Americans optimistic about economy, pessimistic about jobs

Washington, May 14 (ANI): A majority of American voters believe the nation””s economy is improving, but an equal number believe the job situation is getting worse, according to the latest Fox News poll.

Many more voters continue to say former President George W. Bush is responsible for the federal deficit.

The new poll finds 49 percent of voters think the economy is getting better, while 37 percent say it is getting worse and 11 percent say “staying the same.”

The number saying things are getting better is up 9 percentage points from 40 percent who thought so a year ago (June 2009).

But when it comes to jobs, it””s the reverse: 36 percent say it””s getting better and 48 percent getting worse.

On a personal level, 36 percent say it feels like things are getting better for their family, while about the same number — 38 percent — says it feels like things are getting worse. Another 24 percent say it feels like things are staying the same.

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll for Fox News among 900 registered voters from May 4 to May 5. For the total sample, the poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. (ANI)

68 percent of Americans would vote out all lawmakers: Fox poll

New York, Mar.20 (ANI): A Fox News poll shows 68 percent of voters would oust all incumbents, while 20 percent would keep all lawmakers in office.

The poll further revealed that even 52 percent of Democrats, whose party controls both houses of Congress, would get rid of all incumbents. Thirty-two percent would keep them.

Most Republicans (79 percent) and independents (78 percent) would vote to get rid of all incumbents.

This “throw them out” sentiment reflects what the poll also found about voters’ perception of Congress: just 18 percent approve of the job Congress is doing, while 76 percent disapprove.

Moreover, 17 percent think Congress cares what the American people want, compared to the large 79 percent majority who think Congress does whatever it wants to do.

In response to the traditional generic ballot question, if the election were held today, 42 percent of American voters say they would back the Republican candidate in their district and 38 percent the Democratic candidate.

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll for Fox News among 900 registered voters from March 16 to March 17. For the total sample, the poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. (ANI)

Some Americans think opposition to Obama’s policies is based on racism

Washington, Sep. 18 (ANI): Some Americans, including former President Jimmy Carter, believe that those who are opposing US President Barrack Obama’s policies have a racial element against him instead of simple disagreement.

According to a recent Fox News poll, 65 percent Americans think that opposition to Obama’s policies is based on honest disagreements, while 20 percent say it is mostly motivated by racism.

However, Black voters are twice as likely to say the opposition is motivated by race, with 63 percent citing racism as the reason for opposition and 27 percent say it is based on honest disagreements.

Most white voters (71 percent) say the opposition comes from honest disagreements.

Most Republicans (87 percent) and independents (69 percent) believe that opposition to Obama’s policies is based on honest disagreements, while 48 percent Democrats say honest disagreements and 34 percent say it is motivated by racism, the poll found.

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters with a 3-point margin of error.

The poll also found that 54 percent of Americans think Obama is a “new kind” of politician, while a large 39 percent minority says he is a “typical” politician.

As for Obama’s handling of health care, 44 percent approved and 48 percent disapproved.

Obama received better ratings on his handling of the economy (55 percent approve) and on the war in Afghanistan (51 percent).

By a wide 60 percent to 27 percent margin, Americans think the country has become more divided rather than more united since Obama took office in January, the poll found. (ANI)

Majority Americans believe Obama’s foreign policies are good

Washington, Apr 25 (ANI): Few Americans are actually at odds with many of President Barack Obama’s specific positions, despite majority of them believing that the Obama Administration has performed its best in foreign policy in its first 100 days.

The latest FOX News poll finds a majority of Americans (55 percent) think Barack Obama has done the right thing in his diplomatic dealings with unfriendly dictators like Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro.

About one third (34 percent) take the opposing view that Obama’s behavior was too “chummy” and therefore signalled US weakness. Almost seven in ten Republicans (69 percent) however, believe his behaviour toward these leaders has been too friendly.

Half of Americans (50 percent) think the president himself believes the US is engaged in a global war or terrorism, although just under four in ten Americans think he does not see such a conflict (37 percent) and another 13 percent remain unsure.

Again, there is partisan division on this issue, as a 52 percent majority of Republicans thinks Obama does not believe in a global war on terrorism.

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll for FOX News among 900 registered voters from April 22 to April 23, 2009. The poll has a 3-point error margin.

There is also slim majority disapproval (52 percent) of the Obama Administration’s action to release White House memos detailing how the CIA interrogated top Al Qaeda members. Based on that release, slightly more Americans feel less safe (39 percent) than safer (34 percent).

With regard to the status of the Guantanamo Bay military prison (where allegations about harsher techniques are centered), a 53 percent majority opposes closing its doors, with one-third (33 percent) supporting a shutdown. (ANI)

FOX Poll says Obama believes in bigger government

Washington, Mar.6 (ANI): A majority of Americans think President Barack Obama is meeting, if not exceeding, expectations, and keeping his campaign promises.

In addition, despite Obama’s claim that he doesn’t believe in bigger government, a new poll shows there is widespread belief among Americans that he does.

Fifty Six percent of those polled thinks the federal government is too big today. And by a 20-percentage point margin – 55 percent to 35 percent – the poll finds Americans would rather pay lower taxes and have a smaller government rather than pay higher taxes for larger government.

President Obama’s job approval rating stands at 63 percent, with 26 percent saying they disapprove, according to the FOX News poll released Thursday.

Partisanship is clear in how people rate the president’s performance, as a whopping 92 percent of Democrats say they approve – more than three times as many as the 30 percent of Republicans who give Obama the thumbs up. Among independents, 61 percent approve.

Just over half of Americans – 52 percent – think so far Obama is meeting expectations and 14 percent say he is actually exceeding expectations. The number of people who think Obama is falling below expectations has doubled from 11 percent in January to 23 percent today.

A large 90 percent majority of Democrats think Obama is meeting or exceeding expectations, up from 82 percent (13-14 January 2009).

All in all, 58 percent think Obama is keeping the promises he made during the campaign – more than twice the number who say he is drifting off course (28 percent).

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from March 3 to March 4. The poll has a 3-point error margin. (ANI)

Over 50 pct Americans think Obama meeting expectations: Poll

Washington, Jan.16 (ANI): About 53 percent of Americans think incoming US President Barack Obama is currently meeting expectations, while another 14 percent say he is exceeding them.

However, a Fox News poll also finds that 50 percent of Americans think expectations for Obama’s presidency are unrealistically high and he won’t be able to meet them in the long run.

A large 43 percent minority thinks the expectations are realistic and he will live up to them.

Eleven percent think the president-elect is falling below expectations. For some 20 percent it is too soon to tell.

For Democrats, 82 percent think Obama is meeting or exceeding expectations, as do 50 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of independents.

Seventy six percent of voters say they have a favorable opinion of him.

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from January 13 to January 14. The poll has a 3-point error margin. (ANI)