WASHINGTON (CNN) – Six months after the $787 billion economic stimulus package became law, a new poll indicates a majority of Americans don't think it's working.
Fifty-seven percent of those questioned in a USA Today/Gallup survey released Monday say the federal stimulus has had no effect on the economy so far, or has made things worse. Just over four in 10 say the stimulus has made things better.
The poll also suggests that six in 10 doubt that the stimulus package will make things better in the future, with 38 percent saying the infusion of money from Washington will have a positive effect on the nation's economy.
"Support for the stimulus package dropped significantly even before it was passed, and six months ago the public was evenly divided over whether it would help the economy," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Americans have never supported the idea of a second stimulus bill - back in March, two-thirds opposed that idea."
The stimulus package includes nearly $300 billion in tax cuts and nearly $500 billion in new spending. No Republicans in the House of Representatives, and only three in the Senate, voted in favor of the bill.
Republicans have been vocal in criticizing what they call the ineffectiveness of the stimulus package to lower unemployment and jump start the economy.
The USA Today/Gallup poll was conducted August 6-9, with 1,010 adults questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
From CNN Politics
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Americans stop expecting this President to wave a magic wand over everything and just fix it immediately. This did not happen overnite and it won't be fixed overnite. That is how we got in this mess in the first place. Let's stop living in this microwave society and put some of the blame where it belogs on us.
Don't need a poll to illustrate the obvious.
But those $600 checks that Bush handed out worked great!!! CNN reports another dire issue worthy of THE SITUATION ROOM!!!
The one rare commodity the Americans need is Patience. It is costly, it is dear , and it is utterly unpredictable in its manifestation, especially when the times are hard.
What did John King do this poll. Everyone knows him and his wife are in the tank for the republicans.
Give it time. It's saved jobs.
Another administration blunder.
What, the stimulus not working!!
What, no end in sight for the war!!!
What, no health care reform!!!!
You like apples far lefties? Well, how do like them apples!!!
This poll just shows that non-thinking people don't think.
6 months to immediate results? That's a rather naive expectation.
Stimulus not working? So how come the Dow isn't sub 6000? Unemployment is the last to rebound so these misleading polls are doing nothing but creating more skeptics.
The stimulus is designed to work in TWO YEARS, not 6 months.
How could it possibly be working when so little of it has been implemented so far? What a crock. This was just your standard spending bill that they put the word "stimulus" on. Nothing different whatsoever. Spend spend spend. That is what Democrats do best.
Maybe Bush's $600 checks didn't do much – so Obama writes the equivalent of a $2,600 check for every man, woman, and child in the country... for what??? Liberal pork projects.
Well duh! Government does not create wealth. Only the private sector can do that. Obama and the democrats might as well had taken that 800 billion dollars and flushed it down the Washington D.C. sewage system. It was one of the horrendous acts of government stupidity I think I have ever witnessed.
microwave society. well put. so many want everything NOW!! first you have to plant the seed, nurture the plant, harvest, prepare, serve–then hopefully enjoy your meal.
The solution to the problems in the economy is NOT to spend more than we have (which is the Obama solution). That's just one of many reasons why people are losing faith in him quickly.
Just another Obama screwup – we are paying dearly for the community organizer's inexperience.
How many even went to the site and looked at data?
As previously stated... IT'S ONLY BEEN 6 MONTHS! These things take time.
Sheesh!
Why is it that people(Republicans) thing that President can cure the
economic (Unemployment) in six months when Reagan could
not do such when he was in office, They did not complain. He,
the President is not a magic worker. They just want to see the
President fail. They cannot say they do because if they did not,
they would try to work with him. There is one reason but they
are afraid to admit.
S
Most people have such a negative view these days that they would never admit it if they did think it was working. If the economy gets worse it is because of the stimulus. If it gets better then it must be just natural ebs and flows of the market. Despite the number of people who claim they are not victims of talking points that is what is going on. Here and in much of the public opinion that is being expressed lately. All you hear and read is how bad everything is. People protest in a town hall meeting and it is all over the news. Promising economic indicators are released and there is a paragraph at the bottom of the list.
How many of those people who have such strong beliefs have even taken a college economics course? How many books have they read about economic theory? Can they even discuss it without including a talking point?
It took them 8 years to figure out that Bush & Co were criminals but can't wait 6 months for things to magically improve. Without meaningful health care reform you can bet that the economy will sink very fast.
It took more than six months to ge into this mess. It's going to take more than six months to get out of it. Life is not a drive through,
Give it time. Oh I forgot this President is not allowed time when the previous one had all the time in the world (to put us in this situation). Wonder why there is a different standard for the Black President. Maybe because there are always different standards for people if they are not rich or white.
What, you mean creating artificial demand for goods and services doesn't actually work in creating REAL sustained demand for products?
Hmmm... who'd have guessed.
You'd have thought that George Du(M)bya Bush's tax "rebate" fiasco seven years ago (of giving $100 to every Tom-Dick-and-Harry in the country) would have put this notion to bed forever.
The "bailouts" are a failure.
TARP is a failure. (thanks for that fiasco Du[m]bya!)
The "stimulus" (AKA "porkulus") is a failure.
Cash for Clunkers is a failure...
Healthcare "reform" is D.O.A.
"Cap-n-tax-n-tax-n-tax" is also D.O.A.
Obama is a one-and-done president.
Four and the door.
Government – get the hell out of the market!
Gee, it's been how many months and the stimulus is still not working!? What is wrong with this President. He's been in office 6 months and he hasn't accomplished all that he said he would do. If John McCain were President the economy would have turned around overnight. People get REAL. The man is not a miracle worker. Things will get better. It takes time. And for those who supported McCain if you think things would be different if he were in office, you're in denial.
I still have a JOB trust me it worked! But dont listen to me look at the market in full recovery swing. but how many people in North America even knw what the Dow is about? you guessed it less then 30%!!!!!
The stimulus was about jobs...Saving jobs and creating new ones. Since it was passed, the unemployment numbers indicate that we are still losing jobs (548,000 last week alone). It is unlikely that the Stimulus will create the 2-4 million jobs that was promised. Hence the view that it is a failure.
Of course the Stimulus bill isn't working. It was so full of useless PORK projects that useless Congress members slid into the bill.
Mr (I'm going to get rid of all PORK) Obama lied again.
President Obama told us if Congress didn't pass the Stimulus immediately it would be catastrophic. After it was passed, he waited 3 days to sign it and to date only about 10% has been spent while unemployment has gone up and the economy has sputtered. It was passed without people knowing what was in it and one party pushing it through. Sounds like the Health Care Bills in the House.
Its lucky the conservative Dems in Congress slowed it down because we're finding out whats in the bill and the more we know the less we want it.
Nov. 2010 can't come fast enough.
Give it time. Just heard that a berry developed in the Great Depression stimulus package has been doing great for many years?!
Seriously, it takes time for things like this ti show up. Health care will take time and much tweaking before we get a decent package. It took many years to screw things up and will take several to get them on track.
Poll: most people don't realize how much the Recovery Act has helped them – you got a tax cut as part of this legislation people, wake up!
Frankly, it's too soon to tell. Those opposed to President's Obama's who are quick to criticize some of his policies for not 'working' would complain equally if they were. McCain's policy was a gas tax relief and a free textbook.
America is the country where many reside solely in the mindset of 'Me First", "Not My Fault", "Take Care of Me", "Satisfy Me Now".
Last but not least: "I'll take a pill instead of doing any exercise, I'm an American; it's my God-given condition that I am beautiful", “They make it in my size, so of course I’m going to wear it”.
Obama has been spending money like a tenage girl at the mall with her daddy's credit card and there's nothing to show for it except lots of debt. We'll be paying for this fiasco for years to come.
Sadly the people of our country view everything as if they are in a drive thru at a fast food joint. " I want it now, the way I like it, and cheap!"
In view of the fact that increased government spending was a major portion of the GDP growth that led us to have a better-than expected GDP report for last quarter (e.g., -0.1%, which was not as bad as the previous quarters), then it seems clear that the stimulus is working. This stimulus helped to plug a hole in the economy. Also, the much criticized TARP program helped to stabilize the financial sector.
The average American is not an economist, so the poll results are meaningless. It would be like polling Boston Redsox fans about a change in the line-up.
Also, the right wing would be against it, even if it was working, because of their philosophy.
Not nearly enough money was put into the hands of the people who know where to spend it. What's good for one person is not necessarily good for the rest of us.
The 700 billion Bush gave his bagmen at the banks worked just fine.They all took half of it just for their golden parachutes and bonuses.
Patience is a Virtue. All Americans on both sides need to know this.
By the end of this year, the bulk of the stimulus will take effect.
Stay Strong. The recession may be behind us, but recovery is very slow.
only illegal live under american dream thanks to liberal democrats..all free as long illegal vote democraps
Might as well ask the general public whether the latest rocket technology will work. Why bother with such a poll?
Top economists are saying that the stimulus is working, that we've stepped back from the brink of economic disaster left by the Bush administration. The stock market has rebounded; job loss and housing price declines are slowing. Things sure look a lot better now than they did six months ago.
