Public Credits Obama for Making Bipartisan Effort, Poll Finds

2 years ago

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While President Obama failed to get Republican backing for his economic stimulus program and isn't making much headway getting bipartisan support for health care reform, Americans believe by 60 percent to 38 percent that he has made a sincere effort to work with the opposition, according to a Gallup poll conducted Sept. 11-13.

The other part of the story is that this number has been falling since Gallup first polled it in December, just before Obama took office. At that time, Americans said by 80 percent to 19 percent that they believed the new president would reach out to Republicans, a margin that fell to 66-30 this spring and now has declined further.

Republicans dismiss the idea that Obama has tried to reach out to them by 71 percent to 27 percent. Independents credit Obama for trying, 56-42, while Democrats believe he has tried to act in a bipartisan fashion by 90 percent to 8 percent.

By comparison, those polled say, 64 percent to 33 percent, that congressional Republicans have not tried to find solutions to problems acceptable to both parties. They hold a similar view of Democrats, 59 percent to 38 percent.

Filed Under: Democrats, Republicans, Barack Obama, Polls, Obama Administration, Poll Watch

Tagged: Bipartisanship, Daily Guidance, DailyGuidance

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