Shocker (for Europeans): Obama polls almost the same as Bush

[Phier]

By 47 to 45 percent, Americans say Obama is a better president than George W. Bush. But that two point margin is down from a 23 point advantage one year ago. "Democrats may want to think twice about bringing up former President George W. Bush's name while campaigning this year," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

with a sampling error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points for likely voters

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...nt-than-obama/

With the November elections about a month away, and Obama's high 'approval' numbers in Europe, you might need to brace yourself for a bit of a shocker.

Now while I think some of this is people realizing Bush wasn't so bad seeing how things are with him gone, the real change is the lack of faith in Obama to lead this country out of the recession, along with unpopular legislation. Its not that people think Bush was good all of a sudden, its just by comparison.

The only question to be answered is will he be a Clinton or a Carter?

[roy34543]

To be fair, Likely voters is a bit of a misleading statistic. Some people wont vote because theyre conflicted but still feel obama is a better president then bush.

[Ataegina]

i think obama have the wrong job, he's better for stand-up comedy and not as president. i guess hillary was better, more firm wrist to politics.

[Dr. Croccer]

I like how Phier pretends it's Europeans that like Obama when we don't.

[athanaric]

I like how Phier pretends it's Europeans that like Obama when we don't.

Actually, you and I don't make up the majority of Europeans. Most of my countrymen cheered Obama like they've only cheered Him Who Must Not Be Named before. And I've heard similar things from other places. In Frankfurt, they even staged a friggin' Obama musical (see this critic's video. Only recommended if you can stand intense pain).

[skh1]

Actually, you and I don't make up the majority of Europeans. Most of my countrymen cheered Obama like they've only cheered Him Who Must Not Be Named before. And I've heard similar things from other places. In Frankfurt, they even staged a friggin' Obama musical (see this critic's video. Only recommended if you can stand intense pain).

Thank you for the link to this most interesting video. It is proof, if proof be needed, that there is little that would shock an average European.

[mrcrusty]

Hopefully a Clinton. IIRC, he's the only President since what, pre-Reagan, to actually leave the country with surplus.

Though, the Republicans and conservatives look a lot less reasonable this time around. A lot more fringe and nutty imo...

[Thorn777]

Half of te US is just saddened he didn't do all the Marxism the other half accuses him of for being sorta black and sorta Muslim.

American politics....thank god for being European.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

and what does this have to do with Europeans?

I suppose we are all responsible for him being in office in or something like that, seeing as we're all communist dictatorships.

[removeduser_487563287433]

ITT Phier assumes Europeans do not consider Americans to be stupid.

[Stavroforos]

Phier, Europeans will always been suspicious or wary of any American president. Europe got caught up in Obamamania but when it died out they went back to their usual anti-American attitude.

Not to mention disapproval for Obama from Europeans will almost certainly come from foreign policy, as opposed to domestic issues. And as far as foreign policy goes, Obama hasn't been very different from Bush.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

Phier, Europeans will always been suspicious or wary of any American president. Europe got caught up in Obamamania but when it died out they went back to their usual anti-American attitude.

Not to mention disapproval for Obama from Europeans will almost certainly come from foreign policy, as opposed to domestic issues. And as far as foreign policy goes, Obama hasn't been very different from Bush.

what the hell are you talking?

What Europeans have an "anti-American attitude"? What non-Americans care about US domestic policy?

[Stavroforos]

what the hell are you talking?

What Europeans have an "anti-American attitude"? What non-Americans care about US domestic policy?

The ones that don't seem to come from those North Atlantic islands.

[Babur]

The ones that don't seem to come from those North Atlantic islands.

like the founding fathers?

[Phier]

what the hell are you talking?

What Europeans have an "anti-American attitude"? What non-Americans care about US domestic policy?

You must be new here on TWC. From what I can gather, every European is an expert on US domestic policy

Americans arguing that Obama is worse than Bush is rather like climate change deniers arguing that because Britain is getting colder global warming can't be true. Truth is, we all knew America wasn't ready for a leader who actually wants to bring it out of its backward introspectiveness and into the 21st Century, and we suspected that without the support of the people any good he does achieve will pale in comparison to the mess left by Bush. You wait 10 years and see what you think of him then.

Yea we all love Carter now. Enjoy your 21st century 'austerity' measures. I find it humorous that you can look at Europe or the UK and then think there is any sort of more advanced 'superiority'. We have rejected that 'superiority' and would like to maintain our status as superpower, innovation leader, that sort of thing

We were not quite ready to go into collective irrelevance yet, give it time, sloth and naive optimism will lead us to your promised land sooner or later, just not yet.

[justicar5]

Yea we all love Carter now. Enjoy your 21st century 'austerity' measures. I find it humorous that you can look at Europe or the UK and then think there is any sort of more advanced 'superiority'. We have rejected that 'superiority' and would like to maintain our status as superpower, innovation leader, that sort of thing

you forogot to mention overthrowing any democratic goverment that objects to you, and supporting blood soaked dictators that serve your interests. I am still surprised that the NATO states in europe where not overthrown by american backed military dictatorships during the cold war, as that is the ally republicans prefer above all others.

[Phier]

you forogot to mention overthrowing any democratic goverment that objects to you, and supporting blood soaked dictators that serve your interests. I am still surprised that the NATO states in europe where not overthrown by american backed military dictatorships during the cold war, as that is the ally republicans prefer above all others.

Pardon me, but did UK citizen just talk about government overthrow and blood soaked dictators in a holier than thou tone?

Its like the last 500 years of history didn't happen

[Poach]

This confuses me, I don't like Obama at all and nor did I like Bush, but atleast Bush was funny.

Anyway, correct me if I'm wrong, but by that poll 45-47% of Americans still think Obama is the better President: that's half the voting population. Hardly "almost the same", or am I misinterpreting this percentage?

[Poach]

To be fair, ireland, part of my dislike of Obama does stem from the fact that, atleast early on (not sure how he rolls now), he seemed incapable of getting anything done because he was constantly trying to please both sides, which appears pretty much impossible in US Politics.

[Jom]

Obama is presiding over a recession which involves mass unemployment whereas Bush presided over a period of billions of dollars in surplus for the first half of his time in office, and yet the two get equal ratings in the polls. Hardly something to gloat about: the ignorance of the average US voter. I would say that Obama was doing incredibly well considering these factors.