Pollster.com

Ouch. That really really had to hurt CNN talking heads over there to post this 48 approval rating, or worse the 50 disapprove.

Getting real close now to the lines crossing for approve and disapprove.

According to Kos, its not just Obama's approval, its his favorability that is sinking too. Kos has him down to 52.

Seems like Obama has an easy out here: be more liberal. Win back that 8% and he's back to solid support.

If he does that, then the 40 percent number goes up. Not sure he can actually get more liberal anyway.

Good direction in the job numbers for the President. It will take three months of steady decline in the unemployment rate for his approval numbers to improve. Just a matter of time.

I hope they conitnue to improve. But mot of us expected the number to tick down this month and next for the seasonal hiring season of Christmas. I thought it woud go to 10.1 today....I am hoping the shopping season saves these retailers or we are in for one crappy first quarter next year with layoffs and store closings............................

This is an unbelievably horrible poll on CNN's part. Who the heck did they poll? The responses contradict themselves.

The biggest one is the area where 66% believe that it's a good idea to begin removing troops from Afghanistan in 2011, but 58% say it's a bad idea for him to announce it now. ???

The unfortunate part of this is that now we have to listen to so-called political experts analyze a poll that comes to different conclusions within. Plus we live in a political environment where everything is over-analyzed to death and everything taken as fact. It's the long-game that counts, not this short-term point scoring that the MSM has turned their attention to.

It's not contradictory at all. It's a, dare I say it, sophisticated and nuanced position that the public has taken.

Basically the people are growing tired of the Afghanistan war. They don't want it lasting past the first half of the next decade. But they also don't want to announce that we're going to send in a surge and come back out in 18 months because we're telegraphing a strategy of just waiting it out to our enemies. I'd say that's a pretty reasoned and sophisticated position to take.

For that matter, the responses to the surge timeline mirror that of the overall war effort. Only 46% of the public supports the war, but 62% support the surge. That means there is a big chunk of folks who are against the war but for the surge.

The people are saying "we're tiring of this war, but since we're in it, we want to win and not give away our hand to our enemies." What's hard to understand about that?

Oh yeah, and someone please use this time to rip Ras some more since CNN has the overall approval at 48/50 with all adults and that's SO DIFFERENT from Rasmussen's 46/54 LV split. Oh wait...

Thank you Stillow, for wishing the economy well. It should go without saying that any loyal American would hope for this, but it wasn't that long ago that a conservative commentator on this site actually stated his desires for greater unemployment because it would undermine the President.
In other words, he placed his loyalty to his Party above that of the Country.
You, on the other hand, seem to have your priorities in order.

If he does that, then the 40 percent number goes up.

Perhaps, but it would have to go up at least 6 percent for Obama to be under 50, and 8 % for him to be where he is now. In which case, he wouldn't be any worse off than he is now.

Not sure he can actually get more liberal anyway.

Well I suppose he could push for some actual health care reform that isn't written by insurance companies and the minority party. Or he could accelerate troop withdrawal from Iraq or maybe he could have decided to end the war in Afghanistan. Or come out against bans on gay marriage and in favor of repealing DADT.

You know, policies that liberals actually support. Hence, more liberal.

Righties, don't get your hopes up this soon. This poll could actually be some progressives angry about Obama's decision to send more troops, having a bad day. 64-17 percent still blame Bush for the problems in Afghanistan which is telling. 2/3 of the people polled say that having a time limit in Afghanistan is a good thing. This poll reflects a electorate that is fed up with the way the country has been going for a long time.

8 percent say Obama isn't liberal enough, therefore, if you ad them to the mix you would have a 55 percent approval.

Farleftandproud

First off, the question of who you blame is flawed....sinc ehte person to blame is bin laden and his terrorist taliban freinds, whcih is why we are there to begin with. Both libs and cons supported Bush attacking them since they first attacked us on 9/11. So that question is stupid.

Who cares about the 8....Bush lost tons of his support from conservatives like myself...Obama can tick off and lose support from libs just as Bush can and did from cons..........

