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Obama Begins Tenure at 63% in U.S.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many American adults are satisfied with the performance of their president, according to a poll by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News. 63 per cent of respondents approve of the job Barack Obama is doing.
In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2008, Democratic nominee Obama secured a majority of electoral votes, defeating Republican candidate John McCain. On Jan. 20, Obama became the first African American president in U.S. history.
Since 2007, defaults on so-called subprime mortgages—credit given to high-risk borrowers—in the United States caused volatility in domestic and global financial markets and ultimately pushed the U.S. economy into a recession. A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. The crisis has affected the global financial and credit systems, and triggered layoffs in companies around the world.
On Jan. 31 in his weekly radio address, Obama discussed his proposed measures to stabilize the economy, saying, "No one bill, no matter how comprehensive, can cure what ails our economy. So just as we jump-start job creation, we must also ensure that markets are stable, credit is flowing and families can stay in their homes. (...) We’ll help lower mortgage costs and extend loans to small businesses so they can create jobs. We’ll ensure that CEOs are not draining funds that should be advancing our recovery."
Polling Data
Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as president?
|
Approve |
63% |
|
Disapprove |
16% |
|
Unsure |
19% |
Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 American registered voters, conducted on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28, 2009. Margin of error is 3 per cent.