The Numbers
A Run at the Latest Data from ABC's Poobah of Polling, Gary Langer
Gary Langer is director of polling at ABC News, where he's covered the beat of public opinion for nearly 20 years - conducting and analyzing ABC News polls, evaluating data from other sources and setting the news division's standards for poll reporting. Langer has won two Emmy awards for ABC's reporting of public opinion polls in Iraq, and The Numbers blog was honored this year as winner of the 2008 Iowa Gallup Award for Excellent Journalism Using Polls.
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Michelle Obama: Bragging Rights
March 31, 2009 12:00 AM
(Thursday update: Here's an additional data point worth noting given Mrs. Obama's tumultuous welcome today at a London event where she spoke on female empowerment: Her overall popularity is similar among women and men - 79 and 73 percent, respectively, have a favorable opinion of her. But 51 percent of women have a "strongly" favorable view of Mrs. Obama, compared with 35 percent of men - a substantial difference in intensity of sentiment.)
There’s some pretty good news for Barack Obama in our latest ABC/Post poll out this morning – a 66 percent job approval rating and advances in views of the nation’s direction. But he might not brag on it at the dinner table: There are even better results for his wife.
Seventy-six percent of Americans now report an overall favorable opinion of Michelle Obama, a new high for her and toward the high end historically: Gallup had Laura Bush topping out at 80 percent in February 2005 and Barbara Bush at 85 percent in August 1992. Both by then had far longer in the spotlight than Michelle Obama to date.
Her husband may indeed have grounds for jealousy. While his job approval rating is marked by deep partisanship (95 percent of Democrats approve, compared with just 30 percent of Republicans), her popularity does more to transcend it: She’s rated favorably by 91 percent of Democrats, 75 percent of independents – and 59 percent of Republicans as well.
Politics, though, does come into it, as that 32-point Democratic-Republican gap shows. Indeed Mrs. Obama tops out at 96 percent favorability among liberal Democrats, vs. her low score of 54 percent among conservative Republicans.
Even with those divisions, a 76 percent favorable rating is notable; Hillary Clinton never exceeded 67 percent in a Gallup poll, Nancy Reagan, 70 percent in an ABC/Post survey. So is the extent to which Mrs. Obama has won some critics over. In August, during the presidential campaign, 30 percent of Americans viewed her unfavorably; she’s now halved that, to just 16 percent.
The first lady also has significant intensity behind her popularity: Forty-six percent not only see her favorably, but “strongly” so – up 8 points since January, up 20 points from August and more than double what it was when we first measured her popularity in June. (And topping her husband’s 40 percent “strong” job approval, although to be fair, favorability and job approval aren’t the same thing.)
A mere 7 percent, meanwhile, see her “strongly” unfavorably – less than half its high last summer.
It’s the intensity measure in which groups differ the most. Sixty-five percent of Democrats see Mrs. Obama strongly favorably; that plummets to 16 percent of Republicans. Her strongly favorable rating is far higher among liberals than among conservatives (65 percent vs. 29 percent). And as befits the first African-American first lady, more than three-quarters of blacks see her not just favorably, but strongly so.
March 31, 2009 | Permalink | User Comments (30)
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I don't know who they're polling because it seems to me that Obama's numbers are falling with each new "Porkulus" bill and talk of sacrifice i.e. higher taxes by everyone.What happened to his middle class tax cuts?And while Michele Obama may be popular,for the first time in my adult life,I am disappointed with the direction my country is taking.We're turning to the failed policies of Europe,and even they see that Obama's "stimulus" spending will bankrupt America for generations to come.
Posted by: Kim | Mar 31, 2009 12:37:32 AM
What would your plan be? And you are a hater so nothing the Obama's do will please people like you. But you would like an airhead like Palin. Boy, can you see her fixing this problem with the tax cuts and then what?
Posted by: troyman | Mar 31, 2009 1:32:28 AM
Palin is one of the last real freedom fighters for the U.S. and the far left is desperately trying to silence her. She is a successful and popular governor despite relentless attacks as her opponents try frivolous lawsuits as financial distractions. Palin has executive experience and is trying to protect her state's rights, federal strings and future tax hikes by refusing some of the stimulus money. Far left bloggers are waging a huge campaign against Palin. They will fail because she is loved in Alaska and she defends liberty. I admire her strength and capabilities. And Palin didn't receive $100,000 in AIG donations like Obama.
Posted by: Denise | Mar 31, 2009 2:02:57 AM
I guess some people into freedom. I'm an Independent and don't think Obama's $3.8 Trillion budget is the wisest course during a recession. Even the Europeans can't figure out why Obama thinks that taking all money from the people will stimulate the economy. One economist calls it "The road to hell".
I hope Obama will do what's best for America.
Posted by: Justin | Mar 31, 2009 2:41:02 AM
Michelle, with all your pride and beauty, we all love you!! Please take time from your busy schedule and help your husband fight "Big Business" to save us all!