@ Stillow

"Bush lost tons of his support from conservatives like myself"

Oh so now you are a conservative, and not a libertarian. That is what I thought.

obamalover

You seem to be incapable of telling the difference between labels. Bush campaigned in 2000 as a fiscal conservative, he had my support. By 2004 he lost my support as he turned out to be a fiscal liberal who couldn't say no to any spending. You are to wrapped up in social issues. As I have stated a million and one times now, I do not vote based on social issues, because neither party represents my views. i vote only on fiscal and foreign policy issues.

@Stillow

So you care more about your wallet than the rights of other people. Wow. That is extremely selfish.

Gays are being treated like second class citizens. So what? Doesn't matter by your priorities, because liberals are going to raise the top marginal tax rate by 3% (36 to 39). You should ashamed for voting for bigots like Bob Barr.

Anyhow, you don't know what you are. First you say you are libertarian and now you are saying you are a conservative. You just change it to fit your argument.

Ok, let me try one last time to make you understand.....dig your mind out of the hole for just a moment, just one moment and maybe you can get it.

It doesn't matter which party you vote for, both of them wish to deny you choice and personal liberties, the only difference is which choice and liberty they wish to control. Therefore, its a lose-lose proposition to vote for either one based on social issues. Both of them wish to control my life in there own twisted ways. Therefore I am forced due to the lack of choice to make decisions on fiscal policy. On social issues both parties goal is to control my life, just in different ways......therefore, fiscal issues are the only thing left for me to make a decision on. On social issues i will vote my views when its o nth ballot to do so. If a ballot question here asks me if gays should be able t omarry, I will vote yes. But I will not vote for some liberal who supports gay rights, but then supports the right of g'ment to take my firearm or dictate to me what I can drive.

If you still cannot understand that, then I give up......and you may continue living in your limited intelectually challenged world.

@Stillow

And what you don't understand is Dems will not take away your guns (eventhough I wish they would). So I'm not sure what you can point to and say they want to control your life. And even if they would you are basically saying guns are just as important as human rights, which is outrageous.

Your position is like saying, "well I don't agree with David Duke on the black issues, but I don't agree with Dems on guns, so I'm going to vote for Duke because of his position on fiscal issues." You are being incredibly selfish and and enabler of bigots like Bob Barr. You should be ashamed.

I tried, but you are simply unable to comprehend anything.

@Stillow

I know what you are saying, but you apparently have trouble comprehending what I'm saying. You are saying since conservatives and liberals cancel themselves out on cultural issues you vote based on fiscal issues. I get that.

What you don't get is one of those issues is a human rights issue, which gets priority over everything. It is like saying, "well I don't agree with David Duke on the black issues, but I don't agree with Dems on guns, so I'm going to vote for Duke because of his position on fiscal issues." You are the equivalent of a David Duke supporter. You should be ashamed for supporting bigots like Bob Barr.

obamalover

Finally you do get it. They are all human rights issues to me. The right to protect my family from a would be intrusder is a human right IMO. The right to live my life the way I want to and not have g'ment control my behavior thru things such as cap & trade legislation or g'ment run health care is a human right IMO. The right to get an abortion is a human right IMO. The right to marry who you wish is a human right IMO.

As I mentioned, when there are ballot questions asking to support to denay gay marriage, I will vote i nthe affirmative.

Keep in midn two things. First, libs do want to take away my gun, they simply cannot do it yet because there ar enot enough of them in power and that is because people like me aren't voting for them to do so.

Another, a lot of Dems oppose gay marriage. States like CA voted it down 52-48......To get 52 percent in CA, you have to get a whole lot of Dems and Indy's to vote that way.

I will not vote for a cndidate who supports gay rights on one hand and then wants to bankrupt my country with irresponsible liberalspending via entitlements on th other hand.

You give me a fiscally conservative candidate and a social live and let live libertarian and he will get my money and vote. My vote for Barr was nothing more than a protest vote against the GOP for becoming a big liberal spending party. Barr had as much chance of winning as I do of getting a job as QB in the NFL.

