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Poll: Obama's Fall In Popularity Comes Mainly From Whites
Eric Kleefeld | November 24, 2009, 4:43PM
President Barack Obama
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A new Gallup poll finds that President Obama's approval rating has fallen precipitously among one group in particular: White Americans.
Back in February, during his honeymoon period, Gallup had Obama's approval among whites at 61%. Today, it is only 39%. By comparison, his approval among non-whites had a much smaller decrease, from 80% during the honeymoon to 73% now.
Interestingly, the decline in white approval extends to white Democrats, as well, though to a lesser extent than the white demographic overall. His approval among white Dems has fallen from 87% during the honeymoon, down to 76% now. By contrast, his approval among non-white Dems has actually gone up slightly, from 90% then to 92% now.
It shouldn't be surprising that whites are a weaker demographic for Obama, as they tend to be tough ground for national Democrats in general. Obama won only 43% of this group in 2008, even as he won 53% of the total popular vote. This was actually pretty good for a Democrat, and an improvement from John Kerry's 41% in 2004.
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ogliberal
November 24, 2009 4:57 PM
That's because he's taking our hard-earned tax dollars and giving them all to the lazy, good-for-nothing coloreds. Heck, that's what this whole health care sham is about anyway - giving yet another handout to the lazy negroes and illegal Mexicans. And it is no surprise that he actually gained approval among non-whites - they're all a bunch of racists. Plus, they're getting all the goodies. Real Americans know what's going on and the Dimocrat Party will pay in 2010. And Sarah will win back OUR country in 2012.
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CT Voter
November 24, 2009 5:05 PM
What does the data for white Republicans look like?
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fbacon2
November 24, 2009 5:29 PM in reply to CT Voter
This is a key point. If other stories parsing the data show the biggest drop coming from Republicans, and Republicans tend to skew toward white males, the ideological breakdown should be telling here as well. Simply saying that "white Americans" are drifting away from Obama makes for a good headline, but it may be missing the big point.
However, I know a little fella' named Beck who will love to hear the news anyway he can spin it.
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CT Voter
November 24, 2009 5:42 PM in reply to fbacon2
His approval rating drops 22 points among whites, 11 points among white Democrats. This would suggest it's dropped more among white Republicans--although without knowing the numbers, it would be hard to figure out just how much.
The poll, though, says nothing about white Republicans and discusses the Democrats.
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dswx
November 24, 2009 5:53 PM in reply to CT Voter
Exactly! See http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/11/24/where_obama_is_losing_support.html
His approval has dropped from 18% to 10% among Repubs while he remains steady among Independents. That explains the recent approval values quite well. And with Repubs making up such a small percent of the voting population now, it does not amount to much news at all.
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Ann Arbor
November 24, 2009 5:18 PM
Too bad there's no regional breakdown. The one I saw a month or two back had Obama's approval rating at something like 23% in the South and 66% everywhere else.
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mike from Arlington
November 24, 2009 5:27 PM
Don't think there isn't a strategy when Beck comes out and says Obama hates white people and Rush talks about reparations and Obama is only supported by black people.
The southern strategy is still in operation with Republican strategists.
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dijamo
November 24, 2009 5:27 PM
It never occurred to you that Obama's approval rating is artificially high among minorities? With the skyrocketing unemployment rates for minorities, the Obama admin bailing out Wall Street while doing so little for the people who are being hit by the foreclosure crisis, you really think his approval ratings with minorities would be so high if he wasn't the first black president? Oy vey.
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Ann Arbor
November 24, 2009 5:58 PM in reply to dijamo
You're right! It must be race! If he weren't black, his approval rating among blacks would be way down around, oh, 90% or so, like Bill Clinton's.
http://huckupchuck.blogspot.com/2009/11/warrantless-blogtapping-program.html
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happycozy
November 24, 2009 8:51 PM in reply to dijamo
That's pretty insulting.
