AP-GfK poll: Obama approval hits 60 percent

[Capt Caveman]

We'll see how these numbers change over the summer with gas prices supposedly dropping.

AP-GfK poll: Obama approval hits 60 percent

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's approval rating has hit its highest point in two years — 60 percent — and more than half of Americans now say he deserves to be re-elected, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll taken after U.S. forces killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

In worrisome signs for Republicans, the president's standing improved not just on foreign policy but also on the economy, and independent Americans — a key voting bloc in the November 2012 presidential election — caused the overall uptick in support by sliding back to Obama after fleeing for much of the past two years.

Comfortable majorities of the public now call Obama a strong leader who will keep America safe. Nearly three-fourths — 73 percent — also now say they are confident that Obama can effectively handle terrorist threats. And he improved his standing on Afghanistan, Iraq and the United States' relationships with other countries.

Despite a sluggish recovery from the Great Recession, 52 percent of Americans now approve of Obama's stewardship of the economy, giving him his best rating on that issue since the early days of his presidency; 52 percent also now like how he's handling the nation's stubbornly high 9 percent unemployment.

The economy remains Americans' top issue.

Impressions of the nation's fiscal outlook have improved following last Friday's positive jobs report, which showed American companies are on a hiring spree. More people now say that the economy got better in the past month and that it's likely to continue doing so in the coming year.

Also, more Americans — 45 percent, up from 35 percent in March — say the country is headed in the right direction. Still, about half — 52 percent — say it's on the wrong track, meaning Obama still has work to do to convince a restive public to stay with the status quo.

Some have seen enough to know they'll stick with him.

"I was happy about bin Laden," says Brenda Veckov, 42, of Hollidaysburg, Pa. "I put my fists in the air. To me, it was just a little bit of closure for the United States."

"The president made the right decisions on this one. And I will vote for him again."

Not everyone has such an optimistic view of Obama.

"I'm very concerned" about the country, says Susan Demarest in Snellville, Ga., 56, who didn't support the Democrat last time and won't this time. "I'm in my 50s and I worry that I'm not going to be able to retire at a reasonable age and enjoy the end of my life because of Medicare and Social Security and the debt of the country." Still, she says Obama doesn't carry all of the blame.

Obama's overall political boost comes at an important time. He is embarking on his re-election campaign and is in the early days of a debate with Republicans who control the House over raising the country's debt limit. But it's unclear how long Obama's strengthened standing will last in the aftermath of bin Laden's death.

Americans say they overwhelmingly approve of the military's handling of the risky nighttime mission in Abbottabad, Pakistan. But it hasn't changed public opinion on the war in Afghanistan; most still are opposed to it, and a big majority favors Obama's plan to withdraw all combat troops by 2014.

Overall, Obama's approval rating is up slightly from 53 percent in March and a 47 percent low point following last fall's midterm congressional elections, in which Republicans won control of the House and gained seats in the Senate. It was 64 percent in May 2009, just months after he was sworn into office.

Also, 53 percent now say he deserves to be re-elected; 43 percent say he should be fired, making it the first time in an AP-GfK poll that more people say he should get a second term than not.

"I have the impression that Barack Obama works really hard for Americans and that I see his leadership as something that should be continued," says independent voter Allison Kaplan, 25, in Austin, Texas, who voted for him in 2008. She praises the administration for handling bin Laden's raid well — "the way that it happened was the correct way" — and it reinforced her support of the president.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans who call themselves political independents now approve of him; only about half did in March. They were critical to his 2008 victory but many had fled as his administration increased government spending and passed a sweeping health care overhaul. They could just as easily turn away again between now and next fall.

Bryan Noonan, 23, of Hampstead, N.H., is one of those independents. He backed Obama in 2008 and is likely to vote for the president again, given the other options.

"I haven't been real impressed by the Republicans," he says. He doesn't hold Obama accountable for the sluggish economy or rising gas prices, issues Noonan says seem "out of his hands. It's not like there's a magic solution."

Noonan likes Obama's foreign policies and applauds the killing of bin Laden, saying: "I was pretty much relieved, happy to hear that we got him. The president absolutely deserves credit."

Among the poll's other findings:

• Sixty-nine percent say Obama will keep America safe, up from 61 percent in March; 65 percent call him a "strong leader," up from 57 percent.

• Sixty-three percent say Obama cares about people like them; 63 percent also say that he understands the problems of ordinary Americans.

• Sixty-three percent view Obama favorably, up from 59 percent in March.

Still, his re-election is far from certain. And there are warning signs in the poll.

_Nearly two-thirds of people — 61 percent — disapprove of his handling on gas prices, even though there's little a president can do about them.

_Less than half give him positive marks on dealing with the federal budget deficit or taxes, two big upcoming issues.

The Associated Press-GfK Poll was conducted May 5-9 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. It involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,001 adults nationwide and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.

 

[kage69]

Sorry GOP, you're going to have to wait till 2016 for another chance to fvck the country over again.

 

[a777pilot]

What is not said, is that this poll was taken during business hours (9 am to 5 pm) in the cities of Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago and San Francisco. I'm surprised the numbers were not higher.

LOL!

 

[yllus]

And that's with the economy still in the dumps.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Sorry GOP, you're going to have to wait till 2016 for another chance to fvck the country over again.

