U.S. voters don't blame Obama for economy

[onehandle]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama benefits from a broadly held perception that others bear the bulk of responsibility for state of the U.S. economy, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll published on Tuesday.

Asked who was responsible for the economic meltdown, 80 percent in the poll blamed banks, financial institutions and corporations. Some 70 percent also blamed consumers for taking on too much debt and the former Bush administration for lax regulation. Only 26 percent said the Obama administration was not doing enough to turn the situation around.

Two-thirds of respondents approve of the way Obama is handling the presidency, and 60 percent approve of the way he is handling the economy.

Sixty-four percent said were confident Obama's policies will improve the economy, down from 72 percent just before he took office in January.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090331/pl_nm/us_obama_poll...

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Very bad news for evil.

[Jamastiene]

1. I think we are all well aware that Bush and his cronies robbed us blind.

As usual, the Democratic Party has to clean up the mess.

[Vogon_Glory]

2. But the Imps Are Trying to Re-Write History Anyway

I'm glad to see that the American public is showing far better sense than a lot of the right-wing propaganda pieces and screeds I've been wading through since President Obama was inaugurated. The imps and lesser spirits have been frantically trying to prove that the messes than exploded in Dubya's last year in office were all the liberals' fault and Nancy Pelosi's, Barney Frank's, and President Obama's in particular.

Did you know that hard-right propagandists blame former President Carter and the Community Redevelopment Act for the mortgage meltdown? Did you know that they also blame Barney Frank for the problems with Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac and that they go ballistic when you point out the inconvenient fact that the Repuds controlled the House of Representatives and could stop new initiatives in the Senate from 1995 through 2006 (Through 2008 if you want to be more accurate!) They do.

Right-wingers also blame 'liberals' for setting aside land for wilderness, lax financial regulation, and for losing the war in Afghanistan. And they get away with saying this on broadcast news because even where Rupert Murdoch doesn't employ them, the presstitutes of the mainstream media have neither the time or the inclination to call them on their (cattle droppings). Right-wingers also credit no. 43 for winning the war in Iraq.

I've concluded that these guys are either hopeless psychotics or habitual, pathological liars.

Having the Good Guys capture the White House and Congress are only a start. We have YEARS of hard work ahead of us.

[deacon]

8. Thats the whole point of this idiocy. The MSM needs negative Obama and the GOP joins in while it's

convenient. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Their benefit? Democrats hopefully at each others throats as they nomad about sucking up ratings and for the GOP some hope for political gain.

It's a positively disgusting thing to watch.

It was bad enough the MSM aided in giving us iraq, but this (?) -- they do an incredible disservice to americans.

[HughBeaumont]

3. As they shouldn't.

28 years of Friedman laissez-fail is the culprit.

I pretty much lump the "Obama's at fault for the economy" people in with the "Clinton caused 9/11" people, "Tea Partiers" (who were not so conspicuously absent when Bewsh was wasting their tax dollars), "The markets just aren't free enough" people and the "Democrats = Red Menace" dunces.

[polmaven]

4. Of COURSE it is his fault!

Didn't he take time to fill out a basketball bracket? If he had not done that, we would all be wealthy beyond our wildest dreams today!

Why, I'm willing to put money on the claim that he has actually even taken time away from the economic fix do do such silly things like eat and sleep!

How can anyone NOT believe it is his fault?


Oh, yeah...and for those who will read this, look at my avatar, and automatically need this...here it is:

[Pale Blue Dot]

5. All the more reason why he should stop trying to save a failed system.

Mark my words: Once the stimulus package and the Geithner plan fail to revive the economy, then it will be his fault. Americans have short memories. Now is his opportunity to make the changes that American REALLY needs. He's missing that chance, and soon events will be completely out of his control.

[deacon]

6. Well why the hell would they??? This is getting dumber by the minute. Thank you MSM baboons. n/t

[ixion]

7. snarky phrasing, imo

"benefits from a broadly held perception that others bear the bulk of responsibility"

This is coded phrasing for: "the 'liberal media' is creating the 'perception' that 'others' (a.k.a. rethugs) bear the bulk of responsibility (softened by removing 'blame' and substituting the more positive 'responsibility')."

This is a great example of snarky neocon yellow journalism, despite the positive message of the story.

[No Elephants]

9. Presidents Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton and Bush 43, along with the Congresses with which they served

are to blame, Anyone who makes this about Dummya vs. Obama or about Republicans vs. Democrats is ill-informed and helps doom us to more of the same.

[Deja Q]

10. Obama isn't to blame for it. How he reverses it, if he can, and if he cannot, how does he explain

is what voters will want to know.

I'm sure he can; he's got more power than any of us has. That's why we voted for him and not McNumbnuts.