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dijamo
November 24, 2009 9:32 PM in reply to happycozy
... and accurate. It's not like Obama's white approval slipping from 61 to 39% means that all of a sudden 20% of people got racist. Every other category shows Obama losing support except with African Americans. They are basing their approval on policies and progress (or lack thereof). Find a president with 92% job approval ratings for a particular subgroup with the economy in a shambles. Never. Happened. Take a poll within the black community of the direction of the country or the economy without using the name Obama. I don't think 92% would be approving.
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Stroszek
November 24, 2009 11:53 PM in reply to dijamo
Ah, the shrill song of the PUMA!
"He's black! He's black! He's black!"
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Stroszek
November 25, 2009 12:03 AM in reply to dijamo
Or maybe the African-American community recognizes that the compromises and slow pace is due to the Republican obstruction you conveniently ignore in your single-minded hatred of Obama.
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JayR
November 25, 2009 9:44 AM in reply to dijamo
Except it isn't accurate. Clinton is white and had the same approval rating.
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dijamo
November 25, 2009 10:13 AM in reply to JayR
Bill Clinton's rating at what point of time? When Bill was at 36%, I'd bet my right arm that black support was not at 93%. Presidential approval ratings trend with un employment numbers which is why Ibama has been losing support from whites, hispanics, native Americans. Every demographic except african Americans has gone down in support for Obama. You really believe that if obama was white and unemployment in the African American community wad officially at 15% the president's approval rating would increase? It defies logic and all historical precedent. But if you can offer an alternate explanation why the only group who is more pleased by Obama right now are African Ameticans I'm all ears. *crickets*
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JayR
November 25, 2009 10:25 AM in reply to dijamo
How about 10 months in. Use those numbers.
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JayR
November 25, 2009 10:26 AM in reply to dijamo
Oh. And when was Clinton @ 36%?
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dijamo
November 25, 2009 10:48 AM in reply to JayR
April 1993. http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1178/polarized-partisan-gap-in-obama-approval-historic.
Now can you point to any evidence to back up your claim that bill Clinton had 90+% support by black voters and their support continued increasing while everyone else's declined? Nope. But thanks for playing.
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dijamo
November 24, 2009 9:34 PM in reply to happycozy
... and accurate. It's not like Obama's white approval slipping from 61 to 39% means that all of a sudden 20% of people got racist. Every other category shows Obama losing support except with African Americans. They are basing their approval on policies and progress (or lack thereof). Find a president with 92% job approval ratings for a particular subgroup with the economy in a shambles. Never. Happened. Take a poll within the black community of the direction of the country or the economy without using the name Obama. I don't think 92% would be approving.
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Stroszek
November 25, 2009 12:01 AM in reply to dijamo
Before you go attacking the African-American community for not knowing anything about policies, you should probably learn which President designed the bailout (it was the last one). And while you continue to gnash your teeth about the 2008 primaries and bash Obama at every opportunity, I would just like to point out that Hillary Clinton voted for TARP as well.
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dijamo
November 25, 2009 12:49 AM in reply to Stroszek
You should have just left it at your usual stupid and childish PUMA statement. I'm not holding Obama to the standard of Hillary's progressive economic policies. I'm not expecting him to be anything other than the centrist moderate (to the right of Bill Clinton) candidate he was in the primaries. But I do hold him to his explicit pledges about keeping the lobbyists out of his admin, a public option, return to the rule of law etc. And he is failing to live up to that rhetoric. That's not primary bitterness. It's acknowledging reality. You can't expect everyone to be a clueless Obama Zombie like you.
You should probably learn that President Bush designed bailout part 1, Obama took bailout part 2.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/12/politics/main4714609.shtml
I love the part where the incoming Obama Admin criticizes GWB for a lack of transparency about bailout money, lack of lending to small businesses, failure to stem foreclosures, lack of exec compensation restrictions. Pretty much the same criticisms I (and Elizabeth Warren and Neil Barofsky) have of Obama's bailout.
