WSJ Poll: US Likes Obama, Iffy About Economic Moves

Economy pulls down numbers

(NEWSER) - Concerns over the economy are weighing down President Obama’s poll numbers, which have fallen to their lowest point since his inauguration, Politico reports. Obama’s 57% approval rating in a Gallup tracking poll this weekend remains high, but a series of recent polls find his support falling among Republicans and independents—and even Democrats worried about his economic policies. More»

(NEWSER) - The second major poll of the day is out, and a clear theme is emerging for President Obama: Take care of the budget deficit. About 60% of respondents in a New York Times/CBS poll say the president hasn't developed a clear strategy to keep the deficit down. The findings echo an earlier poll from the Wall Street Journal and NBC. In the NYT poll, Obama's approval rating sits at a healthy 63%, though support among Republicans is dropping quickly. More»

Federal spending is rising at slowest rate since '50s, report finds

(NEWSER) - Republicans are trying to fool the country into believing that they are the party of fiscal responsibility, President Obama told a fundraiser yesterday. "I’m running to pay down our debt in a way that’s balanced and responsible. After inheriting a $1 trillion deficit, I signed $2 trillion of spending cuts into law,” he told donors in Denver. "My opponent won’t admit it, but it’s starting to appear in places, like real liberal outlets, like the Wall Street Journal," he quipped. "Since I’ve been president, federal spending has risen at the lowest pace in nearly 60 years. Think about that.” More»

Even though 'there is no deal' yet

(NEWSER) - The House must move to raise the debt ceiling by Wednesday, John Boehner told a closed House GOP meeting. First, of course, a deal must be struck, and as yet, “there is no deal. There is no agreement in private,” Boehner told the press, and leaders aren’t “close” to one. The House, however, has “done its job” in seeking agreement, he said, and the Senate needs to do its part, the AP notes. Meanwhile, progress reports continue to conflict sharply. More»

...even though 57% of voters disapprove of his handling of the economy

(NEWSER) - More than half of voters approve of President Obama’s job performance and would at least consider reelecting him—even though 57% of them disapprove of they way he is handling the economy, a Politico-George Washington University poll finds. Some 52% approve of the president’s work so far, and 72% approve of him personally; both figures mark 7-point jumps over an October poll. Meanwhile, 59% say they’ll “definitely” vote for him in 2012 or will “consider” it; only 38% said they “definitely will not.” More»