Obama Continues To Poll "Really Well" In Michigan: Wolffe

Richard Wolffe, who has some of the best sources in the Obama White House, says the administration has been conducting internal polls in at least one economically struggling Rust Belt state and the numbers are surprisingly good.

"The White House has just done some polling in Michigan," said Wolffe, a one-time Newsweek scribe and author of Renegade, during an appearance on Meet the Press. "Their internal polls show the president's numbers holding up really well in Michigan. He is above 60 percent with Independents who were supposed to have left him. Now how can that be? What is this guy doing right now? The answer for the White House is he is looking like he's doing everything and as long as he's doing that, people give him a pass because they know the economy wasn't his doing. On the other hand, how long are they going to be patient? And the question is, as we go into 2010, unemployment according to the Fed, is still going to be above 9 percent or thereabouts that's a very tough situation."

The internal numbers -- echoed by Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, in interviews several weeks ago -- push back against the conventional wisdom that Obama is losing ground with working-class voters. In early July, a Quinnipiac University poll found that 49 percent of Ohio voters disapproved of the job the president was doing.

Elsewhere on the "Meet the Press" panel, the conventional wisdom was that the president's image has suffered as the economy has worsened -- prompting some to question whether tackling health care right now is politically feasible.

"I don't think they have a whole lot of choice here," Wolffe responded. "I mean the economy was falling off the cliff."

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Comments

[didntvote4thedude]

That's some potent Obama kool aid that those folks are drinking.

[Lauralics]

They add vodka.

[madmilker]

maybe they all need to get in tat dang car he is driving without a birth certificate.

http://dailybail.com/home/the-national-debt-road-trip-video-warning-not-for-the-faint.html?

[Portnoy]

Thanks to Repub John Engler and George W Michigan is in a deep depression. Union workers are happy that they now have a priory stake in the decision making process at the auto companies. Once the big three start making cars Americans want to buy, Michigan will be back on it's feet.

[Lauralics]

Puke, Puke! Jennifer Granholm has been in office for six years! Increasing spending and then declaring she inherited a deficit. Maybe she shouldn't have increased spending! Besides, I'd say six years in office pretty much means she owns it and trying to pawn it off on Engler is ridiculous. As far as Bush, you proved my earlier post when I mentioned that Michigan Democrats blame Bush for job loss when it was Clinton that signed in NAFTA. I'll say it again, because it never sinks in, Clinton signed in NAFTA, not Bush. So place the blame where it belongs and wake up.

ps Gee, I wonder if those cars Americans are going to buy are made from union workers who make less money and enjoy less benefits? Maybe if they had taken those steps before the company went bankrupt the American taxpayer wouldn't be bailing out those who made better wages than they probably enjoyed.

[slowhand0728]

While I hope you are right, I see no reason to be optimistic about people starting to buy new cars. These days if it runs you keep it, I know of very few people even considering buying a new car this year.

[Lauralics]

Michigan has suffered since Bill Clinton signed in NAFTA, countless Factory closures and all heading offshore. Ol' Bill got a pass on that and they blamed Bush (even though he didn't sign it), this is a good indicator of Democrat mindset in Michigan. Union out the wahzoo and always supporting a Democrat, jeez the amount of money the UAW pays to Democrat campaigns is out of this world. Ask a union member who they are voting for and they'll say "I vote with the union", wow, how's that for using your own mind (let someone else think for you). Anyway, Obama told the Midwest that he was going to address NAFTA and bring back their jobs, which they all bought lock, stock and barrel. Well he addressed NAFTA alright, and kept it right where it was. Now we have GM owned by the government and countless suppliers going bankrupt, so bad is going to get worse and as a Michigander I heard a lot of Obama voter remorse over the July 4th weekend.

[AguynamedWayne]

It's ALWAYS ABOUT THE POLLS with politicians. OBAMA IS NO DIFFERENT. It's not about what is right or wrong, it's about what it politically expedient and helpful to his political career. Doing polls in Michigan. HA!

[weatherwaxx]

How long will people be patient?

Well..... How long would it take YOU to fix the mess Bush made? I wouldn't even know where to start.

We've got the gag law off reproductive information, stem-cell research greenlighted, a top-notch Latina nominated for the Supreme Court, someone at last tackling the health care crisis (even if I don't much like the compromises at this stage of the game) ... I didn't expect miracles, I just wanted something other than the neocon slash-and-burn we'd had for 8 years.

And anytime I take exception to President Obama's choices, I think of what we'd be seeing if McFlipflop and Mrs. Mooseburger had won.

Americans who voted for change need to stay active and keep after Congress. The Prez can't do it alone.

[Lauralics]

Hush up, Clinton signed in NAFTA which started the job hemorrhaging in Michigan. Bush had nothing to do with our downfall and the union cut their own throats by their greed. These people would rather see a company go down in flames before they made necessary concessions in their contracts. Overblown wages and benefits forced new car prices out of competition and let the automaker with the practical workforce kick them to the curb.

ps McCain told the Midwest the truth about manufacturing jobs, it is Obama that sold them the swamp with "bringing their jobs back".

[iwantmodels]

Perhaps he's just concentrating on doing his job and ignoring pundits.

