By John McCormick
March 25 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama receives lukewarm ratings from Americans, at least until you compare him with other major political figures and institutions.
Fifty percent approve of the job he is doing, a Bloomberg National Poll shows, down from 54 percent in December.
Those favorability numbers look solid when compared with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, 2008 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and both political parties, with voters unhappy about U.S. finances and the direction the nation is heading.
“It’s about the money,” says J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., a Des Moines, Iowa-based firm that conducted the nationwide survey. “His scores are lowest when it comes to dealing with the budget, and it is the thing that inflames the American public. Government spending is the hot-button issue right now.”
Obama’s approval rating is roughly equal to what Bill Clinton had at this point in his presidency, according to data maintained by Gallup. It’s higher than the 45 percent Ronald Reagan recorded in April 1982.
Obama, 48, still enjoys an 85 percent job-approval rating among Democrats, compared with 46 percent among independent voters and 11 percent among Republicans.
Disturbed by Deficit
He receives higher marks for his handling of foreign affairs than on matters closer to home. Fifty-eight percent approve of Obama’s management of relations with other countries, while 54 percent approve of his running of the war in Afghanistan, the poll found.
Obama’s performance is viewed more critically when it comes to the budget deficit, dealing with the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, health care and job creation.
“The terrible economy has been a magnet pulling down Obama’s approval ratings,” says Mark Mellman, a Democratic pollster who worked for John Kerry’s 2004 presidential bid. “The fact that he has only been pulled down to 50 percent is a sign of the respect and affection people have for him. Being at 50 percent is actually a pretty strong place to be.”
The weakest category among those tested for Obama was the deficit. Only about a third of Americans approve of the way he’s dealing with the nation’s finances.
With 80 percent of poll participants agreeing with the statement “government spending is out of control,” Selzer says there is a political opening for Republicans in November’s congressional elections, if they can maintain the notion that Obama and Democrats are spending too freely.
Can’t See Progress
“Everything sounded good when he was running, but nothing is really getting done yet,” says John Gabrys, 46, a stay-at- home father and former physical education instructor who lives in Somonauk, Illinois. “I haven’t seen any progress.”
Gabrys, who considers himself an independent, says he voted for Obama. He gives the president a “C+” on his presidency so far, although he says he could improve his grade by generating more jobs.
“Everyone’s numbers are atrocious because nobody is delivering,” says pollster Doug Schoen, who worked for Clinton during his presidency. “If the Democratic Party is unable to address the economic problems, then they are gone.”
With unemployment at 9.7 percent, 58 percent of Americans believe the nation is headed in the wrong direction, essentially unchanged from December. Ninety percent of Republicans and 62 percent of independents think things are going poorly, while less than a third of Democrats feel that way.
Worried About Leaders
The depressed mood is reflected in concern about the nation’s leaders, with 56 percent of respondents pessimistic they will find solutions to challenges facing the U.S. That skepticism rises to 83 percent among Republicans and 62 percent among independents.
The poll of 1,002 U.S. adults was conducted March 19-22. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Obama’s numbers look better when measured against other public figures.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is viewed favorably by 34 percent and unfavorably by 23 percent, with 43 percent saying they weren’t sure what to think about him.
Like Bernanke, Obama attracts more favorable than unfavorable ratings, 53 percent to 42 percent, with just 5 percent not sure.
Geithner Down
Geithner is less popular, with 25 percent holding a favorable view, 28 percent having a negative view and 47 percent unsure.
Pelosi is seen favorably by 31 percent, while 48 percent have an unfavorable view and 21 percent are unsure.
Both major political parties have numbers better than Pelosi. The Democratic and Republican parties have almost equal favorability at 42 percent and 39 percent, respectively.
Romney is regarded favorably by 31 percent and unfavorably by 26 percent, with 43 percent unsure.
At 31 percent, the economy was most often cited as the top issue facing the nation, followed by health care at 22 percent, and government spending and the federal deficit at 20 percent.
For Republicans, government spending and the deficit are virtually tied with the economy for the top spot at 32 percent and 33 percent, respectively. Just 8 percent of Democrats say government spending and the deficit is the most important issue.
“I feel like we are creating problems that my daughter’s kids someday will pay the price for,” says Laurie Hartman, 49, an administrative assistant and Republican who lives in Syracuse, New York. “We think we can fix problems by throwing money at them.”
To contact the reporter on this story: John McCormick in Washington at jmccormick16@bloomberg.net;
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