Bad numbers for Obama today, via the latest CBS poll, which shows Pres. Obama at his lowest approval since taking office, with health care part of the picture. So there’s a reason Pres. Obama is making jokes about the polls, while simultaneously hitting the right, but inside the White House no one should be laughing.
When it comes to health care, the President’s approval rating is even lower — and is also a new all-time low. Only 34 percent approved, while 55 percent said they disapproved.
Americans are still worried about the economy, with 84 percent telling CBS they thought it was still in bad condition. However, even that high number represents an improvement: nine in ten thought the economy was bad during the last half of 2008 and at the beginning of 2009, when Mr. Obama assumed the Presidency.
Remains to be seen if the new job numbers will get people’s attention, or if Obama and the Democrats have spent way too much time away from people’s main concern: jobs and the economy. Obama’s most ardently biased fans are trumpeting the news as the best in three years, which it is and is no doubt terrific. However, Via Lynn Sweet, we get a hint as to where the new jobs came from, even as unemployment remains at 9.7%:
Temporary help services and health care continued to add jobs over the month. Employment in federal government also rose, reflecting the hiring of temporary workers for Census 2010. Employment continued to decline in financial activities and in information.
You get a much starker and more honest view from Tula Connell at AFL-CIO:
Although the March report is a big improvement from the hundreds of thousands of jobs lost each month during 2009, job growth is effectively stalled and long-term unemployment is eating away at people’s pocketbooks and the nation’s economy. More than two in every five unemployed workers in this country have been unemployed for more than six months. And the situation is getting worse. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) increased by 414,000 over the month to 6.5 million. In March, 44.1 percent of unemployed persons were jobless for 27 weeks or more.
When both unemployed and underemployed workers are counted, there are still some 26 million people without full-time work—a 16.9 percent underemployment rate.
Yesterday, both Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity were quick to preemptively attack the new job numbers, with Michael Steel of the RNC releasing a statement that doesn’t acknowledge anything happened.
“No matter what spin the White House puts on these job numbers, it is unacceptable for President Obama to declare economic success when unemployment remains at 9.7 percent and a large portion of the job growth came from temporary boost in government employment. As Democrats grow Big Government, Americans grow weary of the strain on family budgets, job security and peace of mind. As America’s employers announce the frightening and immediate impact of the Democrat government-run healthcare experiment on their balance sheets, American workers wonder why the only place exempt from increasingly painful belt-tightening seems to be Washington, D.C. In November, the American voters will deliver a few more pink slips – to Congressional Democrats.” – Michael Steele
The only reason Mr. Steele all of people, with yet another story about RNC expense account abuse, and others can get away with this is that the people are fed up with Democrats, who run Washington. That Obama and Democrats passed a health care bill that people didn’t want is another problem.
Republicans are also touting a new CNN poll that reportedly shows an increase in support for Republicans on the economy, with Democrats slipping.
Happy talk about today’s jobs reports is understandable, but the underlying reality is what people are feeling, which is why Democrats are slipping on the economy, while Obama’s numbers start to sag. It’s what you expect in an off-year election season, but watch the trajectory, as it will foreshadow the damage likely to come the Dems way in November.
Up ain’t down (more jobs are being created) which is the best thing that can be said about the jobs report. But Obama has yet to come to grips with the fact that the people running his agenda in the White House are serving him very poorly. Specifically Emanuel and Axelrod. Until he cuts these two losers lose his poll numbers will continue to decline. Until he reaches zero (0%) or is voted out of office that is. Peace
It’s never bad news when jobs are created. Let’s hope it continues.
The underlying reality is just as important, however.
Nobody outside the political watchers gives a crap about Rahm and Dave, who after the hcr win are as safe as they’ve ever been. (Cue: I told you so.)
I don’t think very worthwhile purposes are served by those who always seek to deflect responsibility from Obama to other underlings.
There is no deflection of responsibility away from Obama on my part. I hold him totally responsible for hiring these two jackasses in the first place and not firing either of them yet. Peace
I’ll go out on a limb here and say that neither of them will be in the WH at this time next year. In the meantime beating each of them with their own club sure is fun. Peace
It’s the economy, and most everybody in DC is stupid. The Repubs stupidly just say no, and the Dems stupidly just act timid and like anything but a majority party.
So, politics as usual, with millions still jobless or underemployed; bigger mortgages than home worth, if they haven’t lost the home already; and health care still safely in the arms of the corporatists. And that’s just domestic issues.
On the topic of jobs.The more I read and watch things on PBS and C-span on our current job situation the more I realize that it is a deeply structural problem. Globalization has allowed the formation of huge international monopolies.That creates economies of scale. In other words they need fewer workers.Think of just what Walmart has done to distroy small businesses (the main employer)and take away all the middle class jobs in a small town and replace them with low wage menial jobs.
Did you know that all the world’s phosphate is supplied by ONE company in China? That means no matter where you buy you vitamin C or of what supposed quality your vitamins are, one of the main ingredients comes from the same plant.
Whole secters of professionals are being wipped out as pharma companies merge.They have dropped out of the market for their skill set: lab tecs,research scientists,office managers,data entry people…on and on.Same thing with small farms verses big agriculture.
Add that to the fact that Wall Street is no longer in the business of financing great new ideas they are playing gambling games with our money and have been given free reign to keep it up.
During Tavis Smily’s,Black Agenda Report,College Presidents were telling top students in the audience to be willing to accept “middle skill jobs” jobs that require high school plus but not a degree or to do non paid internships.What middle class kid with student loan debt can afford to to that?
When I graduated I was hired over the phone! Schools were so desperate for Special Education teachers. I feel so sorry for all these kids who did what was expected of them and got the degree and there is nothing out there for them.
There is no easy fix and I don’t see anything even approaching vision in Washington D.C.
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I posted this a few days ago on another thread.
While at my doctor’s office today she told me that with the cuts to docs from medicare and the cuts to hospital reinbursement for doctors work she is making 50% less than she was four years ago. She said I can either retire and make nothing or I can keep on just so our staff has jobs. She was whispering.
She also told me about several family members who where medical docs and PhDs combined who went in to research and were now unemployed and her son was recently told that he has a choice take a 30% pay cut or lose his job.
Something is very,very wrong when we are losing people with this level of training and Pharma and Insurance companies are raking in the profits they are.
There does indeed seem to be a “malaise” abroad in the land.
A malaise. An exhaustion. A “let’s pretend.” A fear to see what’s happening. A fear that you’ve seen what’s happening, including the lack of good answers.
Less process and branding focus, more policy focus — might help a little, in seeing possibilities. That, and finding ways to hold the Electeds accountable. I know, I’m very short on concrete suggestions.
I think we have to have a revolution before anything changes. The entrenched interests are so powerful.Think about it…. all three branches of government are corrupted.The media is only concerned with self interest and it is supposed to be the 4th branch.
All of the allied organizations of the Dems have been co-opted. The right and it’s allied organizations have lost their collective minds and gone into full reactionary mode.
Change is going to have to come from the streets and it will when people realize that the american dream is now an illusion.My worry is the form it will take.The right has proven they will do anything to take power including stealing elections. The people preparing for a revolution are on the right.I know they sound crazy but they are going to be ready when it all falls apart.This country cannot sustain it’s current form of governing. Eventually we will run out of lenders and there is no boom on the horizon.
We could begin by dissolving the health insurance companies and nationalizing the oil companies. What do you suppose would happen to Obama if he proposed to do those two things? Peace