Last but not least, the stimulus is not intended to turn things around in the short-term, but to gradually stabilize and then grow the economy in future years.
The stimulus and his other bailouts has put us in a hole we may never recover from and he wants to spend more!!
DEFICIT SOARS
The federal budget has gone from surplus to deficit during the past decade.
Fiscal year Surplus or deficit
2000 +$236 billion
2001 +$128 billion
2002 -$158 billion
2003 -$378 billion
2004 -$413 billion
2005 -$318 billion
2006 -$248 billion
2007 -$161 billion
2008 -$459 billion
2009* -$1,841 trillion (all thanks to Obama and the dems...)
Tell the teacher that is still working or the cop still walking a beat that the stimulus isn't working... tell the GM worker who just got called back to work and the Guardian worker who just got called back to build the windshields for GM the stimulus isn't working. Tell the men and women working on our roads the stimulus isn't working. Look at your own paycheck and tell me you aren't bringing home about $100 more each month since the tax break went into affect. You guys are freaking idiots if you thought the stimulus would work in 6 months. It isn't a season of American Idol you lemmings!
Are you going to poll the president when he goes to dinner table and later to the "john".
I just read a CNN report right here that some stimulus money is kicking in on an Indian Reservation (in a red state) where the poor indigenous people had been neglected from time immemorial. A medical center is being erected and number of people have been employed thanks to this administration's initiative.
What about the stimulus money that is being used to create construction and rehabilitation jobs? I am almost upset when I leave home in the morning because of the incessasnt road work being done. My complaint is that it is a hassle getting to the job I am BLESSED with because of the maligned stimulus money that is creating hard hat jobs.
Give me a break!
Give it time. Most economists agree that the stimulus averted an even greater catastrophic event.
I personally know people who were laid off 4-6 months ago who've found new jobs; local schools are using the money to guarantee essential positions such as reading specialists; I go to the stores and see people shopping.
It took the Bush Administration 8 years to create this mess; it's going to take some time to clean it up.
At least we have a President willing to tackle problems and not just run away to his ranch for a vacation.
Wow....I wish I was polled. In my city, we recently laid off several police officers only to rehire them because of the stimulus package. We now have money (which ran out) to repair our levees to prevent a Katrina like disaster.
I am not getting this...........not all the money has even been released. Give it a chance, people. It took several years and many disasterous decisions to get us to this horrible place; we won't come out of it over night.
Also, I am really getting tired of CNN's reporting..........and polls. Yeah, I am sure my comment won't be printed.
It's working in Michigan...we have several big road projects going right now with stimulus funds.
Also, since the right was so adamant that the signs announcing these projects were wasteful (although I assume that some signmakers were glad for the work!) how do people even know if there is a project in their town or not? The right is just determined to trash President Obama at every opportunity.
What's worked? Dow is above 9000 for the first time in 9 months.
Home prices have stopped their free fall due to more lending.
There will be a health care bill passed this fall.
New cars are being bought due to clunkers being traded in.
Energy credits are boosting contractor work in many states.
Palin resigned (sorry, couldn't resist a jab at my favorite town crier, you know, the girl who cries 'wolf' once a week when her writers come up with some catch phrase [with footnotes] for conservative Americans to swallow.)
actually a poll is useful in economics where perception drives reality
I however disagree with this poll
while I was at a WaMu picnic and saw at least 50% with out a job, I do think things are ever so slowly picking up
I would hope it would gain momentum, my take is it is too close to call if ANYTHING is helping or if we are still dropping
My job was essentially created because of the heightened demand created by the stimulus bill.
I also know for a fact that many of the major initiatives in the stimulus bill are still getting off the ground. This has little to do with the current administration, but everything to do with implementing the stimulus bill in a prudent, responsible, and transparent manner. This means it will take TIME to see the full effects. However, while the numbers have not improved considerably, the decline has slowed and even halted in many segments of the economy. However, republicans seem to think this is a failure. How naive. Sadly, even when the full effects of the stimulus bill do start to take effect, they will simply find some other contrived issue to scream about.
Republicans, we are now fixing your mess. Stop whining.
Come on, who really thought this was going to "stimulate" the economy? It is nothing more but BO's paybacks. Georgie Porgie paid them off and now BO gets to. it was theft pure and simple.
Why is everyone asking the public to be patient when our government wasnt patient enough to make sure it was done right? Im just saying that we cant hold the public to a higher standard than our government.
Ok all of you that have a tax break who said the stimulus isn't working please give it back. Also, all you states please send the money back that you have got to balance your budgets. Then see how much the stimulus worked or didn't.
all I can say is it we have a whole lot of idiots in america. He has been in office 7 months. Its going to take a whole lot longer than 7 mos for the stimulus to work. He can get us out of this mess, with enough time and support. I mean, If those who voted for him didnt have faith that he was smart enough or competent enough to dig us out of this hole then why the hell did u vote for him? Bunch of sell outs.
People are simply looking for a miracle. A wave of a magic wand that can make every American hunky dory in a dream world of flowing cash, hot women, and fast cars.
Oh brother, do Americans realize that life is not a 90 minute movie? There are no instant happy endings; things take time. Let's look at where we were – and at where we are. Analysts say the Recovery Act may well have saved a million jobs already, home prices are stabilizing, credit is beginning to flow again, the stock market is up and the Cash for Clunkers program will infuse the economy with 18 billion dollars. All in all, I think the Obama team is doing a fantastic job with the economy.
I'm suprised. Only 10% has been spent yet, and our country isn't exactly famous for being the bastion of intelligencia. Most of the people voting have no idea that all of the money hasn't gone out.
CNN, I hate to break this to you, but Obama will be re-elected.
Reminder: The government wouldn't have to "be in the market" if those in charge of the market weren't a bunch of criminals and thieves (we wouldn't need police either if everyone would just be nice).
To all those free-market folks out there: Grow up and stop being so naive! Reasonable regulation is needed – how many more financial crises do you need to get that through your thick heads?
Unfortunately, most people don't seem to realize that the unmitigated disaster left behind by his predecessor will take Obama longer than 6 months to repair.
The stimulus was designed to prevent a 1930's style Depression.
On that count it has succeeded.
Obama has been the biggest disapointment since Crystal Pepsi
all I can say is it we have a whole lot of idiots in america. He has been in office 7 months. Its going to take a whole lot longer than 7 mos for the stimulus to work. He can get us out of this mess, with enough time and support. I mean, If those who voted for him didnt have faith that he was smart enough or competent enough to dig us out of this hole then why did u vote for him? Bunch of sell outs.
Gee, that's good news Tree, I received a tax cut. Considering, I did not receive a cost of living increase, that really is good news. I can buy almost 4 gallons of gas a week with that tax relief. Whew, what a break. I can sure see how that will turn the economy around.
Point One: It took eight years of republican laissez faire free-for-all to get us here. All of the sudden these "conservatives" have come out of the closet and are all concerned? Please. What hypocrisy. See Point three below.
Point Two: This conservative impatience is bred solely out of ignorant fear, misstrust, and mistruths. In other words, republican stock-in-trade for battling anything a democrat proposes or does.
Point Three: It dosen't matter. Conservatives have demonstrated an incredibly well-tuned negative Pavlovian response to ANYTHING Obama does. Even if it unemployment zeroed out and it started raining dollar bills they would condemn him for making us all work and littering. See point two above.
Point Four: Where were all these tantrums when Bush ramrodded the bail out, aka the "let's pay off my rich friends and contributors plan"? Just another demonstration of how Republican rules of engagement are different when one of their own is in charge.
What a useless poll.
First of all, the vast majority of people do not understand the byzantine intricacies of the plan. And second of all, what are we measuring this against? A hypothetical? There is no way to know what would have happened had the stimulus not been enacted.
Can't believe I wasted five minutes on this crap.
Polls of this nature are always suspect. In this case, they are asking people with no expertise a technical question of the effect of economic policy. All these people have is a gut feeling and that is born of an incessant drumbeat from The Party of No that everything is Obama's fault or, if it is too old to blame on him, Bill Clinton's fault.
Ask Paul Krugman and a conservative counterpart, not Joe the Plumber.
The so-called "stimulus" was never anything other than taking 787 billion dollars out of America's savings account and blowing it now–and blowing it, so far, on worthless pork projects meant more to get Democrats re-elected than on anything substantive.
Americans aren't dumb–they figured out even before the ink was dry on the legislation that the "stimulus" was a fraud that's mortgaged our kids' futures, will likely cause more inflation, and lead to a big increase in taxes.
It's not too late–most of that 787 billion hasn't been spent yet. This bit of legislative and economic idiocy can be reversed.
This problem took 8 years if not longer to make. How can anyone judge the stimulus package when it's hardly been used yet? How can anyone not expect it to take at least a couple of years to get out of if not longer. People need to read and be educated.
How can we possibly expect the stimulus to work when many states are holding their stimulus monies hostage? These mostly Republican governors KNOW that if they utilize their stimulus funds it will have a POSITIVE effect on unemployment, thus making the President appear successful. I've been saying it for months: these so-called Country First traitors would rather have their state's unemployment rate rise than do what's truly in the best for their constituents or the country.
