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

[simplify]

Rubbish, how typical Americans want everything to happen overnight.

[dwright]

with the very conservative MSM it is surprising that people understand anything really.

All Americans need to watch the documentary "orwell rolls in his grave" get a clue and look around. The media is supposed to be the 4th estate and our watch dog, now it has become the right arm of the conservative forces in this country. They own the media so why should they speak for us.

[pricespector]

Are you serious? You can't be. With the exception of Fox, the media is a lapdog for this administration. Never in our history has the media been so infatuated with a sitting President.

[ladyv]

It really is. I'm actually *impressed* with the American people for somehow improving their ability to understand what's really going on in the world even in the face of continued efforts from the MSM to keep it cloudy for them. Major progress has been made.

It's too bad Republicans hate Americans so much that they feel compelled to insist all Americans are stupid. Americans aren't stupid. Republicans just keep saying they are for the same reason abusive husbands tell their 120 lb wives that they're fat.

[barksalot]

That was the stated purpose of the stimulus. We would have been much better off with the status quo but we had to rush to save the country. Now he's using the same tact with health care.

[MrsFonebone]

A bad plan never works--no matter how long you wait.
The trick is figuring out that it is a bad plan as quickly as possible.

[cheforacle]

why do you say its bad? What parts of it and why?

[dwright]

With the conservative media (and this is almost ALL media) slamming everything the Obama Administration is trying to do what a surprise. NOT!

[pricespector]

I know. I'm so glad the 4th estate is there to hold the administration accountable. They sort through the rhetoric and illuminate the facts in such an objective manner.

[dwright]

please you are another robot that thinks you actually "get facts" and "real news" on any outlet. I am not just talking about FOX, I am talking about them all. We are NOT getting the stories that are genuine and really important to us.

[Pigeon2]

NoBama has the media in his back pocket.....All BUT FOX

[dwright]

you are also clueless if you think this. MSM is brainless. It doesn't educate us on anything.

[drbillybob]

Liberals are so gullible. Obama recently promised to cut the deficit in half over his first term. Sounds great... right? Everybody in the press loved this (even if the CBO says Obama's numbers are overly optimistic) and Democrats are now claiming to be the shepards of fiscal sanity.

Too funny. This year - 2009 - the deficit will be 3 times as high as the highest deficit year under Bush. After that Obama promises to cut this number in half over the next three years. For the math challenged amoung us, let me provide an example of this voodoo fiscal responsibility ...

In 2008 you paid $10,000 in rent for the year. In 2009 your landlord raised it to $30,000 per year but promised to cut it back to $15,000 a year by 2012. Are you happy?

[pricespector]

Haha! As long as the government is paying my rent says Mr. Democrat.

[justobserve]

Unless in reality someone could raise something such as rent,..., 300% then pretending that he drops 50% but in fact it is 50% up from the old number. It's doubtful if anyone could pull such an act without anyone noticing it!

[slowhand0728]

Great analogy. Simple to understand but many just say, "BLAH BLAH BLAH I CANT HEAR YOU!"

[smiththomas]

the bill was born out of Political pandering to government worker unions, teachers unions and labor unions. now were going to get our part of the bill. If you want some more inflation, let them pass card check.

[pricespector]

I'm surprised he didn't put it into the stimulus package.

[heavysole]

At the local government level, much of this funding is being objected to by the "opposing party" just as it was objected to in the Senate.

At least that is what has happened in Jackson, Michigan, one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and we have a city council who just refused $750,000.00 in funding to fix up one of our most awful roads through downtown because a single local business objected that the improvement would raise his taxes just a little. Nevermind that it would have given about 200 people jobs for the next year.

Because that money was turned down, all other stimulus funds for city projects, which are tied into the same wad of money, have now been held-up until who knows when?

You cannot tell me that this kind of sabotage isn't running rampant nationwide in an effort to make it seem as though nothing is happening with that money.

[SangZe]

Simply put: Obama has failed. He does not compare to FDR. FDR put people to work, including artists, photographers, filmmakers, writers. Jobs were opened in education, construction, forest services. My parents, once Hoover supporters, became ardent FDR fans because he put them to work. We all prospered. Obama has only given bundles of taxpayer money to the rich. Some stimulus. He has not earned the following he had when elected. He has let them down.

[Osmona]

President Obama has NOT let me down. YOU obviously did not vote for him so its easy for you to say "He has let them down". I do not expect the President or even the government to solve ALL my problems. Some things I have to do on my own. All I know is I still that GOD everyday that John McCain and that "mad" woman did not win the election. We would be in 5 wars if they had. I am still giving the President a chance to "stop the bleeding" in this nation. A "bleeding" that some people seem to conveniently forget HE DID NOT START.

