CNN poll shows disapproval over Obama handling of Gulf spill increasing
posted at 2:20 pm on June 17, 2010 by Ed Morrissey
A new CNN poll taken a day after Barack Obama’s Oval Office speech delivered more bad news to the White House. The poll shows 59% disapproval over Obama’s handling of the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, an increase of eight points since May 21-23 survey. Approval has dropped from 46% to 41%, making an 13-point shift in approval in three weeks. The result shows that Obama’s speech failed to repair his damaged position and build his credibility on his competence.
Bear in mind that this poll has some issues. First, unlike the previous poll, CNN conducted it in a single day. It also only consists of 534 respondents, a little low for a national survey. CNN didn’t include all of the questions, apparently holding some data for later release. There is no data on the partisan-affiliation breakdown of the sample, for instance.
Obama’s overall job approval narrowed into a virtual tie, 50/48, in this survey, down from 51/46 three weeks ago. Unfortunately, that’s about as popular as he gets in this survey. Two thirds of respondents (67%) say Obama hasn’t been “tough enough” in his response, while only 26% say he’s gotten the toughness quotient correct. Almost three quarters (74%) disapprove of the federal response in the Gulf so far. Eighty-two percent approve of the creation of the escrow account by BP, but the question got asked in a misleading manner:
Creating a fund of billions of dollars to compensate workers and businesses that have been affected by the oil spill that would be paid by BP but administered by a neutral party[?]
The administration won’t come from a “neutral party.” That implies a private-sector trustee or receiver who would presumably have no conflicts of interest with either BP or the businesses and individuals impacted by the spill. Instead, the White House appointed an existing administration figure, “pay czar” Kenneth Feinberg, to control the money on behalf of the White House. Unless that question got asked specifically, CNN offered a misleading interpretation, and the answer should be entirely discounted as a result.
The poll has one ray of sunshine, albeit dim: 54% of respondents trust the federal government over BP to run the cleanup. Right now, considering BP’s public image, that qualifies as damnation through faint praise.









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It is probably much much hire.
upinak on June 17, 2010 at 2:23 PM
Who wears boots on a beach?
President Resident Urkel!
dhunter on June 17, 2010 at 2:25 PM
Hire? only for public sector jobs.
I took a poll in our office, and his disapproval rating is at 100%
rightside on June 17, 2010 at 2:25 PM
Hey, the fools asked for a community organizer and that’s what they got. A despicable $hitbird that is only concerned for his own ilk.
csdeven on June 17, 2010 at 2:26 PM
And this is a CNN poll. They’re right down there with CBS and ABC/WaPo in terms of accuracy.
Doughboy on June 17, 2010 at 2:26 PM
Hey, I know let’s push cap and trade.
Oil Can on June 17, 2010 at 2:27 PM
Note to CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, et al.: Please increase your coverage of Joe Barton. Thanks,
The Office of the President
Vashta.Nerada on June 17, 2010 at 2:28 PM
Didja plug the hole yet, Daddy?
Steve Z on June 17, 2010 at 2:28 PM
Are you dictator yet, daddy?
Daggett on June 17, 2010 at 2:30 PM
Every circus needs a clown…
PatriotRider on June 17, 2010 at 2:32 PM
Where are the windmills?
lorien1973 on June 17, 2010 at 2:32 PM
If some of the msm continue to give a ‘fairly poor’, for them, account of this bho, team, and how this is being handled the poll numbers should continue to fall. One can hope!
L
letget on June 17, 2010 at 2:33 PM
Unfortunately for the sycophants, the unicorns are non-refundable.
kingsjester on June 17, 2010 at 2:34 PM
You know this is beyond politcs. This is criminal. the fact that the government would rather see the entire gulf devasted to further their politcal aims is enough to make one cry in anger that enough is enough.
Impeach. NOW. The gulf can not wait.
unseen on June 17, 2010 at 2:34 PM
I can see 400-450,000 temporary jobs being created out of this mess. I wonder if that is a factor in any way on the handling of this mess.
Johnnyreb on June 17, 2010 at 2:34 PM
The only poll that counts…
71% Say Government Response To Oil Leak Important To Their Vote
Knucklehead on June 17, 2010 at 2:34 PM
What a capital idea, save mother Gaia and put the serfs in their place at the same time… Brilliant idea…
doriangrey on June 17, 2010 at 2:35 PM
But did they understand the questions?
Cindy Munford on June 17, 2010 at 2:35 PM
Solar, the wave of the future. Just don’t fly in a solar powered airplane on a cloudy day.
Bishop on June 17, 2010 at 2:35 PM
Hi, have missed you in the evenings.
Cindy Munford on June 17, 2010 at 2:36 PM
will wolf and john king bring up this poll tonight on their shows?
or will this stay in the shadows of the internet?
cmsinaz on June 17, 2010 at 2:36 PM
Celtics in 7
Obama in 4
iam7545 on June 17, 2010 at 2:37 PM
Constitution? We don’t need no stinkin’ Consitution….