Interestingly enough, one of the first thing that the new governor in Alaska did was to release the stimulus funds, and put them to good use.
It is working, just not as quickly as people want. It is a very deep hole that we are in that was created over a very long time.
Withdraw the stimulus package and other boondoggles passed by Congress and refocus on getting people to work NOW. We don't need maglev from San Francisco to Las Vegas to support politicos.
The best education system for the rich in the World,and it shows.
Why don't you poll economists. You know, people who actually know what the hell they're talking about? This whole country is full of "non-experts." Ordinary folks who say, "I'm no economist, but..." or, "I'm no auto mechanic, but..." or, "I'm no doctor, but..." Have a nice day!
what????? CNN are you simply trying to make our president look bad by only doing these rediculous polls with republicans?! GOLD could be falling from the sky and dumb repugs that can't stand our president would complain that it is not enough! GET A GRIP CNN.....BARACK OBAMA IS THE BEST PRESIDENT AND WILL GET RE-ELECTED!!!!
2002 -$158 billion
2003 -$378 billion
2004 -$413 billion
2005 -$318 billion
2006 -$248 billion
2007 -$161 billion
2008 -$459 billion
2009* -$1,841 trillion (all thanks to Obama and the dems…)
______________________________________________________
From 2002- present, blame it on Obama and the dems huh?
European countries that refused to follow Obama's advice on the stimulus are recovering faster... What does that say? Every recession rebounds people, you can't say that when this one rebounds, it was because of the porkulus, I mean stimulus. Now we have debt and inflation to worry about. But I have chope.
No, only CNN working for Republicans full time!
Wow, Americans think the government spending money like drunken sailors in a brothel is a bad idea? Really? Maybe it was the fact that most of the money would not be spent for well over a year (and some closer to 10 years) that convinced Americans this was not a "stimulus" program, but a free for all at the hog trough.
Google the poll and the advertisements which go with it.
Enough said . . .
We have 24/7 cable TV and radio, pretending to be news when all they are actually doing is stirring up controversy to boost their ratings. It isn't in the best interest of these outlets to report the NEWS. CNN suggested recently that the Administration should answer a list of questions about TARP. Why doesn't CNN report the answers to those questions?
I went to the government website and found them! All CNN has to do is ask but that isn't in their best interest because anger insures ratings.
how much longer are we going to blame Bush? you need to remember the dem took over and in 2006. Before then the country was doing okay. Wake up and realize the truth behind this mess. Yes i know its only been 6.5 months and NObama cant work miracles in that time frame. what needs to do is slow down and think before you makes a move. He still have 3.5 years to make the change. I cant understand why he is doing what he is doing. He is try to secure that 2012 vote. Which isnt going to happen becuase the american people are waking up.
Hey all the Libs blamed Bush for 911 because he was in office when it happened, even though the run up to the attack took most of the 8 years Clinton was in Office. Guess that means Obama owns this economic mess lock stock and barrel too. Can't blame Bush for Economy 2009 any more that you can blame Clinton for 911.
The Obama administraion......2009-2013 R I P
Did anyone keep the receipt for the stimulus money we got from the Chinese? Look on the back and see what the return policy is – maybe we can give some of it back with no penalty?
Shouldn't the success of the stimulus be judged based on a comparison of where we'd be without it? I don't know the answer to that, so I would not be able to answer the question. The fact that so many Americans are giving a black/white answer to such a complex question is really frustrating. The question itself is just not a useful one to ask.
Do you really need a poll to tell you that the pork filled stimulus was a total failure??
1) Only a fraction of the money has been spent to date.
2) This mess took 8 years to make...it won't be fixed in 7 months.
3) Bush ok'd the first stimulus payout...this ain't Obama's baby!
4) What's your 401K/profit sharing/retirement account balance now compared to late last year? I've recouped all that I lost and then some...you?
5) What's the housing market doing now compared to early this year? All indicators are that its picking up quicker than expected.
6) Is unemployment still in a freefall compared to early this year? Numbers are leveling out...the first step toward reduction of this final economic rebound indicator.
Apparently the pollsters polled the Americans with their head in the sand...the same ones who think the health care industry is in fine shape.
Every economic response (including Bush's) has been a flop! Bailing out banks, buying car companies and wasting 780 billion on this stimulus is awful. Let's get back to free markets...nothing is too big to fail. Wake up people, Obama is even worse than Bush! Don't be partisan. Obama is on a spending binge that will hurt us for decades.
It's hilarious. Most people agreed that, even if everything works, we couldn't dream to see a complete recovery withing Obama's first TERM, and that's he'd likely have to pay the consequence of losing re-election, even if his policies end up saving the country 5-6 years down the road.
GOP and Dems, when passing the stimulusl, were quick to caution us that the impact would not be felt immediately.
Now the peanut gallery is already judging it to be a failure? Now it's evident why the GOP has been waging war against public education for so long – they have us right where they want us – dumb, panicky, and willing to tremble at their every cue.
Can you stop with the "if you don't agree with the stimulus then give it back" nonsense? Giving it back, or not accepting it, won't make it not be spent. The government will just give it to someone else. You (an individual, a state) almost have to take it so you aren't disadvantaged over the next person/state, since we're all paying for it anyway. I'm not even getting to whether stimulus funds are being handed out fairly as it is...
but the rich are richer!!!
How can anyone say it failed? I think it worked as intended.
Just a thought....the stimulus can not work unless ALL the money is distributed....we stil have not had a fair accounting of 'where' the monies have gone...to 'whose' account..and applied 'where'. But then again, I did post last year that it is only fair to acknowledge that God has had enough...he told us ..Therefore lay aside all fithiness and overthrow of wickedness and recieve with meakness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls (James chp 1:21)...but no one listened. Look, I have been recording God's doing, as he does work through Nature...in the last year alone..CNN you have to admit..his fury is up, and rightly so. Politicians you are running out of chances.
Another poll that don't mean nothing. These right wing hicks are over loading the system with multiple voting. These People are blinded with stupidity and are an EMBARRASSEMENT to the world.
Sorry to be so blunt, but this poll was not conducted among educated people.
Most people I know just call it a political payoff. It was the biggest scam and give away for politcal support in our country's history. On top of that there is no dispute it has not worked. It was the Obama bait and switch. Democrats I guess figured the economy would recover by itself quicker and this was just a Thanks for getting me elected gift.
WOW – it saved my job and hundreds others, including TEACHERS!!! So does it mean if some lost their jobs and some were SAVED – it's not working???
Again, another POLL that most of us was not a part of!!!???
This poll just goes to show how stupid and forgetful the American Public has become.
Uhhmmm while everyone is Blaming Obama...........do you need to be reminded that Bush and the GOP came up with the Stimulus and they are the ones who DID NOT MONITOR the first Round.............
What? How dare you say that throwing money away on useless short-term projects won't stimulate the economy. That's like saying the the massive taxation that will be required to pay this off will be painful to the generations that will follow. Also, why ask the American public what their opinion is? They need to just lay back and let the political elites run their lives for them.
Yup, that's why the market has gained over 2,000 pts. since the end of the Bush Administration, that's why there was actually job GROWTH in July, that's why over 50% of economists have declared the recession to be over. Because the stimulus didn't work.
Just like most other issues in this country, the uneducated American public is once again falling victim to sensationalist journalism and reporting. Overall, things have gotten better, though I'm sure not for everyone.
Does anyone honestly think the McCain plan or the Republican's plan (which would have let the banks fail, lost most automaker's jobs, and followed the same econonmic philosophies that got us into this mess) would have been better? PLEASE.
I'm hurting like everyone. But I have a hell of a lot more optimism in someone who's at least working to solve the problems, instead of those who already have pleny of financial security and whose philosohies got us into this mess in the first place.
For you who questoin polls...they are scientific. They aren't partisan. They take an accurate random sampling. The person identified themselves as a teacher and questioned the poll saying "I wasn't called"....are you really a teacher?? Wow, too bad your job was saved, because it's scary if that's your answer. READ A BOOK, NOT A BLOG.
the "stimulus" is only a flop in that it didn't work and tripled the nation's debt overnight. But, otherwise it was brillant move by Obama!
Were not in the middle of a great depression right now so I would say it is working. My 401K is sure looking lot better than it did a few months ago. Thank you President Obama. You are doing what is best for the country even if people are too blind to see that.
A problem in the reporting....
"Fifty-seven percent of those questioned in a USA Today/Gallup survey released Monday say the federal stimulus has had no effect on the economy so far, or has made things worse. Just over four in 10 say the stimulus has made things better."
So you combined two answers (not working and no effect) and got 57%, while 40% say it's made things better. So that would indicate a plurality of respondents feel it's working. Reporting like this a year ago would have elicited shrieks of media bias from the right.
The idea of massive government spending to actually get an economy back up and running has never worked, here or anywhere else. This idea was doomed from the start. Then, it was executed with so many unproductive projects you would have to believe that the administration and congress knew that it was not going to create jobs anyway. They were still giddy from winning the election. I consider the stimulus as kind of their own way of celebrating their historic victory. Our kids get to pay for the party.