[pricespector]

But you did vote for him, so it is much harder for you to say it.

[cheforacle]

I just read Jon Alter's book on FDR's first 100 days. It was clear that most of the projects that were authorized during that period did not get off the ground by this comparable time in his first year. It took years to get out of the mess they were in and unemployment was much higher. The Depression had been raging for three years when FDR took office. Anyone who claims that a verdict can be rendered on Obama's stimulus at this early juncture, is frankly delusional. The Administration itself did not expect job creation to commence until about 6 months after its enactment.

The one area of FDR's plans that were quickly put in place were the CCC, a very popular program in future year but widely castigated at the time because the wages offered were incredibly low by those standards even. Also FDR cut WWI veteran's benefits to extremely low levels.

[delta7777]

.
FDR's stimulus plans were directed towards creating blue collar jobs and building infrastructure. Goldman/Geithner/JPM stimulus plan is directed to increasing Bank wealth, while paying only token lip service to Main Street, and even that is largely filtered through and controlled by the banks (minus their enormous cut, of course)
.

[PerryLogan]

Americans have decisively rejected conservative policies.

Unfortunately, Obama didn't get the memo. :(

The Plangent sound of Rupert Murdoch in Pain:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5L3XD8oKmY

[obamanomics]

Nah, Americans didn't decisively reject conservative policies. You guys read the tea leaves wrong. Obama was hired to fix the economy, and all he has done so far is make it worse.

[xlntcat]

And your degree in economics and finance came from where? For the moment the financial system is stabilized, the stock market is up 30 to 40 per cent, although in bankruptcy the auto industry hasn't become obsolete. Only a fraction of the stiumulus has left Washington. You did demand that controls be put in place to diminish fraud and just so you won't get your panties in a bigger wad, anticipate unemployment to continue to rise through the rest of the year. By the way, you are going to have to wait another six months for Santa, also.

[drbillybob]

Which fiscal conservative? Reagan?

[smiththomas]

yeah Reagan

[demrepub]

Vote %'s for 2008 election: Obama 52% McCain 46% and in the worst economic crisis of our lifetime and 2 unpopular wars. "Decisively rejected"? Think again.

The deficits will be his undoing. We can't sustain borrowing 50 cents of every dollar we spend. Obama knows it, but he and every other politician in DC (dem and rep) are addicted to pork that allows them to keep their power. If the president is the leader you believe, he will stop the nonsense and be frank with us about what we can and more importantly CANNOT afford. If he does that, he could go down as one of our greatest presidents. If not, then he will make the Jimmy Carter presidency look like a trip to Valhalla.

[dwright]

I would think that Obama probably won by a much great margin than that 6%.

[SangZe]

He doesn't have a clue.

[cheforacle]

Conservatives do not consider the stimulus a conservative proposal. they view it as too expensive.

[drbillybob]

Let me see if I get this right. Both sides are essentially supply-siders, meaning that both believe that putting more capital into play will stimulate and expand the economy.

Fiscal conservatives, like myself, favor cutting tax rates and allowing people and businesses keep more of their own money, spending it as they see fit to grow the economy.

Democrats favor increasing taxes or printing money, filtering that money through the government , and then allowing politicians decide where to spend what's left of it.

[sviolette]

Your tax cuts didn't solve anything did they? Trickle Down doesn't work. How many times does it take before you learn something?

[obamanomics]

Oh I think the left is on the verge of learning something. Polls are starting to show it. Best get used to tax cuts come 2012.

[drbillybob]

Actually the rate cuts on investment income (cap gains and dividend income, May 2003) did work. They stimulated robust economic expansion and the federal revenues that go along with it.

Look at the Federal revenue nubers and the S&P500 from mid-2003 until the credit-crisis hit in mid-2007. During this 4 year period the Bush economy increased federal revenues some 33% ... better than any 4 year period under Clinton. And the Dow took off like a rocket ! Unemployment was below 5%. I'd take that again ...

[pricespector]

You think trickle down doesn't work, but the reason the jobs are drying up is because there is nothing to trickle down. A JOB is trickle down. When wealth "trickles down" in the form of a $50k per year salary, it is working. JOBS are created by the wealthy, not government. They are only bought (subsidized) by the government, ala the "stimulus", which creates nothing but deficits.

[davidpkronmiller]

Needed to correct a typo:
'm on unemployment having been laid off nearly five months ago - there is a portion of my unemployment check that is from the Federal Stimulus. This unemployment check has allowed me to keep paying most of my bills, which means those companies (say cell phone, water/power) will get income from my payment, which means they are less likely to lay someone else off. Let alone buying groceries, gas etc.

The stimulus works - just have to need it and use it.

