Americans Are Skeptical of Obama's Interventions

Jacob Sullum | June 18, 2009

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that most Americans continue to oppose President Obama's stimulus spending and auto industry bailout. Asked whether Congress should worry more about "keeping the deficit down" or "boosting the economy," 58 percent said the former, 35 percent the latter. Since the economy is still in recession and the question assumes that stimulus spending will work as intended, that's a pretty remarkable finding. The stimulus package that Obama insisted was necessary to save us from a never-ending recession might still get some of the credit once the economy improves, although the timing seems to be off. 

Notably, a lot more of the respondents (46 percent) blamed George W. Bush for the budget deficit than blamed Obama (6 percent), which is fair enough for the current fiscal year (although spending supported by Obama made the deficit he inherited bigger) but will not be tenable going forward. Given Obama's fiscal plans, he may soon be perceived (accurately) as continuing, if not amplifying, his highly unpopular predecessor's mistakes. Another sign that's ominous for Obama (but encouraging for advocates of limited government) is that 69 percent of respondents said they were concerned "a great deal" or "quite a bit" about expanded government intervention in the economy, as exemplified by the nationalization of G.M. and a greater role in health care.

Comments

B|6.18.09 @ 2:17PM|#

Yeah the deficit this year is the fault of Bush. He made Obama champion that pathetic fucking stimulus bill.

Mike M.|6.18.09 @ 2:24PM|#

No kidding. The attitude of the electorate was never "Bush bankrupting America was horrible, but Obama bankrupting America even faster will be just great."

Who would ever have believed something so stupid anyway? Oh yeah, the dumbass Obama-worshipping media would, that's who.

|6.18.09 @ 2:25PM|#

The people are clearly not worthy of their rulers.

Ben Kenobi|6.18.09 @ 2:35PM|#

"Another sign that's ominous for Obama ..."

I'm not holding my breath.

Bailer-Outer-in-Chief|6.18.09 @ 2:38PM|#

What the fuck do I care what civilians think?

Kevin|6.18.09 @ 2:41PM|#

@Ben - There is still a disconnect between Obama and his policies. HE gets a great approval rating, what he DOES gets crappy ratings. Common sense says that can't last, but common sense doesn't factor in a willing press that feeds the myth. Plus people who watch an Obama speech and think they've just become well-informed, and don't bother to check any facts.

Some Guy|6.18.09 @ 2:53PM|#

6%, really? What was their sample? I'm pretty sure more than 6% of Americans believe Obama was behind 9/11.

|6.18.09 @ 2:53PM|#

Kevin,

His favorables are starting to drop to. They are still high no higher than most presidents this early in their term. Obama's jive is going to start to get old. His annoying ernestness, his umms and ahs and pauses at the end of every speech and the ass kissing media's coverage of him is already wearing thin. At some point pretending that he is great against all available evidence is going to end. When it does the backlash against him and especially the media is going to be brutal.

|6.18.09 @ 2:59PM|#

John, I think you seriously underestimate the confidence we have in the Man.

Mike M.|6.18.09 @ 3:01PM|#

At some point pretending that he is great against all available evidence is going to end. When it does the backlash against him and especially the media is going to be brutal.

What his androids in the media are too stupid to understand is that they're blatantly overexposing him. At a certain point, normal people get tired of seeing someone every single minute of every single day, no matter how much they may love him.

I predict that at this rate the majority of the public might well be worn out by him by the midterm election next year.

Peter|6.18.09 @ 3:06PM|#

Another sign that's ominous for Obama (but encouraging for advocates of limited government) is that 69 percent of respondents said they were concerned "a great deal" or "quite a bit" about expanded government intervention in the economy...

This is good for Obama too cause, you know, he's a limited government kinda guy.

|6.18.09 @ 3:08PM|#

"What his androids in the media are too stupid to understand is that they're blatantly overexposing him. At a certain point, normal people get tired of seeing someone every single minute of every single day, no matter how much they may love him."

That is what I meant but didn't say clearly enough. In this day and age the President is a celebrity. Over exposure does in a celebrity. Also, if things continue to get worse and he continues to have wrong or no answers to it, people will get more and more annoyed at having him shoved down their throats every day.