Wasn't it like 75% that approved of the Iraq War when it was getting started? You think only the leaders make mistakes? How many are willing to bet that George Bush will be polled as great in less then 10 years?
Just because those polled THINK it is not working doesnt mean that its not. Fact is, it IS working. Jobless rate has slowed dramatically, economic state is increasing. Things arent perfect yet, but they would be MUCH WORSE without the stimulus. We're on the road to recovery, as Obama promised, but it will be a long, difficult road which Obama also made no secret about. It will take time for the stimulus to seep into every nook and cranny left by 8 years of carelessness and ignorance. There is no "quick fix"
Please explain:
How its it that the stock market has experienced a steady rise
(TARP funds stabilized the banking system).
How has GM and Chrysler have exited bankruptcy and even begining to post small profits for the first time in over 2 years?
(Government intervention, cash for clunkers saving countless jobs)
Unemployment begining to slow down and housing starts up?
(Stimulus money preserving state and local Jobs, cops, teachers,etc)
If some americans expected to return to the irrational and irresponsible days of GWB, then of course it is not working for them.
This poll is a poll of the willfully ignorant or those who expected uncle sam to send them all a fat check , in which case the expectations were unrealistic to begin with.
WOW! CNN how can we trust you when you took the "Death Panal" lie. Hook, line and sinker. The most trust name in news?
It's flop because Obama is horrible at releasing the funds in a timely fashion, but he's fast at spending.
Have not seen a thing it has done around this area. waste of money by government as usual.
Most Americans are stupid. FOX News will never admit the stimulus is working.
Any adult would realize that the stimulus would take a long time and fix things slowly but surely. President Obama's stimulus is doing just that, so the majority answered the survey wrong.
Maybe if the media would explain that the stimulus plan was supposed to work over a 2 year period and not instantly, maybe the public would understand that it is much too soon to call it a failure or a success. That fact that most economists are sayting that we are beginning to come out of the recession and that history shows that job growth won't start to make an impact for at last 18 months to 2 years, it looks more like things are on track.
The housing market is still a mess...where are the modifications? B of A won't help you unless you miss a payment? The money should have gone to the homeowner...not the banks.
I challenge CNN to come up with a more meaningless poll. Seriously. How many people out of a random sample of approx 1,000 would be able to convince you they know the first thing about comlicated economics issues? Maybe that's the poll that should be done first: figure out how many people have even remotely sufficient economics knowledge to understand what really landed us in this mess and how we're going to get out of it...let alone balance their own checkbook.
This poll is nothing more than a measure of how disgruntled people are and...shocker of shockers...the fact that because we're still in a recession that is only beginning to show the signs of easing, people are still feeling the pinch. Whoopty doo. But hey, it gave the nasty GOPer segment of the CNN crowd something to believe justified their "I told you so" nonsense. Throw the dog a bone much?
When will CNN stop working for Republicans. Look at state of the union w/ john King. What an embarrassment!
Change you can believe in, folks!
the majority of americans aren't smart enough to know if the stimulus package is working. just like the people that are disrupting the town hall meetings. i would love to hear the responses of any of these people if they were actually asked what exactly they don't like about the stimulus package or health care reform.it would be "ah, wait untill i listen to rush, then i'll tell you".
How can it be a flop if alot of the $ has not been spent yet?
This stimulus package is designed to be used in a slow, steady pace. Only 15% used to date,so what is the BIG problem? Oh that's right, OBAMA IS BLACK.
I like the way the opinions of 1010 people are generalized over the US population of 300 million.
It is mind blowing how stupid (or immoral) so many of the American people are. That's the only reason they would ignore the facts, twist the truth and support the insurance co's- uh, I mean the gop. The bible said something about if a man has two pair of shoes and his neighbor has none, you help! However these hypocritical conservatives have the attitude that they have theirs so the devil with everyone else. No use trying to reason with them, just run over them mr. President! Most Americans are with you.
This result is baffling to me. All signs indicate that the recession is bottoming out and the economy improving. How do people think that happened? Poltergeist? Do they not teach cause and effect in high school these days?
Obama himself admitted the stimulus was filled with pork projects that were part of "last year's business."
However, he also said that if this bill was passed, unemployment wouldn't go above 8%. Hmmmmm.
America was sold a bill of goods on the stuimulus, and on this President.
This is more of poll about Americans' lack of understanding of money matters. That's why rebate checks are such a great political ploy ("duh...der...doye...hey look, money!").
An additional note: Mayor Mike Bloomberg is supposed to be a Republian who started distancing himself during the past elections and now labels himself as an Independent. He is gleefully using the stimulus money that other states want no part of FOR EXAMPLE, 1) poor as a churchmouse, South Carolina whose govenor is more into Argentinian matters than US affairs, and Louisiana (Bobby Jindal's state which lost thousands of lives, livestock and homes to Katrina while Bush and company had a Texas barbeque). Need I say more?
All these doubters will have to eat their words when the economy start turning around next year. You canbot expect eight years of wasteful spending on stupid wars, Medicare prescription drug bill that was never paid for, defence spending that was going through the roof for weapons the Pentagon never wanted, tax cuts that was suppose to stimulate the economy but instead got Wall Street to get GREEDY, and expect the economy to flourish. We were in a bad shape, the Bush Administration knew it but kept it under wraps until after the election and worst yet, left it for the Obama administration to deal with. This current government is dealing with as best as possible. If you want to blame antbody for the worst economy since the Great Depression, blame Bush and the Republicans because they controlled Congress six of the last eight years. Now they want to blame it on Obama. These people are blaming and opposing eerything Obama does to mask their abject racism.
Interesting reading of the poll: 41% think it has helped. 31% think it has hurt. The rest don't know, but that somehow translates to 57% disapprove, even though more people think it has helped than hurt? When they did that town hall poll, it was similar, but the headline was, "Indies support protesters 2:1", when that wasn't the case... that's the "liberal" media for ya!
I suppose that all the wing nuts that say this poll shows failure are the same ones that dispute the validity of any poll that shows the GOP in a bad light. Can we say selective memories?
I am so tired of hearing blame it on the previous administration. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were controlled by democratic appointees and when questions wer raised, they were swept under the carpet. There is more than enough blame to go around, but that will not fix anything. I am also tired of some idiot playing the race card everytime President Obama gets criticised. He is the president, but you have to wear your big boy britches and quit relying on what Al sharoton and Jesse Jackson tell you. Try to become successful in spite of roadblocks, not a failure because of them. You will be amazed at what you can do when you quit listening to those guys
Yea let's all trust a poll given to average Americans who probably don't understand economics in the first place. Let's then have it reported on a site/media outlet like CNN that just reports any headline they can to get ratings, i.e. DEATH PANELS! Come on people stop polling middle America and start polling educated people in cities.
Of course it's working. How ridiculous. The guy was hired in Jan, faced the worst economic downturn in 70 years and we already have concrete signs of improvement.
Scary times. So many irrational people. Let the stimulus work. See what is happening in Japan and Europe. Directly tied to their stimulus packages.
It is working just fine for the big union bosses and the alternative energy and green lobbyists. A little payback was in order for all of their hard work in getting Obama elected. The folks at MSNBC aren’t doing too bad either with parent company GE getting billions in stimulus money!
Some times you just got to pay back those who helped you along the way....even if it bankrupts the country!
I guess they don't listen to financial guru's and experts them.
Why do that...that might force them to stop hating the Black guy.
When we had a fake economy for the 6 of the 8 Bush years, folks were happy and spending like crazy, spending money they didn't have. Now all the sudden, they are unemployed and attending town hall meetings screaming down their representatives over Birth Certificates and senior citizens are whining about Gov takeover of their healthcare. It's a scream. I'm a fairly educated person and for these posters to come on these threads, chatrooms, and blogs and claim to have read and understand the legaleze of HR3200 are nothing more than liars. I'm still wading through it and for the life of me, can't find the death panels, where medicare will be dissolved, or where Obama hid his long form BC. I agree with the other poster, Americans have become so arrogant and self serving. It's why we are in the mess we are in right now.
Stop the nonsense!
Why is this news? Asking for public opinion is waaaay ahead of the curve on this issue. Most of the stimulus money has not even been distributed yet, much less had time to make a difference! Speaking as someone living in the Gulf South, the Katrina funding that Congress announced took well over 2 years (more like 3 for most of it!) to arrive where it was needed - and we're still waiting for some of it, now almost 4 years later! Folks, the wheels of progress move slowly in Washington, so don't expect miracles to happen just because funding plans have been announced and/or funds are 'appropriated'. It ain't over till the fat lady sings - or in this case - till the checks clear. Watch for a very different picture by mid-2010... or at least I hope so.
At times, stimulus helps alleviate deep pain! What do you think China is doing when they keep their currency value low.... it's a national stimulus, big time! And you can bet ya that it has been working.
We need more effective stimulus programs (e.g. we should raise the requirements for the "cash for clunkers" trade up vehicles to +35mpg for new cars; +25 for SUVs; etc.).
