White Voters Disenchanted With Obama?
In the past couple weeks, Obama’s approval rating has finally slipped below the 50% mark in Gallup’s daily tracking poll. But on top of that his support among white voters has fallen from 61% to 39%, and that could be a big problem as he looks towards 2012.
First, his approval…
Then his support among white voters…
So, is it such a big problem? Or completely manageable?
Looking at Gallup’s exit polling from the 2008 election, we see that Obama lost to McCain among white voters by double digits.
True, Obama’s approval among whites is still 5 points under the 44% who threw their support behind him last November, but that’s the story…Obama’s “approval” has really only dropped 5 points among whites who voted for him.
Long story short, if these voters weren’t planning on casting a vote for him anyway in 2012, well, there was little he could have done in the first place.
Here’s the question: As the economy turns around, will white sentiment turn around as well?
(Photo: AP via Daylife)
Post Your Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment
T/S Members
Log in with your True/Slant account.
I think the fact that white voters are becoming disenchanted with Obama may end up being a problem for him in 2012 since there is an increasingly number of voters in other races becoming disenchanted as well. He duped people into believing that he was centist during his campaign, but now he is letting his leftist true colors come out.
Mr. Gardner,
The real question is what are they disenchanted about? If they are unhappy because of a lack of progress on health care reform, then if health care reform passes, they should get happier. If after four years in office Mr. Obama fails to produce health care reform, well that is a problem. However, being unhappy with Mr. Obama does not necessarily translate into a vote for Ms. Palin say. In this scenario, it would be very difficult for the Republicans to capitalize on this failure as they would have been the main reason health care reform did not pass. The same could be said of unemployment or even Afghanistan. What alternatives do the Republicans offer? FDR was president during the worst period of US history (war, economy, &c) yet go re-elected a record three times (three times more than any other president). Why? Because yYou cannot be something with nothing and the Republicans had nothing. In three years they will still have nothing.
I do not think so David, this president is a failure. Do you really think that after all the money spent with Tarp, the Stimulus, the car cranckers, the big health care expenditure and the carbon trade policies these are not a huge burden on the American people future and their finance? Do you think that if unemployment goes down just a little bet for 2010 and 2012 people will vote for Obama? You must be kidding! I know a few people that voted for Obama in 2008, but they will not make the same mistake again, and I will make sure to convince them to vote for anybody that is not a democrat. If they vote for Palin it will be the best thing these people will do, and I will make sure to convince them.
In response to another comment. See in context »If anyone says Obama is not a centrist have no idea of where the center lie. The right’s proclamation of returning to the Reagan center puts Obama to the right not center. Reagan pulled out of the middle east when the soldiers were bombed, a cut and run move today, Obama is escalating, Reagan had the sense to raise taxes to avoid a too high deficient, Obama has climbed on the spend and borrow of the Bush administration.
Obama approval ratings down look to the dissatisfied base of the Democratic party.
How come they count the hispanics twice:
as white(incl hispanic)
and nonwhite(incl hispanic)
They don’t necessarily count them twice. They just have different ways to look at the numbers.
In response to another comment. See in context »This author needs to proofread his work, or get someone else to do it. Moreover, his article isn’t insightful or provocative.
You’re right. There were a few typos. My apologies. I’m not flawless, nor will I ever claim to be.
Also, if you don’t find the article insightful, well, that’s fine…but in what way? Your comment is pretty vague.
In response to another comment. See in context »“So, is it such a big problem? Or completely manageable?”
It’s both. The big problem is the number of not simply campaign promises he failed to live up to, but concrete principles he has abandoned. Gitmo, Afghanistan, economy, ect. He’s been disappointing to this voter in all three.
Manageable? I think so. He hasn’t served a year. Bush had a lousy year (or eight, depending on how you look at it) and Clinton arguably had two bad years before righting the ship.
Give him some time.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Justin Gardner and Amber Gordon-Nolan, Tweets Tube. Tweets Tube said: White voters disenchanted with Obama? http://bit.ly/4VEN57 [...]
I’m with Steve, give him some time. It’s only been 10 1/2 months. And he’s got a sh*t storm to clean up.
http://www.thehamandlegsshow.com
I am white, voted for Obama and would count myself among the disenchanted. However, the problem isn’t (or isn’t only) an issue of how the economy is being handled. The list of promises kept vs. promises broken seemingly grows all the time and I am beginning to feel like we cut the head off of the beast only to have another grow in its place.
I doubt that my approval will change much at all if and when the economy does recover unless other things start changing with it.