@Stillow

Even if Dems did have enough votes in Congress (and they actually do right now) they still couldn't get rid of guns because half of them would get voted out of their seats if they tried. Dems will not take away your guns. That is just a b.s. excuse for you to be selfish and enable bigots like Barr.

Furthermore, cap and trade is about regulating businesses not individuals. Basically using your logic you are saying you are against any environmental regulation. If it was up to you there would be high levels of mercury in our drinking water.

Anyhow, let me ask you a question: If David Duke ran for office against a Democrat who was pro-gun control who would you vote for?

I'll be waiting with bated breath for your answer.

That is right, Dems don't want my guns, its the liberals....and if they had the votes thwy would do it in a heartbeat. Cap & trade regulates both businesa nd indivudals...it raises my taxes...and I pay to much as it is.

To anwer your question I need to know if the Dem you refer to is a fiscal liberal, moderate or conservative. Is he a fiscal liberal like pelosi or more fiscally conservative like ben Nelson type democrat?

FYI, I voted for Clinton in 96 sinc ehis focus was on small g'ment....remember? "The era of big g'ment is over" was from Clinton. I voted Bush in 2000, didn't vot ein 2004 cus both candidates were horrible...voted Barr in 2008 as a protest vote against McCain.

You didn't address the fact that many many Dems also oppose gay rights, why are you not ticked off at them?

And yes I am ticked off by those Dems who are anti-gay rights, and I would not vote for them.

Furthermore, according to the 16th amendment the government has a right to levy an income tax. So in the U.S. the freedom from being taxed is not an individual right. Sorry to burst your bubble. Moreover, Liberals will never have a majority in Congress, there is just too many moderate and conservative districts. So you gun reason for supporting bigots is not relevant.

The dem is a fiscal liberal in my hypothetical. So would you vote for Duke? I'm curious what your answer will be.

Obama came out against gay marriage, why did you vote for him? Are you saying he is a liar? Both he and Biden oppose it....have said so in the debates. Obama has reiterated that many many times. Like most dems and reps he favors equal rights via civil unions, but not defining it as marriage.....your a bit inconsistant.

If my choices were only Duke who is creepy or a fiscally liberal crazy like pelosi then i would either vote for a 3rd party or not vote like i did in 2004.

I don't mind an income tax, but I am taxed at a rate that is to high...and when combined with the dozens of other taxes, its half my income. In addition the constitution requires the taxes taken to be "uniform" which means equal....I am taxed at a much higher rate than others....therefore the standard is not uniform.

@Stillow

Obama is for full equal rights for gays. He is for a repeal of DOMA and DADT, and in the past he has said he supported gay marriage. Yes now that he is running for President he says he personally opposes same sex marriage, but is also against putting an anti-gay marriage amendment in the Constitution.

I voted for Obama because he is about as equal rights as you can get without actually favoring the word "marriage" and based on his past comments in supporting gay marriage. Based on his record I and any reasonable person could have come to the conclusion that it is unlikely that he is actually against gay marriage but is pay lip service to bigots so he can get elected.

Bob Barr on the other hand authored DOMA, which one of the most bigoted pieces of legislation currently in existence. If Bob Barr had the same record as Obama on the issue there wouldn't be a problem with you voting for him. However, Obama's and Barr's record are very very different. Trying to draw a comparison between the two is idiotic.

@Stillow (part 2)

Firstly the "uniform" provision has to do with duties on goods. It doesn't apply to you. Furthermore, our income tax code is based on burden. Someone who makes 30,000 a year is much more burdened by a 30% tax than you would be. So it is apportioned appropriately.

Secondly, You said you would sit out such an election. So why did you vote for Barr? Maybe because you really don't care if you enable bigots as long as you benefit. You are truly a piece of work.

Anyhow, do you think a liberal democrat is just as bad as a white supremacist?