The PARTY of NO is constantly in the news saying NO to everything.... RIOTS are taking place at town hall meetings caused by the PARTY of NO... The media – loving the excitement – shows WHITE folks on TV shouting and complaining about the Health Care Reform... The PARTY of NO senators are speaking to audiences about Euthanize; Panel of Death; pulling the plug on grandma... the POLLS poll in those demographic areas where the up roaring is occurring...
COME ON NOW – NEED I GO ON!!!
This is the perfect recipe and the perfect time to take a poll about the stimulus – which in my opinion did work immediately in my case because it saved my job and MANY others!!!
IT WILL ALL BACKFIRE AND THE PARTY OF NO WILL BE 'NO MO'!!
As for the alligator tears from the GOP types about the deficit.
All the Obama team did was add the cost of the wars to budget for a honset accounting, which added roughly 800 billion to a trillion based on whose numbers you beleive.
Bush hid the cost of the wars and some of you idiots believe the deficit just appeared on January 20th of 2009.
How stupid are you people?
Thats funny, because the last poll you did on the stimulus you said people did think it was working and that was a week ago. Stop the polls, if you going to poll don't let people comment becasue that just polorizes the dems and the reps and the blog bickering begins instead of have a contructive dialogue
You know the tools that voted "fail" looked in their wallats and said "Well...Obama hasn't given me as much money as I wanted...FAIL!"
Henry Paulson and his friends just loved that first 700 billion Bush gave him.He says hi from the Islands.hahaha
This poll proves that many people have short attention spans. It took eight years of mismanagement to create the current crisis, how can someone reasonably expect a turnaround after three or four months? No one said the stimulus package was a cure all for the economy and thus far its primary impact has been to cushion the fall. It's also important to remember that most of the money in the stimulus package hasn't been spent yet. It is too soon to reach a conclusion on its impact, which won't stop anyone from preying on the public's real fears with misinformation and outright lies.
If someone has better ideas to stimulate demand and unfreeze credit markets let's hear them. The reason the GOP spends all its time tearing down everything the current administration wants to do is because they don't have any ideas to stimulate demand and unfreeze credit markets beyond screaming "socialism" and "fascism." Lest we forget that was eight years of Republican control of the White House (including GOP control of Congress for most of that time) that helped to create this mess.
1) The Government feeling compelled to "do something" about the flailing economy; 1) Too much pork packaged into the stimulus package; 2) Stimulus money being used to cover buget gap; 3)Total lack of oversight once the money is handed out.
The "Stimulus" idea is great in theory. In reality it was a big, fat flop!!
How come France, Germany, Japan are out of the recession and not us ?
It took us decades of decadence, outlandish spending and eating and consumption, to get this nation in the shape it is now. We are not going to get out of the fiscal or health crisis overnight, no matter what the media mavens try to insist.
The smoke is clearing and the emperor has no clothes.....
Obama is EXACTLY what we said he was...a community organizer...nothing more....
Most Americans are not literate regarding macroeconomics either. The stimulus prevented this from being the Second Great Depression, and limited it only to being the biggest recession since the Great Depression. Most Americans alive today do not realize how bad the depression was.
CNN, which corporate sponser (that has you in its back pocket) told you to report this?
John King and Lou Dobbs suck!
Only 10-15% has been spent. Most of it won't be emploed until
2011 and later. This clearly was not what we needed NOW. It was a waste of taxpayer dollars, to buy off Pelosi and the Dems at the get-go. We needed new infrastructure projects. Instead, they are filling potholes. What a joke.
Most Americans are stupid. They voted for Obama.
Still better than the Republican initiative of sitting on their hands when they weren't outsourcing their marriages to Argentina.
you don't like the results, so right away, the poll was conducted using uneducated and backward people that don't know what they are talking about? what an elitist sounding bunch of crap. you have no idea who they talked to
You were a sucker if you thought it was going to work!
It's only 8 months from a decade of bad economy in US... People, let the Stimulus work.... during my team meeting last week, on my job, my VP said that June and July were the Best months so far since the economic woes that my company faced...even better than last year June and July.... Obama did not Promised swift fixes of the economic woes... Be patient.... This man has been President for ONLY EIGHT MONTHS...
Did the stimulus save some jobs? Sure. Some.
Did the stimulus create some jobs? Sure. A few.
Was the stimulus even close to worth almost a trillion taxpayer dollars, and did it have even the slightest effect to slow the recession down? Absolutely not.
This was a chance for the government to grow, and for the federal government to seize control of states' rights by forcing them to accept stimulus money with conditions for future control.
The public knows it. We're stupid, but we're not that stupid. Citizens 1, Congress 0.
What the majority of people believe and what constitutes the truth are often two very disparate things.
It is .... and will be .... a disaster. Far from creating jobs, it will cost jobs in the longrun because basic economic principles are being totally ignored.
Well, I'm not an economist or a politician - just an ordinary citizen. But I have received no benefit from the stimulus money. the town I live in has received no money from it. My state is so overextended and teetering on the brink of bankruptcy that the few stimulus dollars our state accepted (destined for road projects in a different part of the state) didn't make an impact on anyone. People can say, "give it time," etc., but all around me I see dairies going out of business, families struggling and charities trying their best to keep up with a growing number of people who need basic help – food, clothing, shelter and gas. Ironically, neither the stimulus or the cash for clunkers program isn't aimed at any of these folks who need the help the most.
Surprise surprise! Not really........name one thing that this administration has gotten right........ (que sounds of crickets chirping)
The pollsters conducting these polls are rethug hacks. I have never seen so many polls come out in first 6-8 month of any Presidency. Pollsters trick the people by asking double ended quesion and they interpret the answer the way they like. Stimulus will and must work over time. Most accurate poll will come on eve of 2010 election.
I'm happy to see so a majority of people on this blog understand that 6 months to cure 29 years of right-wing blunders and false ideologies is maybe just not quite enough time to make everything all better...
Give it a little time, our nations is slowly recovering. Just like the last time the Democrats had to fix the Republican mess from the '20s.
It seems that "economic stimulus" by definition is policy and action taken to give a short-term lift to the economy. Unfortunately, it was sold as a means to increase job creation – which can work in the public sector and in a short-term way in the private sector. But it won't be enough to make a real difference. I hear and read people commenting that "it took us 8 years to get into this mess". That's just politics... don't get sidetracked by that. The irony is there is no correct action being taken to prevent another financial system meltdown, as a matter of fact if you dig deeper you realize that it is being made worse. This fall will be even worse.
As President Obama said; the economy is like an ocean liner trying to do a U-turn, it takes time.
The stimulus is a flop? Heck, this whole administration's a flop...
tax and spend during recessionary times....econ 101 tells you not to do that...
The biggest issue with Obama, Gibbs, Pelosi...and the rest of the libs is their arrogant attitude. They are PUBLIC SERVANTS...but want to carry on as if they're royalty....They're far too inexperienced in everything from finance to simple management to be holding these postions.
Wow! I really enjoyed this article and the small "debate" that went with it. May I ask a question if you please?... (this is for Randolph, Tony in Maine and Jose Awesome) who elected this president? ...just economist? ... just people with technical expertise or the American people? Get off that pony read and listen. Thats all you have to do. Dont be some kind of bonehead with a negative opinion about everything. Be a litle more open minded and think. Give the Man (Prez) some time and lets see what happens. If the American people doesnt like him its called:impeachment. If they do its called: reelection.
Stop-Listen- Think
So all the work being done in Minnesota on roads and bridges, brought about by the stimulus is a flop. What did people expect for the country to got back to millions and millions of manufacturing and electronic jobs that bush and company sent overseas come back. That will never happen. The only thing to be done is cut of the tax benefits for those anti-American companies that went overseas and still receive those tax breaks. I think every single item MADE BY THESE COMPANIES overseas should be sold in this country at the same price it would take to make one here. That way they would stop going....they wouldn't get the benefits of the 1 and hour wage they get overseas.
Bush – Obama – Bush – Obama – Bush – what?
In over forty (40) years since Medicade, NO ADMINISTRATION
Since the "stimulus" bill was never intended to help the economy, it can't be considered a flop. It was and is a bailout for failed state social programs, balanced with pork barrel paybacks for Democrat districts, with a few billion in infrastructure thrown in so we can pretend it saved a few jobs.
You all are just angry because Obama’s plan flopped. If Bush had signed this stimulus, you would be screaming “flopped”. Just admit it, Obama made a bad decision, just like his socialist based health care program.
I definitely feel the stimulus is working. It will take time and there is no immediate fix. It took Bush eight years to bring this Country to its knees financially, why do these fickle people think Obama should turn it around in six months? Why is Obama blamed for the huge deficit when it started with Bush and his administration spending all the surplus, plus creating a huge deficit. I get so disgusted with the disgruntled people. We have a President finally working and doing an excellent job, and they still complain.
People really need to give this President and the Stimulus time to see a real recovery, say about a year or 18 months. He's been in office for six months. Give this president a chance. From what i am reading it is not only the conservatives and Republicans, it is the Democrats and the liberals trying to ram an agenda down too quickly and too fast. Give this some more time.