[LemonMeringue]

Bush basically did nothing in his presidency until after 9/11, and everything he did afterward was bad for the country.

[1088]

I see a new poll everyday from the Media since the first day in office of the Obama Presidentcy. I've been on Political watch for many years now, and I know how the media works on manipulating their polls to suit their means. Don't talk about the Right wing polling company who think we are all stupid. I'm glad that the Admin is doing their own polling, for it's about time, for you cannot trust the media. They too are bought and paid for.

[mimigrammy]

Obama doesn't care about the polls. His people will do some polling, but that is what they are supposed to do. He cares about one thing, he has a job to do and he is determined to make the hard choices it is going to take to get things done. There is only one poll that matters to him, and that was taken in November 2008. Our economy cannot be considered "fixed" until we overhaul the broken down healthcare insurance and provider system in this country. Any idiot should know that. If someone is standing in the way overhaul, it is because they are tied to the broken system that has been feeding their political coffers and padding their pockets.

[Lauralics]

I'd say it was overhaul vs. takeover, the guts of the debate.

[zenaby56]

I believe in President Obama. He instills hope in me to see our leadership involved. Involved in working for solutions and not taking care of rich cronies like Bush and the Republicans did. Pres. Obama has a huge mess to clean up as well as working to ensure we are stable for our future. I have confidence in him and am willing to give him time. I just wish Congress would quite undermining him. they've had 8 years of bad habits, they are hard to break but it is time now!

[LMPE]

Detroit, for one, is 85% black, so I doubt that the city would prefer an old white guy in the Oval Office.

[Shzron1946]

Yes, LMPE, but no other city in Michigan has as many blacks. There is a whole state out there. So speak to that.

[Shzron1946]

In fact, I just looked it up and blacks makeup only 15% of Michigans population and whites are 81%. Added to that is the fact that it is very difficult to poll in Detroit. I am thinking pollers who know what they are doing did not poll disproportionately in Detroit.

[Tommygun264]

Your racism is showing.

[weatherwaxx]

You don't know much about Michigan as a whole, do you?

[Lauralics]

You're right about that, they voted Kwame in twice, it was the "bling" factor.

[rhondadavis28]

he has done more good than bush did for the country already.

one thing for sure- he does not sit on his butt- get's things moving and get's things done

not that i agree 100% on everything but I would vote for him again in a heartbeat.

palin and mccain would have us over or heads in quicksand at this point.
palin woud have quit already-her and john would have blown up trying to work together - she could not even survive being a governor let alon his and her temper tantrums ....

thanks mr president. I have faith and stand bye you. you have kept several campaign promises already-naturally things will take time and most of us understand this

[urweatherman]

What? He has broken so many campaign promises and its only been 5 months....What happened to transparency (the Czars...whats that all about?), getting rid of lobbyists (what a joke), no taxes whatsoever on the middle class? On and on and on! The only thing he has done so far is to push us over the economic cliff that we were teetering on the edge of. I don't want to hear any excuses in the years ahead when our country is in total chaos and all the ideals that made our nation strong have been crushed!

[LemonMeringue]

Guess again.

There is an organization, PolitiFact.com, that collected over 500 campaign promises Obama made and they are tracking his progress on every one.

NPR interviewed them this morning. You can listen here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106783653

[joyf1]

Which taxes went up on the middle class?

[golferman]

ROFLMAO This is the best laugh I have had in a long time.

[prettyinpink]

Wait until the taxes hit on the uaw gold plated health care. When they find out that giving every illegal health care will be up to them to pay for. When we are forced to pay 50% more for energy for the pleasure of sending more jobs to China.

1-20-13

[BigAl72]

Have faith. 1-20-17.

[wesinohio]

Sir,
Everything you say is US mega-corporate slapstick propaganda. The UAW is not authoriing the health care initiative. It's being deliberated to hell, but not by them. I think it will pass by the end of August, and then will continue to improve it over time. Illegals are illegal now, and will still be when this legislation passes. Your 50% figure is speculative and arbitrary and does not factor in new job creation or increased conservation. "Sending more jobs to China" is fear mongering - the reality is that job creation, industry creation and job preservation here in the US is part of the process of economic recovery and energy independence that President Obama is now navigating. You also disregard the savings that will continue to increase because of fewer petroleum wars, you also don't factor in health savings due to less fossil fuel pollution. You also don't factor in increased productivity due to healthier people working in our economy. You also don't factor in the higher aggregate satisaction in the US due to the higher employment and increased national income that wil result from President Obama's policies.

[smiththomas]

He did everything he could for the UAW. Sure he polls well their. He is going to poll well with labor unions, government worker unions and teachers union. duh

[LeighAnnes]

He polls well there. duh.

[smiththomas]

i later thought about using the duh. that was rude. im sorry i used it.

[weatherwaxx]

Unions. You mean, working Americans trying to be paid fairly? As opposed to Bushco sending jobs out of the country?

Gee, I wonder why folks in unions would like Obama!

[smiththomas]

no i mean the unions that make more than other workers at the inflationary expense to other workers in this country. The unions that drive up the expenses of minimum wage workers and others. Thats the ones im talking about.