“Bad For America”: 60% Of America Thinks Obama F-ed Up Royally
Dec 21, 2009 33 Comments ›› Erik Wong
A majority of Americans believe an increased government role in health care would lead to more government corruption, while a plurality of Americans think that scientific data supporting man-made global warming is “mostly falsified.†That is what a new poll by Survey USA reveals.
The poll also shows that 58 percent of Americans believe that decisions by the Obama administration have been “bad for America,†as opposed to 37 percent who think Obama’s decisions have been “good for America.â€
These poll numbers come at a time when President Barack Obama is pushing for international agreement to address apparent global warming and is also advocating for a major overhaul of health care in America.
The poll of 1,450 adults by Survey USA was conducted Dec. 11-14, and was commissioned by the conservative government watchdog group Judicial Watch. The poll asked questions on several topics, including government corruption, transparency, illegal immigration and the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now (ACORN).
Specifically, the poll asked, “Do you think data suggesting global warming is the result of human activity is mostly genuine? Or mostly falsified?†A plurality of 49 percent answered “mostly falsified,†while 41 percent answered “mostly genuine†and 10 percent were unsure.
Evidence about global warming has come under fire in recent weeks after hacked e-mails from the University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit apparently revealed that contrary evidence was suppressed while organized efforts apparently were made to discredit critics.
The health care overhaul proposal supported by Obama and congressional Democrats has been unpopular in most polls. This poll, however, asked, “Would an increased government role in the health care system lead to more corruption? Less corruption? Or will it make no difference?â€
An overwhelming 62 percent said “more corruption,†just 14 percent said “less corruption†and 21 percent said it would “make no difference.†Four percent were unsure.
While other polls have showed Obama’s approval rating slipping below 50 percent, this poll asked, “As a whole, are the decisions being made by the Obama administration good for America? Or bad for America?†To that, 58 percent answered “bad for America,†37 percent said good and 6 percent were not sure.
“On virtually every single issue polled, the Obama administration appears to be completely out of step with the prevailing views of the American people,†said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “It ought to be an especially troubling sign for President Obama that the majority of likely voters believe his decisions have been bad for the country. Frankly, these poll results suggest that President Obama and many other politicians ought to rethink their approach to government.â€
The poll further showed that 64 percent of voters think the government is too big and that 62 percent think that bigger government leads to more corruption. Also, 72 percent think political corruption play a “major role†in the financial crisis last year.
The poll also found that 56 percent think the federal government is operating “out of line†with the U.S. Constitution.
In regards to the scandal-plagued ACORN, just 8 percent have a favorable view of the liberal activist group currently under investigation in several states for alleged voter registration fraud. A clear majority of 56 percent have a negative view of ACORN.
Obama also supports a comprehensive immigration reform package, which opponents believe is “amnesty†for illegal aliens. The poll showed an unfavorable rating here too, as 59 percent disapprove of the way the administration is handling illegal immigration.
Among those polled, 1,020 said they were likely to vote in the 2010 elections for U.S. Congress. The margin of error for the poll ranged from 2.6 percent to 3.1 percent.
