Polls. They seem to matter to people. They certainly get their fair share of attention in the media and politicians salivate over them like a TV executive looking at ratings.
I have always said that polls are polls of people who agree to take a poll. This is true. You have to agree to do it in order to be counted at all. But take Gallup’s recent Presidential Tracking Poll – they do a three day rolling average pretty much non-stop. The media only tends to report big swings or tension building results – tension sells after all. Right now Ben Smith over at Politico has a short entry on his blog about how Obama is now at 46% approval. Now Ben’s a good guy and does his job well, although I wonder if he looked at the Gallup breakdown. If he had he would see a trend that I think points to where this country is heading.
18-29 Year Olds approve of the job President Obama is doing by 61%.
Think about that.
And think about those same voters in 2012, 2016…61% is not small and these folks do not stay 18-29 forever. They get older and as they do they are more and more likely to show up at the real polls – the voting booth – on election day.
30 to 49 year olds – my block – approve at 49%. I wonder why my block has a 20 year span and 18-29 is just an eleven year….I’d love to see the breakdown between 30 and 39…I have a feeling we’re not far below the 61%. In fact if anyone has an answer to this please email me or leave a comment below.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We are in a generational shift in this country not a political one. Politics, as practiced currently, is a marketing game. The true differences between the parties are small – otherwise we would have had more than one Civil War. It simply boils down to how to pay for things and what should be private and what should be public. We are made to think we are different for the sake of easy politics. It’s no different than two fans of opposing Baseball teams – you may think they hate each other but they still both love the same game, Baseball.
Now what is dragging Obama’s numbers down? Those over 50. The demo 50-64 has him at 46%.
What’s fascinating is Gallup has an article up – you have to work to find it – about how President Obama is doing much better with the younger block of voters than either President George W. Bush or President Bill Clinton.
Clinton managed to get 57% approval from young voters and Bush only 46%.
Long story short – President Obama is doing just fine. Now Congress on the other hand…
David,
I figure now that I’ve been a “stick in the mud” in another post I’ll try to provide a bit of a personal perspective on tihs section (if my participation helps with a viable click-driven business, even better).
I have a bit of a personal attachment to this as I live in DC and work on capitol hill (not a federal employee however) on policy issues.
I think there is a big difference between polls and policy. Polls in the end – don’t matter a damn. And by the way all of the polls (check Rasmussen, Gallup, RCP,etc) has POTUS’s rating under 50%. Nearly half of all americans disagree with what he is doing than agree. But again that’s a general pulse – not much more.
The problem is that POTUS is the most detached, uninterested POTUS we’ve had in DC in decades when it comes to leading legislation to closure. He’s got both houses of congress. He should be able to (if he showed leadership in his own party) to pass legislation with pracical impunity. He’s allowed his factions in the democrat party in the house/senate to balkanize policy and guarantee no substantive change on anything for the remaindre of his term(s).
While the young folks in may be happy with his performance so far. How does that align to what he’s accomplished in making a difference in “affecting real change” that he’s promised. pretty short.
FYI, the differences between two parties are actually very large on policies. Take a look at draft bills of the exact same topc (legislation, healthcare, governance) over the years and you will see a striking difference between the two in approach/funding etc. The only thing both parties have in commons is that they kick policies/hard choices down the road when it’s politically hard (deficit spending, social security, immigration).
Anyway, “POTUS is doing just fine” is both and over and understate of the job he’s doing. it’s overstating the confidence the general populus is having (opposed to a narrow band) and understanding his lack of will in passing laws/policies that are important to him and his party.
If you’re wondering, I hold a variety of liberal and conservative views on policies/topics like most Americans. I do have a pattern of supporting on the hill free market self regulation, smaller govt, less taxes. etc.