Fascitis Necrotizante|6.18.09 @ 3:12PM|#

I'm sure Obama shares the peoples' concerns. He's gotta make a lot of tough calls. Sometimes it can be really frustrating, you know, when you inherit a real mess of a situation and there's no easy fixes.

But hell it's just so nice having a leader who's capable of a complete thought, right?

|6.18.09 @ 3:13PM|#

"But hell it's just so nice having a leader who's capable of a complete thought, right?"

I guess so if we had one. WFT?

Fascitis Necrotizante|6.18.09 @ 3:15PM|#

What fuck the?

C'mon John. I'll take that as a compliment of my acting abilities.

The Angry Optimist|6.18.09 @ 3:18PM|#

Yeah, the American people are really concerned about government intervention in the economy...except when it comes to their goodies. Then it's "Hey, don't screw with my entitlements. Look over there!"

booya|6.18.09 @ 3:19PM|#

Obama is the government spending Anti-Christ ... Bush was the False Prophet.

|6.18.09 @ 3:37PM|#

Bush was more of a John the Baptist, midwifing, if you will, the current spending holocaust, giving his blessing to the Big Bailout of the banks and the auto industry.

|6.18.09 @ 3:40PM|#

I would say Bush was more Mussalini to Obama's Hitler. Bush had an earlier start but was ultimately more of a comical amateur at bankrupting the government.

booya|6.18.09 @ 3:46PM|#

Well then, the analogy holds ... Bush was the sign, the precursor to Obama's massive government intervention ... the writing was on the wall. Now, we have full-blown and all out socialism. A pox on both parties ... fuck the Dems and Repubs. Fuck them all ...

|6.18.09 @ 4:11PM|#

Bush was Herod

Obama is Constantine.

|6.18.09 @ 4:18PM|#

"Obama is Constantine."

Obama is Caligula without the interesting sex life. Watch I' Claudius sometime. A dead Caligula tells Claudius. "They told me I wasn't a God. You could have knocked me over with a feather."

|6.18.09 @ 4:18PM|#

Obama is Constantine.

I like it. Does this mean we can start referring to Washington, D.C. as "Obamanople"?

Naga Sadow|6.18.09 @ 4:19PM|#

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnddddddddddddd the thread has now been Godwined.

|6.18.09 @ 4:41PM|#

Godwin don't know crap about Roman emperors.

Warty|6.18.09 @ 4:42PM|#

Bush was Keith Richards, Obama is Ozzy Ozbourne.

The Extispicator|6.18.09 @ 4:47PM|#

Bush was Chachi. Obama is the Fonz.

|6.18.09 @ 4:53PM|#

Obama is most assuredly not Ozzy. He's all the members of Duran Duran. Or he's Bono.

|6.18.09 @ 4:55PM|#

Obama is Constantine

The sleezy looking guy from American Idol?

|6.18.09 @ 4:57PM|#

One man's sleazy is another man's soap dropper in the fantasy prison league.

|6.18.09 @ 5:02PM|#

Bush was Mike, Obama is Joel.

|6.18.09 @ 5:08PM|#

No. Mike and Joel are two faces of a good thing.

|6.18.09 @ 5:54PM|#

What his androids in the media are too stupid to understand is that they're blatantly overexposing him. At a certain point, normal people get tired of seeing someone every single minute of every single day, no matter how much they may love him.

I wait with bated breath for the day Michelle and Barack wind up like Ben and J-Lo. Where oh where is the Obama Gigli?

|6.18.09 @ 6:54PM|#

Bush was Kirk ("Rules? What rules?") and Obama is Picard ("I surrender, but lets talk a bunch first.").

Ebeneezer Scrooge|6.19.09 @ 1:50AM|#

At some point pretending that he is great against all available evidence is going to end. When it does the backlash against him and especially the media is going to be brutal.

We can only hope.

This is the first possibly good news I've heard in what seems a very, very long time.

|6.19.09 @ 1:53AM|#

Bush was Toto. Obama is Dorothy.

kc|6.19.09 @ 9:28AM|#

"Bush was Kirk ("Rules? What rules?") and Obama is Picard ("I surrender, but lets talk a bunch first.")."
most fun I've had reading a thread in a long time, this one the best so far -- after swearing at my TV during Frontline last night, I need some laughs. Thanks, guys!