Sorry OP posts the poll that whets Dems. Gallup shows lower approval numbers.

This is the Dead Osama bump. In a months time his numbers will be back down in the toilet.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

What is not said, is that this poll was taken during business hours (9 am to 5 pm) in the cities of Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago and San Francisco. I'm surprised the numbers were not higher.

LOL!

* poll conducted at Democratic Conventions across the nation

 

[Capt Caveman]

And that's with the economy still in the dumps.

Instead of taking advantage of this issue, the GOP instead is rolling out a circus show proving that Obama might not be a good president but he's still better than any of those clowns.

 

[fskimospy]

Sorry OP posts the poll that whets Dems. Gallup shows lower approval numbers.

This is the Dead Osama bump. In a months time his numbers will be back down in the toilet.

If Obama nets even a 1-2% permanent bump from this, something that's reasonably likely, it will translate into an enormous electoral advantage for him. I'm pretty confident that barring a catastrophe he's going to win anyway, but this just makes it even more likely.

 

[dali71]

Latest AP Poll Sample Skews to Democrats by 17 Points

But then you get to the party ID : 46 percent identify as Democrat or leaning Democrat, 29 percent identify as Republican or leaning Republican, 4 percent identify as purely independent leaning towards neither party, and 20 percent answered, “I don’t know.”

For contrast, the AP’s immediate preceding poll was 45 percent Democrat, 33 percent Republican; the likely-voter pool in October 2010 was 43 percent Democrat, 48 percent Republican. The poll’s total sample in October 2010 split 43 percent Democrat, 40 percent Republican.

With a poll sample that has a 17-percentage-point margin in favor of the Democrats, is anyone surprised that these results look like a David Axelrod dream?

(Interestingly, George W. Bush is at 50 percent approval, 49 percent disapproval, even in this sample wildly weighted in favor of the Democrats.)

Try again...

 

[EagleKeeper]

There is 12 months for the economy and world politics to come into play; let alone anything else within the US.

 

[Jaskalas]

AP-GfK poll: Obama approval hits 60 percent

Not so fast. In that poll there were only 29% Republican.

But then you get to the party ID : 46 percent identify as Democrat or leaning Democrat, 29 percent identify as Republican or leaning Republican, 4 percent identify as purely independent leaning towards neither party, and 20 percent answered, “I don’t know.”

 

[GuitarDaddy]

What is not said, is that this poll was taken during business hours (9 am to 5 pm) in the cities of Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago and San Francisco. I'm surprised the numbers were not higher.

LOL!

As opposed to the Rassmussen polls you guys like that poll the Palin, Limbaugh, Beck and Hannity households

 

[Capt Caveman]

Latest AP Poll Sample Skews to Democrats by 17 Points



Try again...

Should read the update in your link.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Will Obama have figured anything out by 2016 or will he still be blaming Bush?

 

[dali71]

Should read the update in your link.

What does the update, which shows that Gallup's polls over the last 2 years have never had a split over 7 percentage points, have to do with the AP-GfK poll that you cited?

 

[Red Dawn]

Latest AP Poll Sample Skews to Democrats by 17 Points



Try again...

lolNational Review

 

[Siddhartha]

We'll see how these numbers change over the summer with gas prices supposedly dropping.

AP-GfK poll: Obama approval hits 60 percent

This is the real reason the Republicans are talking about who should get credit for killing bin Laden. They are hoping to mute any bounce Mr Obama could get.

 

[BoberFett]

This is the real reason the Republicans are talking about who should get credit for killing bin Laden. They are hoping to mute any bounce Mr Obama could get.

I can't believe people are dumb enough to believe Obama or even his policies have anything whatsoever to do with Bin Laden.

 

[zinfamous]

Anyone that can be easily swayed over one action in one direction, can be easily swayed in another direction, at any time.

It's that simply. Voters have mush for brains.

Bush 1 had way higher approval at this point, yet managed to get trounced by Clinton.

 

[zinfamous]

I can't believe people are dumb enough to believe Obama or even his policies have anything whatsoever to do with Bin Laden.

yeah.

never give credit to the guy that approves the operation. Especially when failure would mean political suicide, and 100% his responsibility--AND YOU FUCKING KNOW YOU WOULD BLAME HIM if it failed.

basically, you're a tool.

 

[Siddhartha]

I can't believe people are dumb enough to believe Obama or even his policies have anything whatsoever to do with Bin Laden.

Thank you for proving my point.

 

[dainthomas]

Sorry OP posts the poll that whets Dems. Gallup shows lower approval numbers.

This is the Dead Osama bump. In a months time his numbers will be back down in the toilet.

Do you think they'll be lower than Reagan's 35% in 1983?

 

[modestninja]

I can't believe people are dumb enough to believe Obama or even his policies have anything whatsoever to do with Bin Laden.

You can't believe that people are dumb? I think that's about the only thing I believe...

 

[BoberFett]

yeah.

never give credit to the guy that approves the operation. Especially when failure would mean political suicide, and 100% his responsibility--AND YOU FUCKING KNOW YOU WOULD BLAME HIM if it failed.

basically, you're a tool.

Why would I blame Obama for that AND OMFGCAPSLOCKISBROKENNN!N!N!N!N!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dali71]

lolNational Review

Did they lie about the poll breakdown, or are you just deflecting?