Obama, the Economy and Public Opinion

Obama, the Economy and Public Opinion

Polls come and polls go. At best, individual polls are mere snapshots of public sentiment on any given issue. At worst, polls can reflect the bias of the pollsters themselves or those who interpret the data. Questions can be skewed in the way they’re phrased to elicit a desirable response. One’s best defense is to only pay heed to polls which come from reputable sources.

When it comes to politics, polls are even more of a concern. As the old line goes, a week is an eternity in politics in that public opinion can instantly shift on breaking news. What is of greater relevance when one is interpreting a new poll, is to look at the trend. If it’s all pointing in one direction, then one can have greater confidence that the polling results are a true reflection of the public opinion.

So what am I leading to here? Simply that in in this time of economic uncertainty, being able to gauge public sentiment and trust in their elected leaders is of paramount importance. Emerging from a recession has as much to do with hard numbers and policies as it does with public perception. When people lose faith in their institutions, then it doesn’t matter a damn how you tweak the system. It’s imperative you get the majority to believe you’re implementing the policies and changes which will turn it all around in due time.

So, how is President Obama doing in this area of public perception? He’s doing pretty good and the numbers are heading in the right direction. Here’s the latest from a Washington Post/ABC poll.

Forty-two percent now believe that the country is headed in the right direction compared to 8% back in October.  As well, 57% believe it’s headed in the wrong direction as compared to 90% in October.  Good trends.

Again, the trend is pointing in the right direction.

A 65% approval rating in this ugliest of times is a positive sign.

What we can discern from the above poll is that there is still a way to go in boosting consumer confidence. Millions have lost their jobs while millions of others are suffering in one way or another during these tough economic times. But in the all important area of public perception, the numbers are all pointing in the right direction. Your thoughts?