I wa snot comparing them. Just pointing out your inconsistancy. Obama again ahs stated "numerous" times he opposes gay marriage. he favors civil unions as do most americans from both parties. Its only you and your opinion that is making you put that opposoition aside and "assume" he is a liar.

Did you vote for Clinton? He liked DOMA didn't he? He was the leader of the party for 8 years. I assume he liked it sinc ehe supported it. Along with DADT.....Obama has had a year and done nothing on dodt.

Your support for Obama seems more on what you would like him to be and not what he actually is. I wanted Bush to be a fiscal conservative, but since he was not, I didn't vote for him anyway.

You are very scattered....you lcaim to hold this one issue above everything, yet you love a man who opposes gay marriage...cus you have convinced yourself he is a liar about that issue. I beleive Hillary also opposes it does she not? Along with Bill? You have to get to congress before you find a handful of libs who support it.

like it or not, doma act was a bi partisan effort....i may not be happy with it, and you may not, but it is what it is. Ballot measures are the best way for us to grant equal access to things like that.

If your holding out for obama to do it, you will be waiting a very long time, sinc ehe opposes gay marriage.......by your logic he is either a bigot or a liar......

@Stillow

Even if Obama doesn't support gay marriage (which he probably does) he is for full equal rights, unlike the people you vote for. Like I said if the people you vote for had that record there would not be a problem with you voting for them. And I didn't vote for Bill Clinton or Hillary Clinton (precisely because she doesn't support the full repeal of DOMA). FYI Bill Clinton has now within the past year stated he supports gay marriage.

And Obama is a liar like all politicians. I just find it very hard to believe he supported gay marriage in the '90s when he wasn't running for national office, and currently supports full equal rights for gays except using the word marriage. If I only voted for politicians who were truthful I wouldn't be voting period.

Also, the "uniform" provision has to do with duties on goods. It doesn't apply to you. Furthermore, our income tax code is based on burden. Someone who makes 30,000 a year is much more burdened by a 30% tax than you would be. So it is apportioned appropriately.

Secondly, You said you would sit out such an election. So why did you vote for Barr? Maybe because you really don't care if you enable bigots as long as you benefit. You are truly a piece of work.

Anyhow, do you think a liberal democrat is just as bad as a white supremacist?

How is barr different from Obama, both support unions....both beleive marriage is between a man and a woman.

Barr was a protest vote against mccain and the GOP to try and send a msg to get them abck to fiscal conservatism. After the Bush screw up and him turning out to be a fiscal liberal I could not support mccain.

You making things up in your mind about people to soothe your needs. Obama is opposed to it, yet you create and manifest this fantasy that he is just kidding. Yet you vote for him, so you support a bigot. Your own arugment is killing you in this discussion.

And your final question is flawed, who would you rather vote for a conservative republican or a black racist? Its a flawed question.

You cannot accuse me of being a bigot supporter and then you turn around and vote for Obama who for the millionth time is on RECORD opposing gay marriage.

You inability to understand this simple thing is why I vote primarily on fiscal issues....because its a lose los eon social issues.

Before you start shouting down others, you should evaluate your own voting patterns. Obama is a bigot by your own definition sinc ehe opposes gay marriage. You can claim anything you want about 15 or 20 years ago, the FACT is is he is on record as opposing gay marriage, along with many many many other high profile democrats. Therefore you support a bigot for president and a bigoted party..............by your own definition.

@Stillow

Barr supports and even authored DOMA. Obama is against it. Obama is for full rights for gays and gay couples. Barr is against it. That is how it is different. Obama has stated in the past that he supports gay marriage. Barr has never made such a statement. Need I go on?

Anyhow, my definition is supporting gay rights, not necessarily the term "gay marriage." Obama is for full rights for gay individuals and couples. Barr isn't. Sorry but trying to say Barr and Obama are the same is just plain delusional.

And fiscal liberals don't give a trillion dollars in tax cuts to the rich like Bush did. Bush was anything but a fiscal liberal.