Every major economic indicator has risen in the past several months, but slowly. Economic disasters like the one brought to us by you know who, last year, will take time to recover. Every previous recession took one year or more to disappear, and this one is no different.
obama is a flop and a flip-flop!!!
And I'm calling our current President a flop as well!
Whine complain moan. Whine complain moan. It's been 6 months since the stimulus and it hasn't counteracted the 8 years of fiscal abomination that marked the Bush Administration. Whine complain moan, Whine complain moan. This is Obama's fault. And if it isn't his then it's Clinton's fault! Whine complain moan.
99 out of100 of the American's polled also don't know what the stimulus plan did – so aren't really in a position to say if it helped or not. If you're speeding down the road at 150 mph and you see you're about to smash into another car. So you slam on the breaks and the car slows to 30mph before you hit the other car. Your car is totalled but you walk away unhurt. You could conclude that the breaks didn't work because you still had a crash, failing to realize that without them you would be dead. We don't have enough of a perspective or enough of a knowledge to draw any conclusions. So polling us is not meaningful.
NO KIDDING!!!!!!!!!
The stimulus was a load of pork for frustrated Democrats. The real economic recovery will come, and is starting to emerge, from market forces as it always has, not from 36-hour employment of a few. Duh.
Of course it is not working. It was not designed to work when we need it (right now). It was designed to look like it was working just in time for the next campaign run.
It is kind of funny to see how many people in this blog think the economy got messed up in 8 years by one man.
Most Americans don't know how to balance their checkbook. How in the world would they know the stimulous isn't working? Our citizenship is fairly deviod of experts in macro-economics. The most recent indicators are that the economy is improving.
The stimulus money has clearly helped prevent the trickle down, deregulation, Reagan-Bush financial meltdown from becoming a decades long global depression. Those were the stakes, folks. Not everything the Obama administration has worked yet, or worked as they hoped it would. Some of the things they are doing likely won't work at all. But this country flatlined last November, and the stimulus bil has helped keep us alive. Don't like the way things are now? Neither do I, and we will have a lot of work ahead of us. But, if we can get past the petty vitriol and pull together, we will be ok in the end.
Here's the problem- nearly every economist out there advocated for the stimulus. It was and is needed for recovery. However, they advocated for large short term government spending- large enough to counter act the decrease in consumer spending- most acknowledge the stimulus needed to be more than 1 trillion. Additionally, tax cuts are not stimulus- billions in tax cuts don't do anything to stimulate the economy. Then the democrats passed a lot of pork or things that were not stimulus.
This is nothing more than Washington politics. If you have a solution to a problem it gets compromised by people who want your solution to fail and people who want to take advantage of it for their own special interests and political gain. The stimulus in theory was a great idea, but you can't solve problems in Washington because POLITICIANS DON'T SOLVE PROBLEMS- that's why their called politicians not problem solvers. They create problems and play politics off the solutions.
Like the man in the stall told the man waiting "just give me time"
What the heck is this fascination with if something doesn't work in 3 days, its vnot working. It took Bush 8 years to destroy the economy, and you think it's going to get fixed in 2 months?
Give it a rest people. Lets talk in 6 months and see the numbers.
As far as opinion, he don't get me started,
at one point in our history the majority of whites thought that we should stay segregated too, or that there should be no interacial marriage etc.
That is the doom of the Republicans, yes we still have people who are afraid of the word Socialism, but the new generation isn't brainwashed with missle drills, and the evils of the Soviet Empire and its evil dreams to conquer the world.
Get over it. If the Republicans do not completely change who they are and get with the times, you are as good as gone. The future is forward not backward...
In today's climate of instant gratification, I can understand why people don't see an immediate impact. But I think we will see a slow and significant turnaround. Which is not to say that there are some changes needed, not just in how the government regulations work, but also in how each of us spends and saves. It's time to take a thoughtful look at how we define our success, and to slow down our expectations. Not everything happens in an instant. I love the microwave analogy Bridgette posted!
That's funny!!!!
We here in Florida, have ROADs being REFURBISHED, BRIDGES being REFURBISHED (after 50s YEARS OF NEGLECT)
We've been able to KEEP 750 TEACHERS in our schools.
YOU may not see it IN YOU POCKET....... BUT IT'S THERE
It worked well for Henry Paulson.
The people that have jobs because of it aren't calling it a flop. Why don't we wait until its full impact is felt before we pass judgement.
You people will never get it. It's all political. The money hasn't even been spent. They are saving it for next year because it's an election year. It wil be called the "Cash for Votes" program
Um, it's going to take about 5-7 years to climb out of this economic disaster and I doubt unemployment will ever go under 7% again.
The fact that full unemployment isn't 18% should be considered a miracle
Obama bashes, count your blessings and go back to questioning the President's birth status–where you belong.
Patience, patience, patience…. It took us eight years to get in this mess… we CANNOT out in 8 months…. I know it’s hard to admit anything is working when you are unemployed, but we need to give this President some time
Honestly if you would have paid your bills off this would have been far more productive. Money travels up hill not down.. The fat cats sit on it and give themselves bonuses this does not help strengthen the dollar or the taxpayers position.
now we know why the clown wanted to pass every 'change' he wanted, once people knew his true intent toward socialism and the costs associated with it, they would know he is a true con artist.
OK ok. So - people who elected Barack Obama are accused of treating him like the Messiah. But Republicans have been on the warpath since his election, stamping out "no" every chance they get and proclaiming his policies a failure even before they are policies.
If they think he can fix the mess they created over the past 29 years (starting with Ronald Reagan's well-meaning but failed "trickle-down" experiment), then it's the Republicans who are convinced he's the Messiah.
Fortunately, level-headed Americans realize it takes time to fix such enormous messes. Expecting it to be "working" in six months is like visiting a horrific toxic waste dump that's been filling up for 29 years six months after cleanup's started and complaining it's not all contained and pristine yet.
It's my understanding that at least HALF the stimulus money hasn't even been spent yet. And banks actually gave the Obama administration the money they were handed BACK...money they gleefully accepted from GW then can't even account for now.
BIG difference, folks.
It's a BIG job that's going to take time and bold action to clear up.
I think you should take a poll asking people if they care what polls say.
The use of polls is equally bad for both the formation and the analysis of government policy. Unfortunately we live in an age where politicians value the results of focus groups and opinion surveys more than research and rational debate.
I am soooo sick of CNN and its lopsided reporting. Who are these people you surveyed? Are they the unintelligent mob from the town halls?
Well, people like that are the main reason why the country is in ecomonic turmoil in the first place. They are like children who stamp their feet and expect things to happen instantly. "How dare this new, Black president not making my life better in seven months or less, even though I caused my own financial ruin?!?"
Well, dumbos, it took Bush eight years to run this country off the rails (while you all were waving your flags and stomping on Dixie Chicks CDs) and it's going to take more than seven months to haul us out.
Please! I've started watching MSNBC!
Obama, liberals, and the state run MSM are a bunch of flops.
This takes time – and I have seen positive changes in my state (Virginia). It took Bush 4-8 years to tank the country economically and get us into an unnecessary war. You have to give this president more than 6 months to undo 8 years of the baffoon called Bush.
We did not get into this economic mess over night & it will take time to recover....remember it was around 9-08 before GW ever mentioned that we were in a recession....he & his entire right wing administration were in denial about the economy....so let's give President Obama a chance....
Has anyone done a poll on how America feels about the mess that the present administration inherited from the previous administration? Never mind ... that poll was taken last November and we know what the results of that were.
Let's try this poll again once this stimulus package has actually do something instead of feeding America's need for immediate gratification. Immediate gratification is part of what got us into this mess in the first place.
Negative, Negative, Negative..... Its much easier to doubt, and not have hope or not look forward to anything, that way if it doesn't happen you won't be dissapointed. Its much easier to wallow in self pity. Plus, most of the people polled probably don't know squat about economic principles or what is stimulating the economy and what isn't. How can they even give a correct answer if they don't have all the facts?
The stimulus bill was rushed to a vote before the ink was even dry on the legislation because the nation was in crisis! Projects had to be submitted that were "shovel-ready" so that the stimulus money could hit the streets quickly! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! But, Americans went along with Obama because they trusted him to do what he said he was going to do. Obama now states that the stimulus money WAS ALWAYS INTENDED to be spent over 2 years. REALLY?
Now, 6 months later, the fact is that less than 15% of the stimulus money has even been spent. So, the stock market improvement has nothing to do with any stimulus impact!
The unfortunate result is that those of us who put our faith in Obama to do the right thing have discovered that Obama has feet of clay. And, while millions are struggling to deal with the financial impacts of losing their jobs, Obama has already moved on to his next project, health care.
The public has a very short and selective memory. Before April, I thought the US financial system would collapse, the US auto companies would be liquidated, and a depression was unavoidable. That picture has improved dramatically because of the swift action of the Obama Administration.
