Poll Arising Obama

Greg Sargent analyzes a new Gallup poll and comes away with some strong evidence that Obama is well within the mainstream.

So 68% of Independents — more than two thirds — have confidence in Obama to do the right thing on the economy. That’s only three points less than the 71% overall who feel this way. Meanwhile, the same can be said of only 38% of Republicans — thirty points less than the percentage of independents who feel this way.

Two points on this. First, it illustrates a trend we’ve been seeing since 2008, and even 2006: A merging of the attitudes of independents and Democrats. And second, it illustrates that the American people’s starkly polarized attitude towards Obama — something that was a big topic last week — continues to be driven largely by increasing Republican isolation.

It's that last point that is absolutely vital. It would be one thing if Obama was clearly losing independent voters or less than 50% of independents believed in him. But this poll clearly shows that it is the Republicans who are out of touch with America and who it believes it can fix the economy.

America has rejected the Republican party on this issue.