Despite GOP Outreach, Obama Drops In Poll On Bipartisanship

As the president has continued to insist that he wants bipartisan input on health care reform, public polling finds that more Americans today think he is doing a poorer job listening to alternative viewpoints than he was three months ago.

In the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released late Wednesday evening, respondents were asked whether President Obama had shown a willingness "to work with people whose viewpoints are different from his own."

Thirty-two percent gave Obama a "very good rating" on this front, a ten percentage point drop from April 2009. Meanwhile, 21 percent of respondents gave Obama a "very poor rating" for his willingness to work with the opposition, compared to the 12 percent who gave him a "very poor rating" three months ago.

The numbers are troubling for the White House, which has consistently presented itself as willing to extend a hand, or at least an ear, to the suggestions of the opposition. For progressives, the NBC/WSJ findings will likely be treated as an affirmation of their belief that the president is wasting his time -- and hurting legislative priorities -- by trying to forge bipartisan consensus on health care.

Asked to explain how the president could be seen as more a partisan figure even as he continued to insist that Republicans have a role at the table in the health care debate, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs jokingly blamed the media.

After a bit of laughter, the press secretary largely skirted the question, stressing that the White House has and would continue to seek the help of the GOP in crafting health care legislation.

"When it's come to dealing with particularly the Finance Committee... I think the President has spent a lot of time reaching out to Republicans on the committee, calling them -- and Democrats, quite frankly, calling them regularly about hoping to make progress," Gibbs said, in response to a question by the Huffington Post. "I think the President believes if you look at the [Health, Education, Labor and Pensions] Committee, I think that's a good example of -- despite the fact, as we've covered, that there weren't Republicans that supported the vote to move the bill out of committee, you did have more than 160 amendments offered by Republicans to improve that bill accepted by Democrats on that committee. The president believes that, and will continue to work with anybody that's interested in reforming health care to meet the principles that he's outlined."

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Comments

[equestrian]

Why does the following thought never occur to the mass media? ....
A lot of disgruntled Americans are progressives who are furious that Obama has refused to allow any consideration of a single-payer public system. That is what they want, and it was a major reason why Obama -- then talking a different tune -- won November's election.
And many doctors are "Mad as Hell"! Check this out: http://madashelldoctors.com/.
They're planning a lively caravan that will cross the country during September, from Portland to D.C., with doctors demanding a single-payer public health system.

[talkpeople]

I think obama should just forget trying to get any support from the GOP. They don't care why should he. They are just blocking any change so just forget them. Leave them to selves to fqall apart. what a fine job they are doing these days to completely fall apart.

[themodernleader]

Gretel10r2. If the Obama Administration was striking out in a direction that was in the tradition of Teddy and Franklin D. Roosevelt, his poll numbers would waver around 50% plus or minus 5 points. His policies would generate much heated controversy and powerful oppposition. The fruits of his policies would not be realized by a large minority until long after he left the Presidency. Why? Any policy worth writing about requires sacrifice and hard work from each and every citizen, according to his or her station and income. Such sacrifice is unapppealing, yet, most citizens will support policies that put people back to work rebuiding our country and their own competence.
Incompetent leadership of short term advantage that sacrifices long term survival of our economy and financial system will see the same polling fluctuations but always trending in a downward direction. Most people recognize when they are living in a failing organizatrion, even those who are benefiting in the short run, from such decline.
I am tough on President Obama because he exhibits a lack of courage and sagacity to take the tough road of the clarion call for sacrifice and frugality and withdrawal to provide our country a chance to recover a money making economy and revitalized manufacturing, farming and energy producing nation. But the real villians in this play of national disgrace and destruction are ourselves for following a creed of selfishness and doctrine of always on the receiving end of "something for nothing" in return.

[youknowimright]

Obama will continue to drop in the polls. If Americans as a majority wanted universal health care we would of all marched to Washington to demand it. Even Obama will seek private health care if this passes because he knows a well paid Doctor is a careful doctor.

Those of you with liberal views are puppets of your party. You all get your strings pulled at the same time. The closest thing to a liberal is a religious kook who follows everything they are told to follow. I sure hope that some of you become independent thinkers. Don't allow our government to tell you what to think. Tell your government what to think. Give to the poor with your time and money. Donate to programs in local and state government. Blue Dogs and conservatives can be just as blind as liberals but on this issue they are correct.

I think if everyone starts thinking independently from your party you will see that both sides have good and bad ideas. Please don't all jump over a cliff just because they tell you to. It's not just you going over but your family and your friends. Vote as a individual as a independent as a educated woman or man would vote. Vote as you feel not as they tell you to feel. And stand behind the president, if you pray then pray he does well.

