(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many adults in the United States expect Barack Obama to achieve specific goals, according to a poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. 70 per cent believe the president-elect will reach across party lines to get things done, and 62 per cent think he will make the U.S. more energy independent.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many adults in the United States expect Barack Obama to achieve specific goals, according to a poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. 70 per cent believe the president-elect will reach across party lines to get things done, and 62 per cent think he will make the U.S. more energy independent.
In addition, 55 per cent of respondents think Obama will be able to significantly improve education in the country, and 50 per cent believe he will provide health care coverage for most Americans who do not currently have it.
In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. On Nov. 4, Democratic nominee Obama secured a majority of electoral votes, defeating Republican candidate John McCain. Obama will become the first African American president in U.S. history when he takes over from George W. Bush—who served two four-year terms—on Jan. 20, 2009.
Earlier this month, Democratic Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy discussed health care reform, saying, "I am looking forward to working with Barack Obama on health care. I’m very hopeful that this will be a prime item on the agenda. (…) We’ve been making real progress in our discussions about a consensus approach and I’m optimistic we’ll succeed."
Polling Data
Do you think that Barack Obama will or will not be able to…?
|
Will |
Will Not |
Unsure |
|
|
Reach across party lines to get things done |
70% |
23% |
7% |
|
Make the United States more energy independent |
62% |
27% |
10% |
|
Significantly improve education in this country |
55% |
34% |
11% |
|
Provide health care coverage for most Americans who don’t have it now |
50% |
40% |
10% |
Source: Quinnipiac University Polling Institute
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 2,210 registered American voters, conducted from Nov. 6 to Nov. 10, 2008. Margin of error is 2.1 per cent.
