Public Confidence In Stimulus Package's Effectiveness Ebbs, Poll Finds

Washington Post:

Barely half of Americans are now confident that President Obama's $787 billion stimulus measure will boost the economy, and the rapid rise in optimism about the state of the nation that followed the 2008 election has abated, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[sandals]

So the package was signed two months ago the money is still coming into the states and that isn't fast enough. This is just the beginning and Obama said this will take time for us to recover.
This is a big mess we are in and things won't change overnight, I think he is possibly planning another stimulus package, we need a big overhaul in our infrastructure, but than the Conservatives will be complaining about he cost, but had no problem coughing up billions for the war in Iraq, we have roads, and bridges collapsing, rails colliding, and we need to turn our manufacturing into a green economy.
So with the States budgets broken I wonder if this money went to them to balance their budgets, maybe we should have our so called media investigating this.

[eirrac]

I agree, Sandals. Even the economists keep saying it will take time for the stimulus to take effect. The GOP is fueling this lack of confidence in the polls with their "hurry up" mentality and their hateful, mocking rhetoric.

There is no civility left in the Republican Party. I remember when there was. Now all they do is sneaky and mean-spirited. They're all about destroying the characters of any people who don't agree with their agenda; frankly, I think some of their language is dangerous. I left the GOP several years ago.

[gino618]

Right - and the left (including here at H P, as witnessed in the comments) is just FULL of civility towards opposing views and NEVER attack the character of a conservative trying to post their thoughts.

[mollyjackson]

The stimulus measure will not boost the economy because its main focus is on the non-productiove elements of our country.

[dwright]

That is just down right wrong and a very ignorant comment.

Here is what is going on with the stimulus money:

http://www.recovery.org/

[damilitantone]

You can spend the money now or keep bbssing and spend even more trillions later. The History Channel had a show on last night about the dismal state of oversight regarding dams throughout the U.S. Most are not inspected regularly and many are catastrophies waiting to happen not to mention the bridges, roads, highways, railways, and other infrastructure that are in major disrepair. The government can put most folks back to work just dealing with rebuilding the country. You can keep kicking the can down the road and leave to your children and grandchildren. What a great legacy to leave future generations. As the old commercial used to say, "You can pay me now or you can pay me later.?

[danusgram]

I love how republicans get up early in the morning to post their nasty comments. Guess they want to get here before the rest of us can tell them to back to their holes

[barksalot]

They have to be up to go to work. Know what that is?

[dwright]

typical

[nomobull]

MEANING THEY WORK HARD AT BS TALKING POINTS TO AVOID THE FACT THAT THANKS TO BUSH THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE A REASON TO GET UP EARLY ANY MORE.

[fcsakes]

What do republicans define as 'work' nowadays, turning the radio on to faux?

[ekoorb]

Selling derivatives and offshore sourcing all things possible.

[mollyjackson]

I agree barksalot...what do these people do all day long except post comments and lick food stamps?

[dwright]

do you know anything about food stamps? I am sure that you don't, but read this article if you can - and the Republicans actually cut it out of the Stimulus Package.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/29/news/economy/stimulus_analysis/index.htm

Here is a quote:

The report found that "some provide a lot of bang for the buck to the economy. Others ... don't," said economist Mark Zandi.

In findings echoed by other economists and studies, he said the study shows the fastest way to infuse money into the economy is through expanding the food-stamp program. For every dollar spent on that program $1.73 is generated throughout the economy, he said.

[fcsakes]

Look up your statistics honey, there are more republicans "licking food stamps" than Democrats. Fact.

[uvymopka]

Your very right mollyj. Government programs give no lasting help to economic or social problems. These programs (ie: food stamps, war on poverity, New Deal, and Obama's Stimulus Program) are methods to buy votes. For every dollar the government spends it will tax you $1.73. Now how is that "change you can beleive in" working for you now.

[greg32]

We actually have to get up and work.

[comeback]

Why do they keep calling this a Stimulas...A Stimulas promotes growth..This is nothing but a Washington "spending other peoples money" game...I don't care when Deficits hang in the 3% of GDP range(average for 100 years or so)..but come on..Have you seen some of the projects in this bill...They should of put money in the banking system only..NO Bailouts...NO Cap,and Tax....NO Health Care....With no growth coming down the pike for (probably 5 years)..Our taxes are going WAY UP

[dwright]

wow - you need some serious coffee and time to research some things instead of listening to MSM

[tomasedison]

For eight years Bush borrowed money from China ($6 TRILLION) and just what did it get you ?