[Maxiesid]

Oh you must have missed it, the majority of Americans DO want universal health care and have marched, called and emailed Washington DC And the good thing is that those of you that think that private health care is what you want will still be able to buy into whatever insurance scam... or, I mean, policy .....that you want to have! See, isn't that easy? People that don't want to pay the exhorbitant prices now being demanded if they want health care will be able to see a doctor without mortgaging their houses, the poor can actually GET treatment without sitting in the emergency rooms for hours and everyone will be happy. Well, except for the insurance company executives, because those of you that want to support their bonuses and extras and million dollar paydays aren't going to be enough to keep them in the style to which they have become accustomed. But, oh well, they can sacrifice now for a change.

[gladhart1]

We don't need no friggin bi-partisanship - the Repubs could care less about it when they were
the majority. Why the heck should we care about it now! I am tired of being a nice guy!

[LeftLeanWing]

Another poll should ask:

Obama's drop in bipartisanship - a good or bad thing....?

'Good' get my vote !

[bensisco]

He needs more help getting his message out. He's the only person we ever hear from. So, it's President Obama vs. everyone else (Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats) on every issue. That plus Faux News and all of Talk Radio constantly attacking him and telling us his ideas won't work are taking a toll.

[Gretel1or2]

I agree. And although it seems counterintuitive, the "drop" in polls is a good sign that real change is occurring and the powers that be are highly threatened by it. Hence all these polls to try to shape public opinion against the president's agenda. I just wish the American public weren't so gullible & impatient to allow the media spun distortions to influence their opinions.

[Budokan]

We don't need the ratpig RepubliKans or the Blue Dong Democrats to pass legislation. Stop reaching out to them. Just show them the closed fist they deserve.

[yankees]

Bipartisanship B.S. He can't even reach out to the Moderate Democrats.

[medicinecat]

"Despite bipartisan efforts..?­" It is precisely BECAUSE OF BIPARTISAN EFFORTS that I'm losing faith in Obama. KICK THE REPUBLICANS TO THE CURB, MR. PRESIDENT!

[joannenj]

Here Here! Reaching out is exactly what is causing his numbers to slip. Republicans have never reached out. Why are the Dems so set on being all cumbaya with them. Stop trying to reach out to those who mean you harm. Cut them loose before they poison the whole barrel.

[mark hinkley]

By caring too much about the appearance of bipartisanship, he has lost the popularity of those who wanted him to do what he campaigned to do.

[butterfliesblossom]

I don't know about others, it is not that I think the President is not listening to the GOP; what concerns me is I don''t think the President is listening to the people and I think that is why he has a 10% drop, the people is losing confidence in him. (and some of us is his own party)

You may argue well the GOP also represents Americans, and they may but once they reach Washington they are bought by Corporate paid Lobbyist. (and yes so are Democrats)

"A historical tour of populism" written in Newsweek May 2009, Michael Kazin states, "At its core, populism in the United States remains what it has always been: a protest by ordinary people who want the system to live up to its stated ideals—fair and honest treatment in the marketplace and a government tilted in favor of the unwealthy masses. The best way for big men, and big women, to respond to such protests is to try to do what is moral, as well as popular—and treat Americans as partners in the grand enterprise of governance­."

The President needs to appeal and start listening (listening once again) to the people. Not the politicians.

[lechnet]

" I don't know about others, it is not that I think the President is not listening to the GOP; what concerns me is I don''t think the President is listening to the people and I think that is why he has a 10% drop"

I think you're right. The poll reflects the public frustration with the way some popular notions are being squeezed out of the various proposals. First single payer, then the public option. It's time for the White House to reach out to those who want to put the popular stuff back into the legislation. That's the dialog we want to see now.

[Whatashame]

Every day theres a new poll. I've neve seen a president being polled like this before.

[Gretel1or2]

The "three-tim­es-a-week" polls are getting more and more ridiculous to make them almost meaningless at this point. Obama's polls will rise and fall depending on what's going on (as they did during the campaign). The most important polls are those taken in the last week of an election. Just in September 2008, McCain was leading Obama in the polls, so I would take these numbers with the appropriate amount of salt.

[Allure]

Well, Obama has turned out to be an empty suit and very inefficient leader like I suspected during the primaries. oh well.

[Gretel1or2]

Aren't you tired of spewing "I told you so" garbage after reading media spun headlines. Think critically for once on your life. I'm sure you cannot name a single person at this time who would do a better job than OBama in regards to the economy, healthcare, foreign relations, etc..

[LeftLeanWing]

This comment is from a person who penned the following

COMMENT FROM ALLURE:
"
Allure I'm a Fan of Allure permalink

Wow, so I see Obama's mother had a thing for brown d!ck
"

Another disgruntled PUMA. !.

[notadem]

Obama is doing exactly nothing and this is what I knew was going to happen when he got elected.

[DanSteSr]

If you mean blaming every problem on the repubs means he bipartisan the yes he is!