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dijamo
November 25, 2009 12:50 AM in reply to Stroszek
2. Hillary voted for TARP as did Obama, but she was talking about an aggressive approach to saving people from foreclosure way back in 2007 which might have prevented the whole implosion. As part of the bailout, Hillary was looking to keep people in their homes. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122230767702474045.html?mod=todays_us_opinion. Obama not so much. Instead of direct assistance he said he'd push for people to be able to renegotiate their mortgages through bankruptcy as a candidate. How'd that work out? Oh yeah, he dropped that policy proposal. Billions for Goldman Sachs, peanuts for main street.
3. It's not about primaries 2008, it's about 2010. I'm part of the 8% of African Americans who do not approve of Obama's job performance because of police reasons. Obama's approval ratings remain at 92% for African Americans, but that support is for him personally. It doesn't get transferred to other candidates. (Check out the much lower African American turnout rates in the NJ & VA gov races). So that doesn't bode well for Dems in 2010 if a significant portion of black voters are only enthusiastic about Obama the personality and disappointed in the democratic party generally.
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happycozy
November 25, 2009 2:55 AM in reply to dijamo
If you're black, then your statement about blacks supporting Obama because he's black is even more asinine.
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Odel Roo
November 25, 2009 4:26 PM in reply to happycozy
That comment was asinine! He laid out great case and came to a very reasonable conclusion. He has asked for another view to counter his conclusion and you have the nerve to name call him because he is black?
You should be ashamed. You fit exactly the model of a stereotypical liberal, if you can't make the argument based on the facts or hell just a different plausible opinion, then just start calling names to change the argument. EPIC FAILURE!
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rightoverhere
November 25, 2009 4:40 AM in reply to dijamo
Good to see that there still exists a democrat that is both passionate for his beliefs yet logical in his support.
Depending on how hard April projects to hit my wallet, I may purchase an obama zombie button for 95% of TPM's readers.
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oleeb
November 24, 2009 6:12 PM
Well let's see, the vast majority of Americans are white. Thus, it stands to reason that whatever the cause of a given President's popularity or lack thereof it is more than likely always going to be because of the opinion that whites have of that President, Obama being no different. This is a stupid, but typical, shallow US media report.
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bmull
November 24, 2009 10:39 PM
Count me among those white Democrats who no longer support Obama. Not a day goes by without another disappointment or broken campaign promise. Today he is refusing to sign the land mine treaty--along with just six other human rights standouts including Myanmar, Russia, China, India and Pakistan. Same old, same old.
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wbgonne
November 25, 2009 9:24 AM in reply to bmull
I'm not there yet but I'm getting very close. I'm afraid the Afghanistan speech will be my back-breaker. Or when the Senate jettisons the public option. Obama is sinking and so are the Dems. You cannot abandon your base, no matter how talented you are.
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ru4862
November 25, 2009 9:51 AM
Sadly some whites tend be skeptical of people of color. That said, race should not be a factor in President Obama's declining poll numbers. Because Asian, Blacks, White and Latinos are all suffering from this president and his party's lack of action. Last year many of us worked our butts of to get this president and his party to super majorities they have today. And they've decided to just stab us in our backs.
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ilovebacon
November 25, 2009 10:43 AM in reply to ru4862
You are naive--those of you who criticize. Do you guys not understand that recovery takes more than 10 freaking months?!?! The economy's already starting to improve, and here you guys are moping about how "he hasn't done anything." Crawl out of your weeping bowls and take a look at the verities and how astutely Obama is working to bring us out of the W-made mess.
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ilovebacon
November 25, 2009 10:41 AM
Keep this in mind: In 2012 the percentage of non-white voters will be significantly greater than in 2008.
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Silence
November 25, 2009 10:45 AM
Effective unemployment at 17%, tax and crap climate scams, ACORN criminals running wild, huge bonuses and bailouts for Wall Street, unwanted govt takeover of health care, communist Czars in the White House, tax cheats running the treasury, terrorists being granted constitutional rights while removing these rights from citizens, bankrupt entitlement programs, heavy war casualties and executive dithering, record foreclosures, record spending and deficits, guns and ammo shortages...
and a president who spends an inordinate amount of time on the golf course.
This may sound crazy, but this might not be a race thing. Just a thought.
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readytoblowagasket
November 25, 2009 6:48 PM
Those fickle white Americans!
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