Nation & World

<< Previous   of   Next >> Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press  (click to enlarge) President Barack Obama walks through grave markers during a unannounced visit to Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on Wednesday. That section is reserved for troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Thursday, November 12, 2009 Public support for Obama holds The public is getting pessimistic about the wars and the economy. Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama still has the approval of a majority of Americans, but it’s an increasingly pessimistic nation. The public grew slightly more dispirited on a range of matters over the past month, including war and the economy, continuing the slippage that has occurred since Obama took office, the latest Associated Press-GfK poll shows. This comes at a time when he is trying to revive the struggling economy, considering sending more troops to the 8-year-old Afghanistan war, muscling a health care reform overhaul through Congress and hoping to push through other ambitious measures like legislation focused on climate change. People were gloomier about the direction of the country than in October. They disapproved of Obama’s handling of the economy a bit more than before. And, perhaps most striking for the commander in chief, more people have lost confidence in Obama on Iraq and Afghanistan over the last month. Overall, there’s a malaise about the state of the nation. “It’s in pretty bad shape,” said truck driver Floyd Hacker of Granby, Mo., a Democrat who voted for Obama. “He sounded like somebody who could make things happen. I still think he can.” Still, Hacker said, he questions the president’s approach to the economy, what the U.S. is trying to accomplish in Afghanistan and Obama’s focus on health care, adding, “He can’t handle everything at one time.” Obama’s approval rating stands at 54 percent, roughly the same as in October but very different from the enthusiastic 74 percent in January just before he took office. And some 56 percent of people say the country is heading in the wrong direction, an uptick from 51 percent last month and 49 percent in Obama’s first month as president. The economy is by far the most important issue on Americans’ minds. Unemployment hit 10.2 percent last month even though the administration has promoted glimmers of improvement and many economists say the recession is over. The nation also has grown more lukewarm on Obama and the wars as he tries to wind down the one in Iraq and considers ramping up the one in Afghanistan. Compared with October, 45 percent of people now disapprove of Obama’s handling of Iraq, up from 37 percent; while 48 percent now disapprove of his handling of Afghanistan, up from 41 percent. A majority of Americans oppose both wars. And more than half — 54 percent — now oppose sending more troops to Afghanistan, an increase from 50 percent last month. On health care, about half of the country approves of how Obama is doing on his signature domestic issue — virtually unchanged from October. In a major victory for Obama, the House passed a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. medical system over the weekend. But the fate of the measure is uncertain in the Senate, where moderate Democrats who are necessary for passage are balking at the cost and various provisions. Only a third of the country approves of how Congress is doing. READER COMMENTS Log in or register to post new comment | Log out Public Support? Of what? http://web.archive.org/web/20040627142700/eastandard.net/headlines/news26060403.htm Continued NON responce is very harmfull to the security to this nation. All of you doing nothing, politicans, police, fbi, cia, nsa, shame on you all... http://blog.changeandexperience.com/2008/08/barack-obamas-indonesian-registration.html Barack Obama, a Kenyan citizen and Luo tribe member from birth) may become president of the United States before a Luo tribe member becomes president of Kenya http://www.archive.org/details/OtunnuOnLuoTribeMemberBeingElectedPresidentOct.252008 Craig French | Nov 15, 2009 8:50 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

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