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Is There A “Dislike” Button?

Posted April 20, 2011

You Don’t Get To Your Lowest Approval Ratings Without Making A Few Poor Leadership Decisions

Today, “President Barack Obama Will Hold A Special ‘Facebook Live’ Townhall To Connect With Americans Across The Country.” (Facebook.com, Accessed 4/19/11)

ACROSS THE BOARD, OBAMA EARNS POOR MARKS WHEN IT COMES TO LEADERSHIP, THE ECONOMY AND FISCAL MANAGEMENT

“Poll: President Obama’s Popularity Tanking.” (Celeste Katz, “Poll: President Obama’s Popularity Tanking,” NY Daily News, 4/19/11)

“President Obama Is Now As Unpopular As He Has Been At Any Time Since He Became President.” (Jeffrey M. Jones, “Obama Job Approval At 41%, Tying His Low,” Gallup, 4/15/11)

According To Gallup, Only 41 Percent Of Americans Approve Of Obama, Tying His Lowest Approval Numbers As President.” “The latest Gallup Daily tracking three-day average shows 41% of Americans approving of the job Barack Obama is doing as president. That ties his low as president, which he registered three times previously — twice in August 2010 and once in October 2010.” (Jeffrey M. Jones, “Obama Job Approval At 41%, Tying His Low,” Gallup, 4/15/11)

  • Only 35 Percent Of Independents Approve Of Obama’s Performance. (Jeffrey M. Jones, “Obama Job Approval At 41%, Tying His Low,” Gallup, 4/15/11)

64 Percent Of Americans Disapprove Of Obama’s Handling Of The Budget Deficit. (Quinnipiac, 2069 RV, MoE 2.2%, 3/22-28/11)

According To The Latest Washington Post-ABC News Poll, 50 Percent Of Americans Disapprove Of Obama’s Job Performance. (Washington Post-ABC News Poll, 1001 A, MoE 3.5%, 4/14-17/11)

57 Percent Of Americans Disapprove Of The Way Obama Is Handling The Economy. (Washington Post-ABC News Poll, 1001 A, MoE 3.5%, 4/14-17/11)

45 Percent Of Americans Say They “Definitely Will Not” Vote For Obama In 2012. (Washington Post-ABC News Poll, 1001 A, MoE 3.5%, 4/14-17/11)

NOW HE IS PITCHING HIS REELECTION ON A PLATFORM OF HIGHER TAXES AND OVERHEATED RHETORIC – SO MUCH FOR HOPE AND CHANGE

Obama Wants To Raise Taxes By $2 Trillion. “In his speech on Wednesday, Mr. Obama proposed closing tax deductions and other tax breaks for higher earners, defined as families making more than $250,000. That would help raise about $1 trillion over 12 years, aides said at the time. The White House isn’t hiding the other $1 trillion from allowing rates to expire for higher earners. It just tends to get lost in the blizzard of figures. White House officials confirmed the revenue numbers, while defending their policy. ‘The President’s goal is to raise $1 trillion in revenues in addition to allowing the upper-income tax cuts expire,’ one aide said. ‘And extending the upper-income tax cuts would add $1 trillion to the deficit.’” (John D. McKinnon, “Battle Of The Baselines,” The Wall Street Journal’s “Washington Wire” Blog, 4/15/11)

Over Half Of The Savings From Obama’s New Deficit “Plan” Come From Tax Increases, Not One-Third As The President Claimed. “So of the 3.4 percentage points of savings, more than half — 1.9 points — comes from taxes. That’s 56 percent, not the one-third or one-quarter that Obama was talking about. And I am assuming that Goldman is using the White House’s rosier economic forecasts when evaluating Obama’s plan.” (James Pethokoukis, “Obama’s New Plan May Actually Rely 60 Percent On Tax Increases,” Reuters, 4/15/11)

FactCheck.org: “[President Obama] Repeated A Deceptive Talking Point That The New Health Care Law Will Reduce The Deficit By $1 Trillion.” (Lori Robertson, Eugene Kiely, and D’Angelo Gore, “FactChecking Obama’s Budget Speech,” Factcheck.org, 4/15/11)

FactCheck.org: President Obama Made False Claims About How The GOP Plan Will Impact Seniors And Their Ability To Obtain Health Insurance. “Obama went on to say that seniors wouldn’t get ‘guaranteed health care’ and if the ‘voucher isn’t worth enough to buy the insurance that’s available in the open marketplace, well, tough luck -– you’re on your own.’ It’s false to say seniors would be in the ‘open marketplace.’ Instead, they would buy coverage through the Medicare exchange Ryan envisions. And as we said, the private insurance companies in the exchange would be required to cover any eligible senior who wanted insurance.” (Lori Robertson, Eugene Kiely, and D’Angelo Gore, “FactChecking Obama’s Budget Speech,” Factcheck.org, 4/15/11)

“Saying The Plan Throws The Elderly To ‘The Mercy Of The Insurance Industry’ Is An Exaggeration And Ignores Elements Of The Plan That Require Insurance Companies To Cover All Seniors And To Charge The Same Rate Based On Age.” (Lori Robertson, Eugene Kiely, and D’Angelo Gore, “FactChecking Obama’s Budget Speech,” Factcheck.org, 4/15/11)

FactCheck.org: The President’s Claim That Children Would Be Left To “Fend For Themselves … Is An Exaggeration.”  “He said ‘poor children,’ ‘children with autism’ and ‘kids with disabilities’ would be left ‘to fend for themselves.’ That, too, is an exaggeration. The GOP says states would have ‘freedom and flexibility to tailor a Medicaid program that fits the needs of their unique populations.’ It doesn’t bar states from covering those children.” (Lori Robertson, Eugene Kiely, and D’Angelo Gore, “FactChecking Obama’s Budget Speech,” Factcheck.org, 4/15/11)

PolitiFact Rated Democratic Claims That The GOP Plan Abolishes Medicare As “False.”  “Our colleagues at PolitiFact Wisconsin looked into a claim about the Ryan plan from MoveOn.org, the left-leaning political advocacy group. In an e-mail to its members, MoveOn.org asserted:  ‘Here’s the most important thing you need to know about the Republicans’ new budget plan: It abolishes Medicare within 10 years.’ To be sure, the Ryan plan would change Medicare significantly starting in 2022. But for those who turn 65 before then, there would be no changes at all, even after 2022. And for the others, Medicare would change — dramatically — but it would still exist. They rated MoveOn.org’s claim false.” (Robert Farley, “Sorting Out The Facts On The Republican Budget Blueprint,” Politifact, 4/15/11)