Americans split on Obama first yr: Poll
Thursday, 14 January 2010
WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (AFP): A new sheaf of opinion polls shows Americans sharply divided on President Barack Obama's first year in office, as his ratings on key issues like health care and the economy hit new lows.
Polling also suggests independent voters are turning away from Obama as he nears the anniversary of his January 20 inauguration -- though in a sign of hope for his administration, he remains more popular than his policies.
In a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday, US voters were split 45-45 on whether Obama's first year was a success or failure.
When voters were asked in a CNN/Opinion Research survey published Tuesday to rate Obama's performance during a crisis-marred first year in the Oval Office, 48 per cent judged it a failure, and 47 per cent saw a success.
Obama's first year, after he accepted a challenging legacy from ex-president George W. Bush, has seen him battle the worst economic crisis in 70 years, juggle two wars and contend with a botched Al-Qaeda terror attack on a US airliner on Christmas Day.
A CBS News poll showed Obama's job approval rating at 46 per cent, marking the first time he had polled below 50 per cent in the survey.
The CNN poll meanwhile showed Obama's approval rating at 51 per cent -- but that was down three points in a month.
Polling also suggests independent voters are turning away from Obama as he nears the anniversary of his January 20 inauguration -- though in a sign of hope for his administration, he remains more popular than his policies.
In a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday, US voters were split 45-45 on whether Obama's first year was a success or failure.
When voters were asked in a CNN/Opinion Research survey published Tuesday to rate Obama's performance during a crisis-marred first year in the Oval Office, 48 per cent judged it a failure, and 47 per cent saw a success.
Obama's first year, after he accepted a challenging legacy from ex-president George W. Bush, has seen him battle the worst economic crisis in 70 years, juggle two wars and contend with a botched Al-Qaeda terror attack on a US airliner on Christmas Day.
A CBS News poll showed Obama's job approval rating at 46 per cent, marking the first time he had polled below 50 per cent in the survey.
The CNN poll meanwhile showed Obama's approval rating at 51 per cent -- but that was down three points in a month.