[davidpkronmiller]

I'm on unemployment having been laid off nearly five months ago - there is a portion of my unemployment check that is from the Federal Stimulus. This unemployment check has allowed me to keep paying most of my bills, which means those companies (say cell phone, water/power) will get income from my payment, which means they are less likely to lay someone else. Let alone buying groceries, gas etc.

The stimulus works - just have to need it and use it.

[marshhen]

Yes, that was a part of the stimulus pkg, but of the 825 billion, on 26 billion is being spent this year, total. Unemployment benefits were a good thing, the rest, are pork projects that we will not see in the very near future. So much for stimulus.

[xlntcat]

As of May, 2009, per NYT 45.6 billion had gone out to the states. The commitment is to deliver 550.9 billion by February of 2011. Unless you can identify what you consider to be pork projects then maybe you need to reveal your secret source of information that the rest of the public isn't privy to. Hope it isn't Eric Cantor or Bobby Jindal, because their pork allegations were debunked and Cantor promptly proceeded to Richmond to brag about how much he had personally secure for his constituents in VA. He failed to elaborate on how he had sold them out for the good of the Grand Old Party.

[mainemomma]

Best of luck to you in the future. I love it when folks don't think we need unemployment benefit extensions, or ( gasp) a public option in health care. Those that think we don't need such things are usually employed... and have health coverage. If they were in your shoes there would be a different perspective. Take care

[LeftCoastLarry]

There are weaknesses in the package. It would have been stronger if Obama hadn't wasted a percentage of the funds on ill conceived carrots such as tax cuts to try to woo the Republicans.
Bipartizanship isn't in the genetic makeup of Republicans. They don't believe in it as a matter of principle and any effort expended trying to instill in Republicans a sense of responsibility to the American people is a waste of time.

[marshhen]

Wrong! The majority of the Stimulus package is being spent on long term "green" projects like demostrations of Carbon Capture. (Demos, no less) less than 10% of the money is being spent in 2009, the country was deceivedwith the "pass this now or a catastrophe will occur" nonsense

[LeftCoastLarry]

Have you heard the term "shovel ready"? Even Boehner used the term to claim benefit for the funds going to his State.
We can argue the relative benefit of bailing out the bankers while leaving auto industry workers out in the cold - there's room for debate on lots of issues, but responsible actions by Republicans isn't one of them. They have demonstrated time and again how irresponsible they are.

[obamanomics]

The weakness in the package was the package. It was never targeted at the economy. It was loaded with democrat pet projects they have wanted to spend money on for 40 years and couldn't do it. Obama sold it ads if we don't pass it right now we will have unemployment at 8% (ooops). Remember, the sky was falling sales pitch. The stimulus package has done, and will do zero to head of the problems with the economy. It was never designed to do that.

[pricespector]

Agreed. I actually couldn't believe that people couldn't see (or didn't ven look) that the whole thing was spending spree that had nothing to do with stimulating the economy at all. Sick really.

[CornSyrupAwareness]

Wow a 7% change in voter attitude with a 3.5% MOE. What a significant number.. not!

[obamanomics]

a 3% change in voter attitude within 4 months is a big deal considering the rate at which this Admin. is burning through money.

[personalpolitical]

Actually, no, it isn't, lol.

[pricespector]

I can guarantee you the the WH has noticed and is also concerned.

[SangZe]

Noticed what?

[hilary916]

Could it be that some states aren't using the money the way they're supposed to or using it at all?

[pricespector]

Could it be that it doesn't work?

[hilary916]

It's possible, but I think it's more likely that it's due to noncompliance since a lot of people seem to want our President to fail. Just my opinion.

[sviolette]

It can't work if the people responsible for spending it responsibly go hiking instead of doing his job.

[PhilipTaylor]

When the President slams the DOOR in our FACES what do you expect?

"OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY" was PROMISE the FIRST day in Office:

New president says era of secrecy in Washington is over, pledges "new era of openness in our country"

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/21/obama.business/index.html

Open for the EL1TES to come to the White House for fireside chats about how to harvest the American Citizens Wealth!

Now he will not release the list of VISITORS!

The SCORE is Wall Street $306 for Every $1 to Main Street!

[vendetta]

RON PAUL 2012

[Carsy]

And what would be his answer to this?

[confidance government]

I am guessing, reducing spending heavily, primarily in the military by withdrawing from the majority or all of are overseas military bases, then using the difference to balance the budget; reassuring our foreign creditors of our long term solvency.

Legalizing and taxing vices would be another strategy to reduce the budge, but as he is Repub/Libertarian most of his stimulus would probably come in tax relief by abolishing the income tax.

You can't run deficits indefinitely, so balancing our budgets is even more important over the long term than any sort of economic stimulus is.