Babino on June 17, 2010 at 2:38 PM
Disapproval polls don’t mean squat. Ignore them. Defy Obama. Defy the moratorium. Save what’s left of the Gulf Coast, and tell BP and Barry go to Hell.
We are on our own, folks.
Christien on June 17, 2010 at 2:39 PM
rush was pretty much agreeing with barton today on his show…
cmsinaz on June 17, 2010 at 2:39 PM
sorry, wrong thread
cmsinaz on June 17, 2010 at 2:39 PM
Try the PEW poll–overall approval at 60%!
LOL
leftnomore on June 17, 2010 at 2:40 PM
By the way, Ed, if you want a first-hand account from a coastal parish townhall meeting in Louisiana today, say the word.
Christien on June 17, 2010 at 2:41 PM
“Are you under par yet Daddy?”
leftnomore on June 17, 2010 at 2:42 PM
Though we have jumped the gun before and declared this or that as Obama’s Waterloo, the administaration’s clumsy handling of the Gulf Spill and ther blatant bait and switch employed in his Oval address, the poll above ,and many corresponding, shoe that this indeed may be it.
RedState’s breakdown of the speech up on the “Best of the Blogs” board over on RCP illustrates precisely that the Gulf disaster is just another “crisis not to waste” the toxic asset of green energy. It is concise and worth the read and contains suffucient fodder for shooyong down lefty spin around the water-coller at the office.
http://www.redstate.com/mark_i/2010/06/16/obama-speech-breakdown/
Archimedes on June 17, 2010 at 2:42 PM
Can I change my last name yet, daddy?
Electrongod on June 17, 2010 at 2:44 PM
Damn typos & omissions!
“RedState’s breakdown of the speech up on the “Best of the Blogs” board over on RCP illustrates precisely that the Gulf disaster is just another “crisis not to waste” to sell the toxic asset of green energy.”
Archimedes on June 17, 2010 at 2:44 PM
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaHAHAHAHAHA
Bishop on June 17, 2010 at 2:45 PM
I do think polling has limitations. On issues such as this one, it almost seems unamerican to express any sympathy for BP.
But I have it, anyway. Not for the bad engineering. That’s on them.
But the rest has made me feel ill. I don’t think I like how we handle crisis these days.
AnninCA on June 17, 2010 at 2:46 PM
Shaking down any company who is under investigation with the Attornay General doing the investigating sitting in on it should be grounds for a lawsuit by some enterprising lawyer on behalf of the stockholders. How can BP do this without a vote of the board of directors who answer to the stockholders?
This is criminal Chicago gang stlye tactics.
IMPEACH AND REMOVE NOW!
dhunter on June 17, 2010 at 2:47 PM
Ed, AP…
The photo y’all have been using for these posts (Obama kneeling on the beach) reminds me of Christ’s “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”.
Just sayin’
Al-Ozarka on June 17, 2010 at 2:47 PM
Can I change my last name yet, daddy?
Electrongod on June 17, 2010 at 2:44 PM
Like you did?
How many social security numbers can I get daddy?
dhunter on June 17, 2010 at 2:49 PM
ARGH!!! All these “Daddy” quotes make me feel like I’m playing Bioshock.
Doughboy on June 17, 2010 at 2:51 PM
OilBama is just creating green jobs for the next two decades. If we are the only nation on a No Drill Moratorium, then we are the only ones being penalized for the incompetence of our president due to no fault of our own.
volsense on June 17, 2010 at 2:54 PM
About the alternative sources of energy… when the oil soaked pelicans fly into the wind turbines to get chopped up, will the oil help the turbine or cause it to need repair?
myrenovations on June 17, 2010 at 2:55 PM
More stupid Americans, right CNN?
ThePrez on June 17, 2010 at 2:56 PM
Apparently most Americans aren’t part of real America. Maybe that is why FoxNews in the #1 news network in the nation
ConservativePartyNow on June 17, 2010 at 2:57 PM
Just heard that Adm Allen halted all the skimmers for an inspection. No oil currently being skimmed on the gulf. Do you suppose that’s because Jindal started building his own damn berms without dear leader’s approval? Hmmmm.
Kissmygrits on June 17, 2010 at 2:57 PM
As the Messiah perhaps his game plan is to convert “snake” oil into perpetual “whine” about offshore drilling.
technopeasant on June 17, 2010 at 3:00 PM
Don’t worry. He just got $20B from BP for the 2010 and 2012 campaigns. He will be just fine.
angryed on June 17, 2010 at 3:02 PM
Kissmygrits,
I heard this from a caller on Rush. The caller said that it was all over her local news outlets. Do you have any conformation on this?
L
letget on June 17, 2010 at 3:08 PM
Could Obama be our “Man of LaMancha”? Chasing after windmills? Hmmm! That would make Biden his “Sancho” wouldn’t it?
UkiddenMe on June 17, 2010 at 3:10 PM
I was thinking of the movie “Apollo 13″.