[fcsakes]

Republicans like to brag about not raising taxes. What they leave out of the equation is they've borrowed from China at interest rates that are so obscene they would make Attila blush. Several generations will be paying for bushie's folly, including ours.

[justobserve]

I don't know about stimulus package's effectiveness but my house has many values depending on who I talked to. when I asked for refinance, the bank told me my house is worth 250K including land of course; then when my homeowner insurance is up for renewal, my insurer estimated my house should be insured for 370K replacement cost excluding land value. I protested saying even a comparable new house- to -be- built's price, including land, is less than that but they said they stand by their estimator. Mostly appraisers now use the very low foreclosed properties' values to appraise houses for sale even though they are not under any financial difficulty. So the housing market is being dragged down to this artificial low values that anyone who wants to sell (if they want to change place to live or have a smaller house) can't do that and if they can't keep up the loan payment they are going to be foreclosed! A Catch-22 for them.

[commentator101]

The stimulus was poorly designed and even more poorly explained. Of course, almost any domestic spending not matched by revenue increases will be stimulative, so as the bill's speding occurs over the next 12-18 months (still) it will help.

[dwright]

It was explained poorly because our media is full of clueless dolts that lack any kind of intelligence or critical thinking skills.

[pricespector]

Spending not matched by revenues = Deficits. Deficits = Increased future taxation and higher borrowing rates = Reduced/stagnated real economic growth.

[dwright]

But it was Cheney that said, "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter."

[joecoolconservative]

There is trouble ahead in Obama land. The promised jobs and economic growth are melting away like snow in the spring. Obama promised that if his Porkulus Plan passed, the unemployment rate would not exceed 8%. I hate to break it to the Obama Kool-Aid drinkers, but the rate is 9.4% and climbing. The worst is yet to come as the largest amount of ARMs are due to reset in 2010 and commercial loans will begin to default at alarming rates. Sooner or later inflation will appear and energy prices will continue to climb. How Obama thinks he can pass socialized healthcare and add another 3 trillion to our debt is beyond me.

[dwright]

Did you even read the article - and the Washington Post is owned by the Conservatives??

"The state of the Republican Party remains grim. Just 22 percent of those surveyed identified themselves as Republicans, near April's decades-long low point. Thirty-six percent said they have a favorable impression of the GOP, and 56 percent said they have an unfavorable impression. (Fifty-three percent said they have a favorable view of the Democratic Party.)"

By the way Obama has never been for universal health care - he has always said "affordable". By the way has anyone in your family ever collected social security or sent a claim to medicare?? If they have by your standards they are contributing to a socialist mentality. Get real and a clue.

[pricespector]

You don't get it do you? It's the Centrists that matter, not the GOP. Over 40% of the population define themselves as "conservative" with only about 20% labeling themsleves as "liberal". It's the conservative leaning Independents and conservative Democrats that matter. The GOP is already in the bag as far as their decisions go.

[comeback]

I pay enough for my families Health Care..If I have to pay more..I want the same coverage Obama gets..10 million of the Uninsured are illegal aliens,and 1/2 of the remainder make 75 grand a year(and can afford it)..and most of the others don't except ins.There is no reason to make the majority suffer

[joecoolconservative]

Personally I would love for the government to give me back all the money I put into Social Security and to stop collecting future payments. I will invest the money myself - I do not need a nanny government doing it for me.

[noaxe397]

The GOP saying (as I've heard them say) that Obama lied about the stimulus plan because it didn't keep unemployment at 8%, as he said it would is like saying George Bush lied when he said Saddam had ties to 9/11, had nuclear weapons technology ready to go, was in league with AQ, etc. And we all know Bush didn't lie. He was just given the same faulty intelligence everyone else had.

The GOP is saying after 5 months this economy is now solely Obama's and we can't keep blaming Bush. I'll buy that when the GOP stops blaming the mortgage mess on Jimmy Carter and the 9/11 attacks on Bill Clinton. Bush will own this economy for a quarter of a century. That's 25 years, for the economically challenged.

I do however agree there is BIG trouble ahead for Obama. The GOP has been succesful in framing the economy so that every poll taken shows lack of support for Obama's postions.
This plays into GOPs hands for 2010 House races and sets up a Palin nomination in 2012, since she now is on the side of the poll most people agree with (i.e. defecit reduction and not stimulus spending.)

[fcsakes]

bushie and cheney both lied, and they had people tortured to support their lies. Faulty intelligence my a*s, they were informed over and over again by several high-level operatives and intelligence people that an attack was imminent, in fact, they were warned the day before 9/11 and simply brushed it off. I believe there is more to 9/11 than we were told, just like I believe there was more to Kennedy's assassination. That might make me a 'conspiracy theorist,' but you know what, a number of conspiracy theorists have been right. The right likes to call them 'fringe groups,' because the right is very afraid of too many questions. Questions for which they have no pat answers.