The full effect of the stimulus has yet to be realized. As I Project Manager, I wish the general public could appreciate how much time it takes to execute a project once the money is approved. It takes time to bid and award contracts, finalize engineering, procure materials, and obtain necessary permits.To complain that the stimulus is not working is extremely short sighted.
The recession was just a business cycle and it's correcting itself despite the stimulus package and not because of it. Most of the stimulus money will be going down the drain and we are mortgaging the future of this country for that. Only people it will help are the small community groups and the unions. Tax someone else to pay for me culture promoted by the bill and other socialist policies will ensure that very soon USA won't be the economic superpower just a super borrower.
never mind that the stock market has been doing extremely well. we remember bad days like today and forget about great days like the last two weeks. unemployment is always the last thing to improve, and only after consumer spending recovers. patience, please.
CNN I am sick of your polls. I have notice that all of your polls are negative when it comes to Our President. You are the leader of the pack. Makes me wonder...... Seems like to me that you want Obama to fail too. YOU ARE THE GOP... Media has spoke!
It would sure be nice to show what would have happened in an alternate universe. I'd hate to see what would have happened to our economy in an all-out freefall. But, I think that's what Americans need to see - of course, then they'd blame Obama for not doing anything. It's a no-win situation in this country. The majority of Americans are determined to be mad.
The stimulus is working. The money is being spent carefully (still 80% to go), and the recession is already bottoming out. Obama has shown steady leadership. I shudder to think what horrors we'd be in if McCain/Palin were running the show. 25% unemployment? Higher? If you want someone to blame for the slightly higher than projected unemployment, look to the GOP governors. They're still laying off state workers and cutting services and education. They are the anti-stimulus. They continue to do their thing because most Americans are too stupid to balance their own checkbooks, let alone understand anything about how the economy works. Obama is right: the economy cannot be truly fixed until we solve health care and energy. It would help if we had an electorate educated enough to intelligently debate these issues, but instead we get morons bellowing like cattle at town-hall meetings. That's what we owe CNN, FOX, et al. who give us 24/7 dumbed-down generic news: citizens too stupefied to have a clue about anything.
The poll itself is stupid. Are kidding me? Measuring whether a stimulus program is working with a poll? Come on America. We deserve better
seems to be working just fine where I am!
The stimulus is ABSOLUTELY working in NH. Maybe not as fast as some would like, but tons of roads are being improved here thanks to stimulus money. I also work for a private company who contracts to State agencies, and the money is finally flowing to new programs. We have a brand new job that will employ many here at work for at least a few years! The best part about this program – we get paid and people get to keep jobs AND the work is to improve the environment.
I think that people feel that the stimulous is not working unless is directly hits their pockets. That's understandable, but I think ignorance is fueling skepticism about where the money is going and what it is for. People see new bridges and roads being built but may not understand where the millions of dollars it takes to build these comes from. Nor do people realize that to improve the environment to create new jobs – a little money is needed upfront to get the programs going.
Something else to consider – while the Fed. provided some guidance to States on how to spend the $$ – some is going to pay off debt. So, if you life in the great states of Alaska or South Carolina – your government needs to play catch-up with these funds for mis-managed states.
Thank goodness I LIVE FREE OR DIE! Thanks, NH, for making the stimulus money work!
Question? Where would we be if the stimulus package was not passed?
I will tell you that we would be now in a deep Global Depression because the financial institutions around the world would have collapased. You can go and crucify Obama but the President had no choice in passing a stimulus package.
We the American people are not patient because we want instant gratification!! It takes time for all of the money to be circulating through the economy. It will take another year before the recession will end.
Remember the Republicans want Obama to fail.
When you put a HUGE amount of (taxpayers's) money like that into the economy, of course it will help one way or another.
The question here is, "do tax payers get a fair share for the value?". I, for one, do not think so. Too much money was used in pork projects, as well as covering budget gaps (at lower levels of government). Of course the unions and the environmental activists will not agree. They got their "payback" for all the hardwork they put in to help President Obama get elected.
I live on Long Island. Over the last six-months, within one mile of my house, over 40 small family-owned businesses have closed their doors. In the meanwhile, they have been replaced by three new banks and a pharmacy. All four of these new "businesses: were built on foreclosed commercial property sites – so much for a stimulus plan. What a joke.
It wasn't stimulus is was PORK. The recession is too big and worldwide for us to niavely think that borrowing more from our grand children for pork projects who significantly affect the economy.
Of course it didn't work, and lets not do any more excessive spending.
BALANCE THE BUDGET!!!!
Just more proof that socialism NEVER works. If congress had any cajones they would pull all the money that has not been wasted, lower taxes, and let the free market work, it always does. They problem is keeping the idiots in government out of the way. They are usually the reason that things go bad. They screwed with Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac which started this entire mess. The more government intervenes the more problems we have. We were founded a free country and we need to return to that model. We have a Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and other excellent founding documents to guide us. We have models that have worked and we have models that have failed. This administration has chosen to follow the models that have failed. We need to get back to the models that work. We must abandon every aspect of socialism and return to the free market that works. Their will be fluctuations but it always work until the federales get involved.
The GOP and with their allies tea party protesters, or ignorant medicaid or medicare recepients holding signs protesting against government run health care option will never agree on anything the president done right.
For this people "GOD" is the reason of everything and everything could be solved or solved by the immaginary "GOD HAND".
When the DAW JONES is at his lowest in january and we were loosing average 700000 jobs I've also seen polls saying 52% of americans think the economy was not in recession and that everything was good.
The countries that are outsmarting us like japan, china and other countries in europe knows the stimulus was the reason their economy was improving. Only in America this could be denied.
We need education reform more than health care reform.
The end of the 3rd or 4th quarter is when we will start see results. Most Americans are about as educated about economics as a rock. Who cares what "most" people think when it actually IS working.
Wonderful that you all continue to blame GW, et al for the economy. Did you ever notice that in the 1990's the President (your self-proclaimed BEST PRESIDENT EVER until Obama came along and he becamse the BEST PRESIDENT EVER...notice a patter?) pushed and pushed and pushed for mortgage companies, etc to give loans to those who couldnt quite qualify for them? And who loves to tax big business into oblivion? Oh yeah, the Democrats...wonder why big companies went overseas and the car companies here continued to make their product with less quality? Maybe because they had to pay the enormous taxes and couldnt compete with foreign companies on price AND quality...
just some thoughts...
Bye Bye Obama!
Meanwhile.., the National Debt soars to 80% GDP while Obama talks about spending more without raising taxes. Progressive Change You Can Beleive In!
I think then that a majority of Americans aren't paying attention and perhaps someone...hmmmm...who would that be exactly.....where do people get their info...hmmmmm....I wonder....somehow people have been getting an incorrect image. Seems to me....we are about to move out of this recession and....I think THAT might ought to be the news......who owns you guys anyway
The reason most American's who do not use "FUZZY MATH" like the politicians, feel the stimulous package is not working, is we know America cannot afford the stimulous package and will have to raise taxes on the middle class to pay for it unless you want to stick your children and grandchildren with the bill, but there are enough of you selfish me generation out there that do not care about the future only what you can get at the present. We have needed to sacrafice for generations but have not. We need to go back on the Gold Standard.
Economic indicators are pointing in the right direction for the first time in months, and the President told us that the stimulus would take time to work. We didn't get into this mess overnight and we won't get out of it that way either. The question in the poll is irresponsible and was bound to give a worthless result. If my kid gets an ear infection and I start her on antibiotics for ten days, I'm not going to ask her after the first day if she's feeling better yet. Five days in, yes, but not one. Take this poll again in a year or so. That will give a much better indication of what's happening with the economy and how people feel about it.
The republicans started blowing our multi-trillion dollar budget surplus 8 years ago by giving 90% of it to the rich in tax breaks. They could have stengthened the middle class with tax relief but they didn't. They could have reformed health care but they didn't. They could have saved billions by staying out of Iraq but they didn't. Now Obama is supposed to wave a magic wand and clean up their mess. Fact is, the republicans don't want that to happen either. They would rather see people suffer than see Obama succeed.
its so funny watching all the obama admires choke in their saliva. What is more funny is their refusal to believe they were conned. Besides the devil takes no refunds, once your soul is sold, its a done deal. obama has no use for you, so shut up and agree with him. Theres is nothing special about this guy, he is living proof that George Bushes 3rd term lives
The sky is falling, the sky is falling...............stimulus must be passed or doom and gloom is coming. Stimulus passed, unemployment out of control, no jobs created, just more of the same......tax and spend, tax and spend.
Since the economy is improving, the remaining stimulus $ should be returned to the taxpayer. Stop the spending.
I wouldn't have expected the former administration to put money for stimulus into anything except Haliburton, Oil Companies, or Bankers pockets. But even if they DID pass a stimulus bill, I wouldn't expect the economy to go from rock bottom to the top in 6 months. Look how long it took to steal the surplus and break the country since 2000. Complainers are probably folks who still can't accept the fact that the last 8 years were designed to stick it to the middle class. And these are the folks who complain about 'wealth re-distribution'. I weep for how big the mess is. I will be old and dead before we get over the last 8 years.
