due.
Two things.
Was I the only fan of Our Great Lady who was ruffled by David Axelrod “observing” that she sounded “like a vociferous reader of poles”? I was impressed by Diane not getting ruffled and simply ushering him out. Classy as usual.
Secondly, I wonder if other listeners to this and other NPR shows detect some callers sounding like they are coordinated calls from rightwing think tanks? Some of these calls have a clear signal and sound like the ’listener’ is reading from a prepared script. If you call me a paranoid progressive, I hope you are right. Fred B Derry NH
How can our government function without taxes? The Republicans have the bullhorn (the media) and their twisted logic continues to be accepted by the majority of Americans. Why isn't Obama grabbing his bully pulpit? The din of his enemies has rendered him practically invisible.
Wow Bob.
I just wrote the following comment this this morning (see second paragraph). Let me know if you want to pool ideas to see if there is a pattern of right wing hijacks, and if so, making some noisy responses.
You can reach me at FCBATES@COMCAST.NET.
Sincerely, Fred Bates
Was I the only fan of Our Great Lady who was ruffled by David Axelrod “observing” that she sounded “like a vociferous reader of poles”? I was impressed by Diane not getting ruffled and simply ushering him out. Classy as usual.
Secondly, I wonder if other listeners to this and other NPR shows detect some callers sounding like they are coordinated calls from rightwing think tanks? Some of these calls have a clear signal and sound like the ’listener’ is reading from a prepared script. If you call me a paranoid progressive, I hope you are right.
Wow Bob.
I just wrote the following comment this this morning (see second paragraph). Let me know if you want to pool ideas to see if there is a pattern of right wing hijacks, and if so, making some noisy responses.
You can reach me at FCBATES@COMCAST.NET.
Sincerely, Fred Bates
Was I the only fan of Our Great Lady who was ruffled by David Axelrod “observing” that she sounded “like a vociferous reader of poles”? I was impressed by Diane not getting ruffled and simply ushering him out. Classy as usual.
Secondly, I wonder if other listeners to this and other NPR shows detect some callers sounding like they are coordinated calls from rightwing think tanks? Some of these calls have a clear signal and sound like the ’listener’ is reading from a prepared script. If you call me a paranoid progressive, I hope you are right.
@ RickieV
Regarding the Mr. Axelrod interview:
It was Diane's job to keep Axelrod from regurgitating his usual talking points ( i.e. Bush did it, the Republicans are obstructionists, etc) and at least attempt to get him to answer the questions.
Even the liberal HuffPo caught on to Axelrod's fabrications.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/simon-johnson/david-axelrods-talking-po_b_...
Too bad Simon Johnson wasn't conducting the interview.
It is unsettling to imagine that this is the Axle-rod that the Obama Administration revolves around. Is this guy the only Obama Administration "official" Diane could book for today's show? If it was, why bother.
Hello Diane. The first rule in the NPR Code of Conduct is to be civil. I have just been listening to Bruce Fein (Spelling?) and David Fromme (again, spelling). They weren't in the least civil to one another. My wife indicated that lately you have had guests who have such opposing points of view that they talk over one another are contentious and angry. We are wondering if you have been instructed to do this to increase the listening audience. This is exactly why we refrain from watching pundits on CNN, FOX and others. We enjoy hearing a good debate by people who are respectful of one another.
@Jerry Svendsen
Come on. Nothing wrong with heated arguments. It is amusing that your wife doesn't expect to encounter "such opposing points of view" on The DR Show. When a conservative view manages to get air time on NPR, it certainly is conspicuous. While Diane says she avoids arguments and rudeness, the callers that get on the air, predominately liberals, are not shy about insulting her occasional conservative guests.
Actually, I do not listen to Rush and many other r. wingers. I remember not liking Glenn at first, then the content of his assertions intrigued me. I now believe he is really "on to something". Too many far leftists (like Andy Stern, for examp) are surrounding Obama. Let's face it, Obama taught workshops on Saul Alinsky.
I used to be a centrist/lib. I try to keep an open mind.
This show does a good job of keep the discourse civil, but one cannot expect controversial people to play it straight. Mr. Frum has become especially controversial in conservative circles. Like David Brooks, he is generally considered a traitor for his stance on social issues. Mr. Fein has never had a very strong persona or profile, even though he's been around a long time. I really don't think NPR is trying to jazz things up for ratings. NPR does have a political agenda that steers the conversation towards controversial issues that it is supporting, and you can expect emotions to rise when those issues come up, no matter how the moderator tries to suppress them. Otherwise, you end up, as too many of these shows do, with everyone smiling and affirming each others' prejudiced opinions.
I will never understand why Diane and the rest of the mainstream media give propagandists like David Axelrod a platform. He has no credibility, and would argue against the law of gravity if it was in the Democrats' best interests. It's just as bad as when Fox News gives time to GOP operatives. It's a waste of time to let them spew their hot air. It's much more interesting to listen to people that will praise and criticize both Democrats and Republicans evenly.