Here’s what I don’t get about the “broken promises” meme…did you really think he’d be able to get ALL of that done in 10 months? Doesn’t anybody realize that making sweeping changes and getting more transparency takes time?
And if you really drill down into what they’ve done, if you do the research, the list of things accomplished is massive in the first 10 months. The guy has 4 years. Please give it some time because he inherited the worst recession since the great depression, a frozen credit market, entire manufacturing sectors going under and two wars. The list is CRAZY. No other President in recent history has had to deal with such a full plate. And he’s about to reform the health care system? That would be HUGE.
By the way, he never said we’d pull out of Afghanistan. He said he wanted to change strategy to refocus on the country. And we’re getting out of Gitmo…in due time. It’s in the works. But it’s not going to happen overnight because the legal mess that was left in Bush’s wake was insane. And the economy is rebounding because GDP is growing.
So yeah…I don’t know why all of the disenchantment. Maybe we’re more interested in wondering why he bowed than actually paying attention to what has actually happened? Don’t let the media shape your view of the President.
Come on Gardner where were you in the last year? Tell me specifically what has being accomplished by this administration, I’m all ears. Anyway did not Obama say that with his stimulus the unemployment would be no more that 8%? It seems to me that the official figure of unemployment is more that 10.2% and some people say that is more that 17% which could be the right number. This economy is now Obama economy and to just hide is doing and blame Bush it is not why he got elected for. He promised a lot and it is not keeping any of his promises, instead it is making life more miserable to a lot people.
In response to another comment. See in context »The speech that Obama had last night at West Point did only one thing. It told the Taliban’s that if they wait, the American troops will go away because they will retreat. The enemy knows all your moves now, a waste of lives and a waste of money thanks to Obama.
Justine,
You are of course right about the number of changes we need to the status quo but what frightens me is the handling of the meltdown. Handing the problem to Clinton’s people, the Goldman Sachs wonders, who are not addressing the core problem only leaves us vulnerable for another crash, one that would cause a complete crash. This is the number one problem. Secondly the negotiations over health care were completely bungled by Rahm. This does portend much hope for the number of future problems. In my opinion we need some radical changes to put this country on its feet.
In response to another comment. See in context »Thank you for this comment. I can comfortably say it is the most accurate sum of what I’ve been to frustrated to say (or convince nay-sayers with) for the past 10 months.
In response to another comment. See in context »Although I find the entire situation in Afghanistan frustrating, it has nothing to do with my disenchantment – and it is important to note the word “disenchantment” over, say, “disappointment.” Perhaps it was a trap of mine own making, but my hope for what could be accomplished seems to have been unrealistic, hence the disenchantment. I’d hoped that Obama would stick to his word on ending the Patriot Act. I had hoped that Obama wouldn’t be so chummy with Wall Street. I had hoped we would exit Iraq in a true sense of the word. I had hoped that Obama would absolutely and positively condemn torture and end the abuses of power.
While I am willing to give things time, there have been too many opportunities for Obama to do the right thing and he has chosen not to to simply chalk it up to needing more time.
Would I vote for Obama again? Absolutely. Do I still think that he can make a real change? Definitely. But my expectations are much more realistic these days.
