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Obama’s Approval Rating Falls Among African-Americans Surveyed
Published by Pamela Gentry on Friday, July 31, 2009 at 1:11 am.
By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst
July 31, 2009 – President Barack Obama’s approval rating among African-American fell in a recent survey conducted by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. The survey indicates one of the largest drops in the president’s approval rating since taking office in January.
Some of the drop may be connected to the timing – the poll was conducted as the controversial remarks surrounding the situation with Cambridge Police Stg. James Crowley and Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates played out.
Participants were surveyed Wednesday to Sunday, July 22-26. The suvey included White, Black and Hispanics praticipants. Obama’s overall job approval was 54 percent, seven points lower than mid-June. The poll of 1,506 adults has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Among the 124 blacks surveyed, the poll showed Obama’s overall job approval at 93 percent in mid-June and 85 percent in July. Among 1,170 whites polled, 52 percent approved of Obama’s job performance in mid-June, and in July, 48 percent.
During the White House briefing on Thursday, press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters the president isn’t watching and worrying about falling poll numbers.
“Look, the president doesn’t spend a whole lot of time focused on polling,” Gibbs said. “The president isn’t fixated on the ups and downs in polling. If we were, we’d have quit two years ago this summer, if ever even run for president.”
No doubt the recent comments by Obama regarding the Crowley-Gates incident had an impact. When he remarked the Cambridge police “acted stupidly” when they arrested the Harvard scholar in his home re-igniting the issue.
In a gesture to bring the two together the president invited Crowley and Gates to the White House for a beer on Thursday. Following the Rose Garden meeting, Obama released a statement saying, “I have always believed that what brings us together is stronger than what pulls us apart.”
“I am confident that has happened here tonight, and I am hopeful that all of us are able to draw this positive lesson from this episode,” he said.
Crowley held a press conference, still excited from his visit to Pennsylvania Avenue with his family and told reporters, he and Gates had “a private and frank discussion,” but with different perspectives.
“I think what you had today was two gentlemen who agreed to disagree on a particular issue,” Crowley told reporters. “I don’t think that we spent too much time dwelling on the past. We spent a lot of time discussing the future.”
Gates, who has been measured in his remarks about the incident told The New York Times he and Crowley had come together “through an accident of time and place” and can now take the opportunity “to foster greater sympathy among the American public for the daily perils of policing on the one hand, and for the genuine fears of racial profiling on the other hand.”
Let’s hope this discussion leads to improving the overriding problem; racial profiling.
I find it funny that most people here are dismissive of the polls. I know in my church 95%+ supported Obama at the onset. However, after 6 months of Obama policies that are worst than Bush ( I did not think anybody could have been worse than Bush until Obama came along!) its no wonder Obamas Poll numbers are dropping.
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I would say about 70% of our church members favor Obama now and those numbers are declining daily.
hummmmmmmmmm?
I have read a report saying the Presidents approval rating is high among blacks and hispanics and it is also high among college educated whites and whites that earn 75k+. the ratings have fallen among less educated whites and whites that earn less than 60k. I don’t know who does these polls but almost everyone knows that stats. can be manipulated.
President Obama is doing a GREAT a Job !
The INSURANCE & PHARMACIST COMPANIES ?
Change You Can Believe In ! Yes We Can !
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. PRESIDENT !!!
This crabs in a barrel mentality must stop. Nobody is worst than Bush!
@seschris,
AMENNNNNNN!!!!!!! The damage has been done, and it will take years & years to bring this country back. President Obama stated that during his campaign…It will take time and it might not happen during his First Term in Office…And that’s being realistic!
ok guys read your comments of the story and wasnt surprised in the least to hear detractors of the president and the job he is doing ….um really simple people it has only been how many months now???? give the guy a chance not that I am a blind obama drone or anything but normally doesnt a term last four years??? anybody???? as stated by anyone who has common sense this will take a while to fix and odds are it wont be fixed in the time we are all comfortable with. to the detractors ,jt,david and rednblack. do you really think health care is ok the way it is ??? really?? the banking system was just fine before right??? you guys dont have a clue . this government has backed and bailed out everyone but those supporting the system i.e. taxpayers period. i believe these thing swont ever be truly fixed for as long as someone can bend a rule or grease the right palms nothing will truly be done the right way . but that shouldnt stop those in the positions we have placed them to do what is in the best interest of those effected i.e. everyone !!!! by the way i would argue that no one who has ever run for president has the presidency on their resume and by that argument would cancel the idiocy of your comments no offence but if you are pissed off find a valid oppinion and share it not your issues with what isnt being done the way you would want it thats the real issue isnt it??? get over yourselves do some reading about how this system works not your emotional attachment to your ideals .
JT you are an embarrassment!!! And you are ignorant!!! Our president is the most educated and intelligent man ever to hold the office!
JT, how quickly we forget the TYRANT our wonderful country just threw out of office for destroying our economy!
JT stop being a hater!
rednblack, you know that you don’t go to church! there you go spouting those fake numbers and percentages again! you lie and say that you like our great president! I see straight through you and your kind.
rednblack, get a grip and pull yourself together! we have darn near perfect president for once in history! AND, he will be re-elected to a second term!
guess what rednblack; there is nothing you or your bigot friends can do about it!
complex post. upright one detail where I quarrel with it. I am emailing you in detail.
Hi nene:
I have a question for you.
Have you ever heard of a man named John Fitzgerald Kennedy?
Yes, Conservative Blacks do exist and are growing!
On August 7, 2009 Matt Towery of InsiderAdvantage reported the results of two Georgia polls taken to gauge African-Americans’ Approval Rating of President Obama.
Disapproval among African Americans was found to be between 35 to 38%. This is surprising when you consider that in Nov 2008 that 90% of the African American voters elected Obama.
Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as Conservative Black Americans. Listen to Herman Cain for proof.
All obama haters should stop pouring their venom in obama’s face coz he’s the only president who has achieved something in a short time given the situation how he found the country.why not being patient like u were when BUSH was destroying every thing.i wonder why you even consider polls yet you know the media uses such things to sell their papers.give the president a chance.yes he can
Give me a break people, is that all you judge a president on being a little more articulate or charismatic? Why don’t you judge him on what he is trying to do to this country. Or do you know? Or all the people here black? That’s the only reason blacks voted for him. 97 percent! wow how you folks look at race.
Don”t be Silly All You People Are in the bag for the False MESSIAH
Why isn’t Maxine Waters not in Jail ?
oh please give us a break.may be am the one blind.bt this is the first time America has been led by a black.the country is in that dilema becoz of a white.give credit where its due.your anger towards blacks has even made you think low.u mean blacks cant do anything meaningful.and did u know that some blacks voted mccain.
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I’m fr virginia and some blacks i know are getting mad at him.
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