When the men were in the capsule on the verge of death, NASA engineers sat down, defined the problem, itemized their resources and figured out a solution.
They did NOT immediately hold hearing to find out why the O2 tank exploded and who was to blame while the astronauts needed rescue.
These congressional hearings are down right foolish right now.
kurtzz3 on June 17, 2010 at 3:19 PM
Allen halted skimmers and calls for inspections
The feds were offered cleanup assistance from 13 countries and they were all rejected. Most were rejected in writing. Resident Barry must be telling them we have no problem.
seven on June 17, 2010 at 3:25 PM
Those are the official “ass-kicking” boots.
KeepOhioRed on June 17, 2010 at 3:27 PM
I keep saying the lower this administration goes in the polls the more dangerous it will become.I and others think it,s going to get really bad .You know the old saying you corner a wounded animal and it become more dangerous.God only knows what lays ahead for our country over the next fews years.
thmcbb on June 17, 2010 at 3:32 PM
FIFY
chemman on June 17, 2010 at 3:35 PM
What sort of head injury must you suffer to approve of his job on the spill?
Chuck Schick on June 17, 2010 at 3:46 PM
The kind that made you vote for him in the first place?
HAnthonyWayne on June 17, 2010 at 4:02 PM
CNN Breaking News, Don Lemon:
“We reported earlier today that on a poll we conducted regarding the President’s handling of the oil spill, that his disapprovals are increasing. We are very sorry to now report that the poll questions were at grade 9.8 level and probably over most of our viewers comprehension level.”
More news at 11:00.
jbh45 on June 17, 2010 at 4:02 PM
Guillianni, Cramer with talking heads on Morning Joe making slam dunk case for impeachment over gulf negligence…if it were Bush in office. Christiesque common sense porn.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/06/17/giuliani_if_this_was_bush_he_would_have_been_impeached_by_now.html
Sit back, kick your feet up, and pass the popcorn.
Archimedes on June 17, 2010 at 4:02 PM
I told you there wasn’t going to be bump. The Left is furious.
John the Libertarian on June 17, 2010 at 4:05 PM
I was thinking more of a review of Star Wars Galzxies as it was first starting up and the reviewer pointed out that if SW really did have rocket launchers available the films would have had some very different scenes…
Vader: “Luke, I’m your father.”
*click* *snap* *click*
Luke: “Who’s your daddy?”
ajacksonian on June 17, 2010 at 4:11 PM
Good discussion — definitely worth a listen. Thanks.
Nichevo on June 17, 2010 at 4:21 PM
I keep saying the lower this administration goes in the polls the more dangerous it will become.I and others think it,s going to get really bad .You know the old saying you corner a wounded animal and it become more dangerous.God only knows what lays ahead for our country over the next fews years.
thmcbb on June 17, 2010 at 3:32 PM
On many a post I have made this exact point, some peeps are mistakenly under the impression that the normal equation of, lack of performance= polls tanking= loss of re-election= problem solved. These people in the Oval are fanatics, they are so convinced of their superiority and nobility of their cause that they will embrace whatever means necessary to save the planet from the evils of the inherently racist American system of Capitalism. The vast majority of the electorate are merely shocked by an apparent display of incompetence, they have yet to fully grasp that these events are but kabuki theater to justify the rejection of the “tired old philosophies of the past” that made America great. That we must undertake “bold initiatives to confront the complex and unprecedented problems we face. “That the inadequate solutions of the past, will not suffice to remedy what faces us.”
Some peeps are in for eye-opening events yet to come.
The playbook is right out of Atlas & Fountainhead, read Rand!
Archimedes on June 17, 2010 at 4:31 PM
There, that’s better.
UltimateBob on June 17, 2010 at 4:49 PM
Maybe people are upset that the planet’s not healing yet?
paul1149 on June 17, 2010 at 5:17 PM
It is evident that when you combine Chicago corruption with communist ideology, you are going to get an evil system which is like none other we have faced within the USA. We have president, along with his fanatic cadres of revolutionary termites in our federal government, who hates us all. They reside within an iron bubble.
Archimedes is correct. These are fanatics. They learn nothing. They don’t listen. Their goal is the ruination of a free America so a utopian totalitarian system can be set up. They of course will be the elite rulers over all us peons.
Dhuka on June 17, 2010 at 7:03 PM
This is even after they explained to us all that we were too stupid to understand his speech? It’s sad when a failing news outlet like CNN can’t effectively peddle the white house’s propaganda.
Dr Evil on June 17, 2010 at 7:11 PM
Another example of proof that destruction of this country is the outright goal of Obama.
Jindal ordered barges to use their equipment to suck up the oil. It appeared to be working great until today. It seems the Coasties ordered them to stop because they couldn’t confirm that they had fire extinguishers and life jackets on board in the proper amount.
The Coasties stopped it? Sure… they aren’t allowed to unzip their fly to take a leak without WH permission.
CC
CapedConservative on June 17, 2010 at 8:36 PM