[confidance government]

Palin? They would have to even bigger 1diots than I had imagined for them to believe that:
1) She could win
2) She has the temperment needed to lead our nation.

But then again, nobody ever lost betting on the $tupidity of politics.

[imfedup]

U.S. politics comes down to one problem, as far as I'm concerned: Keeping any credit from going to the other guys. It's all about scoring points and keeping the other guys from scoring points. It's a sport to these folks. The one and only way to get things done is to have true bi-partisan cooperation so both sides can take credit for an idea. Otherwise, you'll have Repubs fighting with everything they have to obsruct anything vaguely associated with the Dems, regardless of the merit of the idea. I believe Obama genuinely wants to help us, but the Repubs will never let him succeed. That would prove all of us right who voted for him, and they will never let that happen.

[dwright]

I agree - Obama is trying and the Republicans are blocking things every step of the way to make him look unsuccessful since they know that would cause them to lose the WH in 2012. I guess that shows how much they really love their country and the people in this country. They are keeping a tight hold on credit because they know that the loosening of credit would help the economy.

I have been around long enough to know how they play their games.

[Pigeon2]

Let me guess.....It`s Bush`s fault...

[pricespector]

Not really the facts. The administration is trying to push through permanent policy that requires spending that is unsustainable. Even the CBO is telling them that. All of this while our debt and deficits are already at unprecedented levels, some due to Bush but already mostly Ob ama. The Republicans know that the unrestrained SPENDING and ineveitable increased taxes will be his undoing and they want nothing to do with it. The administration knows this, so the only way they can push it through under public scrutiny is by painting the other party as obstructionist. They say they would like it to be bipartisan only because that will help spread the blame around later when taxes go through the roof. It is a game, but it not because the Republicans don't care about their country. It is is because they DO care.

[slowhand0728]

While I agree to a degree. The bill passed, there is no blocking it with the Dems in control. Obama is the one who promised this would JUMP-START the economy. and that is far from what is happening. The create or save 3.5 Million jobs is the statement that will doom him.
Add to that no one considers more government jobs a good thing since it is tax payers paying to keep employed. Private sector jobs are the only jobs that will help the economy in the long run.

[dwright]

Most of the state's haven't even started pulling the funds yet.

[RJII]

agreed. too bad congress has been allowed to get away with its childish behavior for too long. the people suffer.

[personalpolitical]

OMG!! 7% drop in a couple months????? And the margin of error on that poll is what, +/- 3.5%?

BREAKING: EVERYONE HATES OBAMA, SUPPORT PLUMMETING, WILL HE FINISH THE WEEK??! OMGWTF??!!1!1!11

1

[confidance government]

I always thought the Kenysian multiplier was B$ as the govenment has to borrow or tax to obtain every single dollar they want to inject into the economy; so I never really had any sort of faith in the stimulus.

This stimulus, bailout, and TARP has served primarily to further indebt the nation to a level where our ability to repay is being called into question by our major creditors. If we continue, they will begin to divest themselves of our government's bonds. It may take 5 years, 10 years, but unless GDP increases dramatically, we raise taxes dramatically, or we decrease spending dramatically, they will stop purchasing our debt and sell whatever they still hold, effectively destroying the dollar.

[drbillybob]

Well said ... just wait until we have double-digit inflation with huge numbers of retirees on fixed incomes.

[dwright]

but aren't you the party that wanted to stop social security and tie it to wall street?

[pricespector]

The Kenysian multiplyer has NEVER worked in practice. This is going to be Carter, part deux...or worse.

[montecarlo408]

Oh yeah, and Friedmanism has been a HUUUUUUUUUGE success.

[simplify]

All who arehere just to who criticize the POTUS, did you even read the article?.

[TwistNshout]

huh?!

[tomasedison]

ARE YOU SCARED ENOUGH TO VOTE REPUBLICAN AGAIN ?

[dwright]

NEVER!! EVER!! EVER!!

[Pigeon2]

Nope...Plan on pulling the Lever straight Republican 2010

[dwright]

Be prepared to send your youngest family members in to NK and Syria

[danusgram]

That is nothing new that is what you did last time

[simplify]

"Barely half of Americans"­.....thats misleading. How many people did they poll, 1000, 2000?.....

[OMG1109]

What I find STUPID is someone taking this poll only after the bill was signed approx 4 months ago. Holly Sh$t batman, everything's not fixed yet!!