Gallup poll: Majority Now Say Obama's Policies "Mostly Liberal"

In foreign policy I always thought of Obama as Bush lite or in the AfPak war Bush heavy! Of course with the plunging popularity of the Afghan mission he may change his tune most likely to a middle of the road mess. The political mood in the US seems to be more conservative than when Obama was elected. Obama has faced multiple challenges. Given the euphoria surrounding his election it is not surprising that when the rather unpleasant reality of the situation many face in this recession dawned upon people in the US that Obama should lose some support. The huge expenditures on bailing out the US financial and some industrial corporations rankles with many. All this expenditure seems to be somehow associated with liberalism even though it was initiated by Bush and was supported by Wall Street hardly a left or liberal institution. But polls measure the real perceptions not the reality itself. Our quite Conservative prime minister continually vows his support for Canadian single payer medicare so I guess he must be a far out Liberal!! The excerpts are from gallup.com.

November 4, 2009
In U.S., Majority Now Say Obama's Policies "Mostly Liberal"
Fewer than half believe he has kept his election promises
by Lydia SaadPage: 12
PRINCETON, NJ -- A majority of Americans now see President Barack ObamaBarack Obama as governing from the left. Specifically, 54% say his policies as president have been mostly liberal while 34% call them mostly moderate. This contrasts with public expectations right after Obama's election a year ago, when as many expected him to be moderate as to be liberal.

"While most Americans say it is important to them that President Obama keep the promises he made during the campaign (82%), far fewer, 48%, currently believe he has done so."This finding comes from a USA Today/Gallup survey, conducted Oct. 16-19, which offers several indications that Obama's public image has changed since his election last November. Much of that change is inauspicious for Obama.

Perhaps related to the re-evaluation of Obama's ideological orientation, fewer Americans today than in April say Obama is keeping the promises he made during the campaign.

While most Americans say it is important to them that President Obama keep the promises he made during the campaign (82%), far fewer, 48%, currently believe he has done so. This represents a slide in support for the president on this measure since April, when nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) said he was keeping his promises.

The decline in the percentage saying Obama has kept his promises is seen among all three major parties, dropping from 92% to 77% among Democrats, from 54% to 41% among independents, and from 45% to 22% among Republicans. To some degree, of course, the longer a president serves, the more opportunities there are for people to see him as breaking promises, which may account for some of this shift since the early months of Obama's presidency.

....Dampened Favorable Rating a Key Indicator

Obama's favorable rating, now 55%, is a more fundamental indicator of the post-election change in his image. Immediately after the election, 68% of Americans viewed Obama favorably. The figure rose to 78% around the time of his inauguration and registered in the mid- to high 60s from March through July. However, an early October Gallup survey showed the figure dropping to 56%, similar to the latest finding.

....Among Democrats by ideology, Obama's favorability rating has fallen mostly among moderate Democrats, from 97% to 84%, with a smaller dip among conservative Democrats, 78% to 72%. It has held steady at 97% among liberal Democrats.

This erosion of support for Obama among moderate Democrats (as well as among Republicans and independents) may correspond with the increasing percentage of Americans perceiving that Obama is governing from the left.

Bottom Line

President Obama is not enjoying the same broad appeal and centrist image that he did in the afterglow of his election last November. Although a majority of Americans continue to view him favorably, this percentage has declined. The common perception that he would govern as a moderate has given way to a heightened belief that Obama's policies are mostly liberal. (Interpreted in the light of Americans' generally conservative leanings, this could be a problem for Obama politically.) And whereas in April most Americans believed he was sticking to the promises he made during the campaign, fewer than half now say that's the case.....