Washington Whispers

Poll: Most Want Obama Fired In 2012

By Paul Bedard

Posted: October 27, 2010

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, rapped by the White House for pledging to make Barack Obama a one-term president, seems to have the support of a majority of Americans. A new poll provided to Whispers says that 56 percent of likely voters want the president fired.

According to pollster Doug Schoen, whose new poll shows vast support for the Tea Party movement among voters, the president is still liked by about half the nation. In fact, more like him personally than like his policies. Some 48 percent think he's a nice guy, while just 42 percent approve of his job performance.

[See photos of the Obamas behind the scenes.]

But that personal favorability doesn't translate into re-election support when voters are asked if Obama deserves a second term. Says Schoen: "Despite voters feelings toward Obama personally, 56 percent say he does not deserve to be re-elected, while 38 percent say he does deserve to be re-elected president." Worse, Schoen adds, "43 percent say that Barack Obama has been a better president than George W. Bush, while 48 percent say Bush was a better president than Obama has been."

[See a photo gallery of Bush's legacy.]

Still, the president has a shot at re-election, according to the poll of 1,000 likely voters taken October 18-24. Schoen found that a slight majority, 51 percent, favor a third party in American politics and if that were the Tea Party, then Obama would win in a three-way race in 2012. According to Schoen, if the race pitted Obama, Republican Mitt Romney and Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin in 2012, Obama would top the others with 40 percent; Romney gets 32 percent and Palin 17 percent. And, in a bit of bad news for Palin, if the Tea Party candidate were Mike Huckabee, he and Romney would split the non-Obama vote 24 percent-24 percent.

[See editorial cartoons about President Obama.]

Other highlights in Schoen's poll presentation:

-- 54 percent say the Tea Party has been a good thing for American politics.

-- Voters favor Republicans over Democrats on a generic ballot 48 percent to 39 percent.

-- The Democratic attack on special interest money helping Republicans isn't having much of an impact.

No Third Parties

If everyone here doesn't want a third party, how about making the Democrat Party the third party. Right now you have the Tea Party on the Right, the Republicans in the middle (right where independents like to live), and the Democrats on the left. If the country really is moving to the right, let's work to marginilize the Democrats.

Alan of FL @ Oct 29, 2010 03:29:55 AM

greatness lost is legend

I blame Perot for creating the Clinton Presidency. Without split vote Bush would have defeated Clinton, but in turn Republicans would not have won a huge majority in the 1994 Congressional race. The economy would not have boomed quite as much during the 90's as Bush senior and Congress would have not reduced capital gains and dividend taxes. The Dot Com bubble would have been reduced, meaning a shallower recession afterwards. In addition Bin Laden would have been arrested when the Saudi's offered him up to: President Colin Powell, who would have followed after Bush's second term. Whether that would have stopped or delayed 9-11 is somewhat an open question due to the structure of Al Qaeda.

Would George W Bush had run in 2004? Kerry? With no Iraqi war what about US debt and economic prospects during the last decade?

What If. History is full of these scenario's. Newt Gingrich authored books titled: Pearl Harbor, and Days of Infamy, which featured a story based on Yamamoto directly commanding the carriers that attacked Pearl, conducting a third wave air attack, and bombardment of Honolulu by battleship. There is a series of alternative history scenario's under a title "What If" Greatness Lost Is Legend is science fiction based on this.

History is made up of billions of decisions may mostly for good reason by people the majority of whom are of good character. Events are so volatile a single decision by a rich man, Perot, to promote an opinion about free trade, completely tore up what should have been decades of relative peace for this country.

Third party candidates in the US system are poison. That is what primaries are for. If third party candidates choose to run, then a Constitutional Amendment should be applied to have a run off vote two weeks after, between the top two candidates, as the French do. Palin's father was a Social Studies teacher and he will likely beat any idea of running as a third party candidate out of his daughter's head. Thankfully rendering this "What If" moot...

pattkean of HI @ Oct 29, 2010 03:06:18 AM

B.F.

To Beyond Fanatusm - What kind of KoolAid have you been drinking? If Muslims are not radical how come no one in the M. community speaks up against the atrosities that their brethern have commited? I believe World trade Center 7 is magical ie: non existant. Get your head out of the m.j. clouds and get in touch with reality. It's fools like you that have voted America into this mess. FYI: Bush inherited a recession from Clinton, righted our economy inspite of 911 - that is until fools like you decided to vote in an all Dim congress in 2006, from that time forward the economy started to go to hell in a hand basket - compliments of the DemocRAT congress. Four times the Bush administration tried to put restraints on Fanny and Freddy and four times he was shot down by the majority congress with Chris Dodd (D) and Barney Frank (D)in the forefront. The only hope tht America has is to rid ourselves of ALL Dims beginning with the Kenyan.

Genie of NV @ Oct 29, 2010 01:34:54 AM

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