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Fickle Voters Are Change Obama Can Believe In

We're ready to change politics, religion, relationships at the drop of a hat

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 4, 2009 12:02 PM CDT

(Newser) – Whether it’s religion, relationships, or politics, Americans are getting more fickle, experts say. Seniors citizens are more open to divorce, college students are more open to changing schools, and more than 40% of Americans will switch religions, notes one pollster. All this could be bad news for President Obama, Politico reports, if the wave of support that carried him into office quickly disappears.

Leaders should realize “you can go from top to bottom and bottom to top much more quickly,” says the pollster. “Loyalty is a thing of the past.” Coming “out of nowhere,” Obama “benefited from the looser ties people have today,” one professor says. “But the flip side is that he cannot count on the depth of support that a winning candidate might have had a generation ago.”

President Barack Obama waves after speaking in Fairfax, Va., yesterday.
President Barack Obama waves after speaking in Fairfax, Va., yesterday.   (AP Photo)
Americans are quick to leave a relationship these days, analysts say.
Americans are quick to leave a relationship these days, analysts say.   (Shutterstock)
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Obama benefited from the looser ties people have today, but the flip side is that he cannot count on the depth of support that a winning candidate might have had a generation ago. - Morris Fiorina,
Stanford political science professor

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 15 comments
SilenceDogood
Aug 5, 2009 12:25 PM CDT
As Americans we get exactly what we voted for, nothing.
SilenceDogood
Aug 5, 2009 12:18 PM CDT
That is not quite true. Obama came to power because of great charisma and a very long list of promises he made to American. A very long list of Hope and Change indeed. Well it’s time to pay the butcher. If Obama had spoken the Truth, and admitted he had No Idea how to handle the Issues we face he would have lost the election. Instead he couched his phrases with clever innuendos, vague policies and Hope. Well Obama is center stage on the Ultimate Reality Show, President of the United States. This is they separate the men from the boys, everyone was so quick to call John McCain old and stuffy. John McCain or Mitt Romney would be firm hands at the wheel in these stormy times. Instead we have a freshman congressman that has never done anything but community work. Pretty sad business.
NewserScooter
Aug 5, 2009 2:20 AM CDT
I think you nailed it!

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