The Message War

Americans aren't happy with Obama, but they still side with him over Bush and the Republicans.

While the president is showing signs of vulnerability on his handling of the economy — a majority of respondents say he has yet to offer a clear plan for creating jobs — Americans blame former President George W. Bush, Wall Street and Congress much more than they do Mr. Obama for the nation’s economic problems and the budget deficit, the poll found.

They credit Mr. Obama more than Republicans with making an effort at bipartisanship, and they back the White House’s policies on a variety of disputed issues, including allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military and repealing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.

The poll suggests that both parties face a toxic environment as they prepare for the elections in November. Public disapproval of Congress is at a historic high, and huge numbers of Americans think Congress is beholden to special interests. Fewer than 1 in 10 Americans say members of Congress deserve re-election.

As the party in power, Democrats face a particular risk from any wave of voter discontent; unfavorable views of the Democratic Party are as high as they have been since the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994, though Republicans continue to register an even worse showing. The percentage of Americans who approve of Mr. Obama’s job performance, 46 percent, is as low as it has been since he took office.

Still, the poll suggests that Mr. Obama and his party have an opportunity to deflect the anger and anxiety if they can frame the election not as a referendum on the president and his party, but as a choice between them and a Republican approach that yielded results under Mr. Bush that much of the nation still blames for the country’s woes. That is what the White House has been trying to do since the beginning of the year.

For all the erosion in support for Mr. Obama, Americans say he better understands their needs and problems and has made more of an effort to be bipartisan than Congressional Republicans, the poll found.

Highlights of the CBS/NYT Poll:

• Only 4% of Americans think the deficit is our biggest problem.
• Obama's down to 35% approval on health care.
• Only 8% think Congress deserves to be re-elected.
• 70% think the effects of this recession will last at least another 2 years.
• 53% now say we cannot afford to fix health care right now due to the economy.
• Dems have a 42-35% edge in favorability still. 
• The GOP has a 42-37% edge in improving the economy.
• 62% think the GOP is not working with Obama.  71% however say Obama should compromise. 74% think the GOP needs to compromise.
• 50% think the filibuster rules need to be changed.
• Neither party is offering solutions to help Americans. (29% Dems, 22% Republicans.)

An interesting set of results to be sure.