Posted by: Mihann | Mar 31, 2009 5:10:22 AM
Even the Europeans can't figure out why Obama thinks that taking all money from the people will stimulate the economy. One economist calls it "The road to hell".
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Don't listen to what they say, watch what they do. They are 3-6 months behind us on the recession their time is comming.
Posted by: Thinking | Mar 31, 2009 6:14:56 AM
I am "thinking" that spending money you do not have will lead to more pain and suffering down the road. And I cannot think of anoyone who has spent their way out of debt.
As for polls, none of us want to be unpolitically correct and say bad things about the President but we will say lots of bad things about his advisors, who I believe are jerks and imposters not to mention liars and thieves, and the congress.
So take the poll numbers, a buck or three and go have a good cup of coffee.
Posted by: david | Mar 31, 2009 6:33:16 AM
Maybe he can put Michelle in charge of Treasury...
Posted by: matt | Mar 31, 2009 7:46:41 AM
Our First Lady, Michelle will do just fine. Classy, intelligent and gracious.
Posted by: sngeorgia | Mar 31, 2009 7:47:35 AM
I wasn't polled.
I voted for Obama, and now I don't approve of his job.
Yes, I knew where he stood and what his "talk" was while campaigning. So you can spare me the speech.
I don't agree with the amount he is spending. Or should I say the amounts, plural. Trillion here and trillions there.
Trillion just sounds like another word, until you realize just how big of a number that really is. Then reality will set in and scare you.
Convert it all to time.
1 Million seconds is aprox. 11 days ago
1 Billion seconds is aprox. 32 years ago
You better make sure you are sitting down
1 Trillion seconds is over 32,000 years ago.
Yeah, puts a whole new light on things.
Obama has outspent all of the last president and we are just 3 months in.
Posted by: Angie | Mar 31, 2009 8:02:59 AM
I'm like many others who have responded. Where are you conducting the polls. I don't know anyone who approves of Obama or his wife. I would suggest that ABC and all others in the news media get out of the east and poll the rest of America. We don't like what is going on and there will be CHANGE in the next election.
Posted by: Bill | Mar 31, 2009 8:14:20 AM
How was this poll conducted? I have lived in the northeast my whole life (Mass., NY and CT) as has most of my family with the exception of a few who moved to California. Not exactly red states. In our communities, there is a shocked speechlessness at the degree and speed of the massive spending bills coming out of the administration; a frozen sense of fear and anger that has taken people's breathe away. We all hope for the best but there is an ominous sense of dread that has made our communities very quiet. There is very little joy or optimism.
Posted by: bct | Mar 31, 2009 8:23:40 AM
George Bush spent 6 Trillion Dollars destroying our economy and country. The figures from the OMB show that the federal debt rose from 4.5 Trillion Dollars to 10.5 Trillion Dollars during Bush's corrupt and criminal Administration. The Republicans spent a lot of money to get us where we are today, and it's going to take a lot of money to get us back on track.
Posted by: caliguy55 | Mar 31, 2009 9:59:28 AM
come on people, one of the reason it was this high was becasue it was taken when the markets were ok last week. do the same thing again this week and you would see a difference, also take a poll after he gos to europe. see what happens after he meets with them. again you will see a very dramatic change in aproval.
Posted by: commen sence | Mar 31, 2009 12:30:04 PM
Who's doing the polling!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: countrygirl | Mar 31, 2009 1:13:53 PM
TROYMAN - SURELY, YOU JEST? Palin may have made a great contender for the Miss America pageant, but as a political leader? LMAO !!!!
Posted by: No Head in the Sand here | Mar 31, 2009 3:59:44 PM
I give great credit to Michelle Obama, or at least to her handlers and advisors. She is coming across very positive and, dare-I-say-it, even nice these days. It seems the anger has been toned down and even her expressions and statements have changed. You recall even after Obama got the nomination she almost always had a sullen or surly look and would glare at speakers, particularly people from other parties or whites, even when they would be saying good things about Barack. Also, she would always denigrate the USA, etc. It seems that she had a change of heart or, at least, her advisors and handlers have coached her to be positive about America, friendly towards others of a different race, and smile more.
Posted by: Al | Mar 31, 2009 8:11:18 PM
I'm with Denise. Hopefully, Sarah Palin won't be so disgusted with the media etc. who are so in love with Obamalama that she will come back to the arena and get the train back on the tracks! Who is taking these polls anyway?
Posted by: marlene b | Mar 31, 2009 10:37:21 PM
This just sounds like more biased propaganda.
I'd like to know just whom you are polling because everyone I talk to is really angry about Obama's spending.
Also, most of the comments I hear about
Michelle O are very UNflattering. (I won't repeat them.) And I am in NEW YORK right now hearing these opinions!
Posted by: Michelle | Apr 1, 2009 11:03:38 PM
Is anyone else sick of the bias coverage on GMA,I used to love the show,but now I find Dianne and Robbin are so pro O"Bama that it is making the show less creditable.
Posted by: Briget | Apr 2, 2009 12:13:56 PM
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