In response to another comment. See in context »The pollsters only call certain people who have land lines. 35% of households today do not have land lines. Polls are used for political purposes obviously and even if Obama had a 35% approval rating, the left would come up with some reason why an how it is untrue. Go out and talk to real people who voted in the primaries and the general election and you will find a much huger percentage of disenfranchised (thoroughly pissed off to be non politically correct) voters out there. I talk to them everyday in my business. If I have time we talk and get angry with what he has not done and how many times he lied regarding all his centrist views. Obama will not be reelected in 2012 because he is anti-freemarket,(in one of his books he likened working in the private sector as working “behind enemy lines”) anti-life (pro choice), anti military (his speech after the Ft Hood travesty lacked presidential compassion). He is socialist (“I am defined with who I have picked to be my advisors”, (not an exact quote but you get the gist) the Czars to be exact. Avowed Communists who have since toned down their rhetoric). Mr Obama lied to the American people to get elected. He showed he was a centrist and as soon as he got elected and in office thumbed his nose at all who didn’t vote for him and became the true lefty elitist he really is but with even more arrogance. The Representative from SC who yelled out at his briefing of Congress was spot on. His own party is questioning his motives. His antiwar stance was just a dance. His transparent government is anything but. A stimulus bill that did nothing to stimulate the economy. I see the signs up where I live but those jobs were already in the works. Some of the work created did not need to be done. Paying back his contributors is the reason for the stimulus-period! The new healthcare plan is just another tax on everyone, not just the rich. Ever been an employer? Ever pay matching FICA to the tune of .0765% of the gross pay of the employee? That’s called payroll tax. It pays into the social security fund and the medicare fund. Look for another 8% on top of the .0765 out of your check and out of your employers profits. You will lose your job if healthcare passes. You won’t get the benefits til 2013 or 14. Your grandparent will lose their medicare benefits as they are slashing 4-500 million out of medicare to pay for this free healthcare for everyone. The baby boomers will suffer. They made up 80% of the tea party attendees. Those old ladies and old men-such terrorists! (joking of course)
He inherited a recession but his actions have made it much much worse. Spending printed money (1.5Trillion), borrowed money, does not a recovery make. Tax breaks for business makes a recovery. Remember Reagan. He wasnt perfect but he brought real confidence to the WH and jobs to America by reducing the outrageous corporate tax rate and the highest tax rate on individuals. Businesses have left the country after Bush 1 (no new taxes-HAH!) got in but Reagan helped create a true boom in our country and Bush 2 tried to reestablish that with his tax cuts but when the Dems decided everybody deserved a house (Community Reinvestment Act) and a car even though they couldn’t afford them, well that was the start of the demise of our economy and it was no accident. It started with Carter and was strengthened with Clinton and continued with Bush W. Wall street, AIG, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Bros., Citibank, Bank of America, and Freddie and Fannie all collapsing and bankrupt based on greed and gluttony get bailed out by Obama. AIG his biggest supporter.
Bush & Congress started it and Obama & Congress finished it. Behind closed doors, they are all the same. The haves and the have nots is how the elite look at the rest of Americans. Take care of the haves with bailouts and let the rest of them eat cake (let the Bush tax cuts expire, give them free healthcare and tell them the rich will pay for it, and give them a few dollars of stimulus money (Bush and Congress) There is no Democratic and no Republican party, that is the powerful ones at the top. It is just an illusion to give us a choice. The junior and green congressman and Senators either play the game or they are gone. Most people know this already but they can not put it into words.
Congress and the rest of the appointed politicians, save a few, are just “haves”. Dems cater to the “have nots” to get their votes. Republicans cater to the other half of us who work hard who have a little more to try and get somewhere in life with our businesses and families.
Reagan was not a Republican. He cared about people. He was a conservative running as a Republican. Today the Republicans are still there but they are more liberal than conservative.
Obama’s “no pork” in the bills was just bull. His apologies for America’s arrogance overseas makes us look weak to the world. His inability to speak without a tell-a-prompter makes him not a leader. He does not exude true confidence but instead, he makes people who know truth feel they are in the presence of a confidence man trying to sell something like being in a campaign.
To make the last comment. It is not just white voters but all colored voters I meet that are pissed off and will not vote for him no matter what happens. Too many broken campaign promises.
giuseppematera: i think you, as well as far too many americans, are expecting too much too soon. people need to remember that he is one man, one administration that is still in it’s infancy. obama is not moses. he’s not going to magically part the red sea and lead us as a nation to safety. and believe you me, if there is anyone who should be demanding change it is myself; i am an out-of-work student, who is not receiving unemployment benefits and also suffers from heart disease with no health insurance. people need to realize regardless of who was elected last november, we’re not going to see changes within the first year, quite possibly not the second or third year either.
I find myself agreeing with you, Justin. I wonder, too, why everyone seems so “disappointed” in President Obama, and Biden, when so very little time has passed since they took the helm. I kind of wonder if people feel let down as a result of the intense ups and downs of the year-long campaign, so much emotion, all of which just stopped cold turkey. Maybe what we’re seeing is withdrawal, with only an occasional fall off the wagon (“You lie!” and “The Republican plan is: Die!”). It’ll be campaign time again soon enough … that’s when the tallying up of who did what when and why will really matter … Meantime: yaawwnnn.
As far as Obama’s approval rating going down the conservatives disaproved of him from day one.
The numbers going down reflect progressives disapproving of Obama for not making the health care bill do enough by making deals with Big Pharma and Big insurance that will not help the middle class and the poor and also caving into Joe “traitor to the Jews” Lieberman by not including any public option in the senate bill and Ben “Get your coat hangers ladies” Nelson by allowing him to put that antichoice language in the senate bill.
If you want to solve the problem of too much company influence over legislation see my profile by clicking on my FDR coin icon.