The question is not flawed because you are saying that you would sit out an election between Duke and a liberal democrat. You would basically be saying both are the same. By sitting out that election you would allow a racist like Duke get into power. Wow.

Anyhow, by definition a conservative republican is a Homophobe. So in that case I would have good reason to sit out an election between a Homophobe and a black racist. But hypothetically if the conservative republican was pro-gay rights (which is impossible) I would vote for the conservative Republican and I wouldn't sit out and enable a bigot like you do time and time again.

You are all over the place....your not even making sense anymore. Both Obama nd Barr support civil unions, both oppose gay marriage..................

The GOP being homophobic is only your liberal left wing mind tricking you again to help you convince yourself of lies. Just like you defending Obama's bigotry.

Its getting harder to follow you cus your all ove rthe map now.First opposing gay marriage is bigotry, then its not, but then it is unless its obama....barr and obama support unions, but somehow obama's better. You'd vote for a black racist before a conservative gop, yet a white racist vs a liberal democrat is different.

You are becoming more and more confused as this goes on. You kind of made sense at first, but as it goes on, its exposing your views as highly partisan and inconsistent.

The bottom line is you supported a bigot for president. Obama does not support equal rights for gays or he would support there right to marry just like everyone else. It does not matter what lies or made up facts you put in your mind, he still opposes it, so by your definition, he is a bigot for not supporting equal rights. Which means you voted for a bigot and contineu to support a bigot. Facts are facts, you can deny them til your blue in the face, they do not change.

As for me, I will say one final times i nthe small hope you actually get it, I will vote to give gays the right to marry if a ballot question is put forth.

Both Dems and reps oppose gay marriage...your lying to yourself when you convince yourself otherwise.

This has been somewhat fun with you, its very interesting getting into hte mind of a true blinded liberal follower....who can look at facts right in front of him and then dismiss them at will.....very very fascinating that you support a bigot, yet have convinced yourself the facts i nthis case are incorrect.

@Stillow

Stop obfuscating the facts. Barr is against federal benefits for gay couples, Obama isn't. Obama is for full gay rights, and Barr isn't. Maybe in your delusions they are the same, but Barr isn't for full gay rights like Obama is.

You also seem to be illiterate. I never said I would vote for a black racist. If the conservative Republican was anti-gay rights I would sit out, If the consevative Republican wasn't a homophobe (which is impossible) I would vote for the conservative Republican. Unlike you I don't enable bigots.

Anyhow, there are many Democrats who support gay marriage. Pelosi is an example as is most of the progressive caucus in Congress. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Maybe I'm not making sense to you because of your illiteracy, which seems to be a problem with conservative states. Illiteracy rates that is.

Utterly fascinating how you claim Obama is for full gay rights, yet opposes gay marriage. Again, the mind of a blinded liberal is totally amazing to me. You have a president who is on record as opposing gay marriage, yet you as his loyal follower are blind to that FACT and go ahead and go with what you made up in your mind.

I hope you realize how lame it looks for you to make the comment that Obama supports full gay equality.....whe nthe FACT is he opposes gay marriage.

Fascinating how you can say that with a straight face.

Please go on, I am curious to see how deep you will dig this hole. Claiming Obama is for full gay equality, yet he opposeds gay marriage.........in the real world those two contradict eachother, but its very intresting how in your world they are the same thing.

Really is interesting how you come to this conclusion despite the facts being against you.

@Stillow

Before Obama ran for national office he was for gay marriage, during the campaign he said he was against the word but for all other rights (unlike Barr). It's a matter of which statement you believe is more truthful.

I find politicians are more willing to lie when they are running for a national office, apparently you don't.

Send me a youtube link where obama says he supports gay "marriage" and not just civil unions like most.....then I can at least grant some small amoutn of credibility to what your cllaiming.

@ Stillow

Well I don't think they had youtube back in the 90's, but here is indisputable evidence he did:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/13/obama-once-supported-same_n_157656.html

And Melody Barnes, Obama's director of the domestic policy council, supports gay marriage.