As with any subject of any depth ... listening to what the "American People THINK" is a waste of time, unless you are trying to gauge the depth of ignorance shared by the majority of Americans at any given time on any given subject. We as a nation are woefully ignorant regarding just about everything of importance, but we sure as hell seem to have an opinion about everything! However, we do seem to excel at knowing what every Hollywood celebrity or pro-athlete is up to!
Another poorly thought out plan of action by a bunch of inexperienced bureaucrats! Do you think that a free year from taxation for middle class America and a streamlined process for permitting new projects that would create jobs might be a better idea? These elitist politicians are so far removed from our common everyday world that they do not even have a clue what it takes to survive off the government teat! Hillary was right, who do you want to take that call at 3:00 AM?
Last weekend, I drove out to the East Coast through the Pennsylvania turnpike. The turnpike is undergoing some major necessary revisions, including new pavements, expansion of lanes at busy throughfares and some very necessary night lighting. There were signs everywhere that the new developments were paid for by the Recovery Act. I guess shaving nicer roads must be a flop. I guess all of those jobs that were created to undertake the construction were also flops.
Most of the stimulus is political payback to the far-left groups that got him elected. It's a bunch of garbage is what it is. It would be in our country's best interest to put the money back and take it off the debt. We have to pay back this huge debt Obama is putting on our back and the more money our treasury has to print the less valuable our dollar becomes. We can have all the best healthcare and the "cleanest energy" on earth....it's not going to be worth rationing food and toilet paper for. These far-left pet projects have gotten out of control. The real test is whether Obama is strong enough to control the far-left of the DNC. I don't think he can.
So if all you Obamabots are not experts in economics, how can you say the stimulus is working?
This is a fair response to the stimulus program. When the economy receives its highest grades it's only because consuming Americans are contributing heavily to the GDP. When Americans are spending, their personal economies are healthy. The stimulus has not restored consumers' personal economies to health so the stimulus can only be adjudged negatively. It's the JOBS, stupid!
Americans are stupid. We want immediate gratification. It took 8 years to get us in this mess, I'm willing to give Obama 8 years to get us out of it.
The recovery will come on its own, unfortunately, the stimulus bill will stall it. Thes chuckleheads in Congress still haven't learned that problems don't just go away because you throw money at it.
Sound financial principals have been ignored (and continue to be), and this is why we are in a hole. We are generating spending on projects that give us the illusion of recovery, but unfortunately they have no inherent lasting value. Sooner than later we will have to pay back (get ready for new taxes). Stop the waste now!
I agree that the second stimulus was just full of Democrat pork. The amount of time the Obama administration is taking to spend it is horrible as well. Overall, it's just more debt racked up by Obama, the man trying to make himself out to be a "fiscally" keen politicians. I really hope Americans come to their senses next election and vote for another candidate.
And people, please stop deluding yourselves into thinking Bush was responsible for all this. Aside from Iraq, there is really NOTHING the man did that was out of the ordinary for a president... except maybe racking up record debt but even that seems so minuscule compared to what Obama is causing now.
I don't know about anyone else but, where I live they have been working on the roads, something that hasn't happened in years. Last winter we were riding on roads with the same pot holes that haven't been filled in two years.
When in doubt, poll Republicans... duh...
Peace
If you are over 50, please excuse yourself from the dialogue please. I'm talking to the baby boomers. You inereted a country that was #1 in just about everything, and you are leaving us a country that is on a verge of bankruptcy, no helathcare, and multiple unecessary wars.
If I was you, I'd be so ashamed that I would go hide in a hole for the rest of my life.
Yes,all of you who let, starting with Nixon all the way to GW Bush take everything that made this country great, that is taking everything from the middle class and giving it to the fat cats. Now we, and thank God you too, will pay the price for it.
We Americans, the spoiled children of the western world, expect overnight results from everything. Only about one-third of the stimulus money is out there. In our own geographic area, allocations have just been announced, but companies are glad for the preservation/ creation of jobs.
Give this a little time. Remember that the recession has been underway since December of 2007. And...its roots go back eight years.
The stimulus plan was a way to hide pay backs for companies and organizations that supported Obama and not much more!! A waste of money that folks should be held accountable for!!
I know the stimulus money directly saved several employees from loosing their jobs at my institution.
The USA Today/Gallup survey is obviously polling dissenting angry mobs of un-American GOPers!
They would have been better off giving each taxpayer 150K each. Imagine the cars, homes, home impovements that would have energized the ENTIRE economy..
That big swoooshing noise is the sound of our hard earned money (at least that of the 49% of us that actually pays any taxes) going right down the ol' Obama crapper.
The firts one has done so much good, how about another stimulus package? I hear that ACORN is taking all the money that we can give them, and will do a bang up job in collecting the census and also guaranteeing that the Dems win the next two elections.
It is strange that as many these so called polls have "supposedly" been taken, many people I asked have never been polled; and I definitely have never been polled regarding this administration, the stimulus, nor the economy.
Interesting.
It took time to get this bad! It's going to take time for it to recover. Too many people are bad mouthing the government, when they should have been questioning the spending on wars that didn't need to be fought. Too many people getting all of their information from Hanity, Limbaugh. Colter, and the new sold his soul to the devil calls himself a "Mormon' Glenn Beck.
And the biggest lie on health care reform! We will pay for illegal's health care with Obama's plan. Who do you think pays for their health care now? We do! They go into every emergency room in the country, and get regular services. WE PAY FOR THEM WITH OUR PREMIUMS.
AS Jim Morrison would say ....... WAKE UP
The left wing blinded whacko's on this site are nauseating. The only defense these people have is that this is ALL Bush's fault. I guess Bush was to plame for European countries recessions. Or Japans. Yes, Fault the evil one GEORGE W. BUSH! You people should get together & go bowling, it would sound like a bowling alley.
He said unemployment would go above 8% & it would create 4 Million jobs.......ROFL
No, the stimulus hasn't worked. Not only has money been wasted on many unneeded 'shovel ready' projects (paving underused roads, bridges and airport runways; refurbishing swamps for mice in Northern CA; or exterminating annoying insects...), but now the state governments will have to pay the money back with interest (it wasn't a free gift). Any programs that were put in place with the help of the stimulus will need funding next year... without the federal government's assistance. Another note: only 10% has been used (not really BOOST we thought we were getting, eh?).
The Obama administration needs to stop spending the rest of the (borrowed) stimulus money.
"You libs are crazy...he's not the Messiah and can't fix everything overnight by snapping his fingers!!!"
"You libs are crazy...the economy is magic and fixes and regulates itself, so the Stimulus has nothing to do with anything that's getting better."
You libs are crazy...the economy is still broken after only 7 months in office, so Obama is a total failure."
Is the picture starting to emerge for any of you yet? Care to further plumb the depths of the GOP's hypocrisy?
58%! D'oh!! Those unreliable cable news networks..
Seeing the economy is coming back on its own (as designed), I would like the government to return all the stimulus money. Thank-you very much!
The stimulous is working as long as we still have the same monetary system(dollars) instead of another countries monetary system. Wake up out there people, read and be informed why it was necessary for our Government to take the measures it did. Read about the threat to our monetary system which our Government couldn't tell you in fear of sending fear to countries we borrow from who could have called in their debt. PLEASE DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND READ.
What people believe about the stimulus package working is based on gut reactions. If we had not had a stimulus package, I wonder what they would have believed when we would have had the next greatest depression. Perhaps people should read some more detailed information from, for example, a wide group of economists.
There are no instant fixes to such large problems. The stimulus is working and we need to do our part to check out the facts from a wide variety of readily available reading resources and check the facts for ourselves.
Please let's start leaving behind the knee-jerk, sound-bite poll taking.
How come noone has ever called me or anyone I know to participate in a poll?
Please alwas list the number of people you polled and from what locations.
How about writing an in depth, researched piece about the stimulus package instead of doing the "People Magazine" – variety of article after taking your poll and spreading that news like it was gospel.
Yep, the whole thing should be fixed by now. i mean, it's been a long eight months!
What a bunch of stiffs.
Saying that Americans don't have the knowledge of the contents of the stimulus to judge whether it is not working is ignorant. It's just as ignorant as claiming Bush was a primary factor in causing this recession and it only shows your own ignorance.
It's time to stop deluding yourselves and admit that Obama is not perfect. Just like the Iraq War was not perfect. Or the single-opayer healthcare bills.
Are you people kidding me with this? Do you know how much worse it would of been without the controversial stimulus or bail-out?
Think about your own job...how many major projects can you handle at the same time. The POTUS has the economy, health-care, & wars to handle all at the same time. Not to mention the repubs & media all waiting there to see him fail & yet we are all so critical. If he sneezes it is criticized.
This is not going to be fixed overnight. Would McCain of been given this same microscopic assessment? I WONDER!!!!
The ADD nation that is America doesn't suprise me in the least bit ...
less than 6 months and they expect an inmediate fix? Get real ...
most have no clue that only about 10% has been distributed ... Just wait til the spring of 2010; gangbusters once all the letting for construction projects hits & the building begins ...
Many Republicans do agree Obama needs time. But unemployed citizens don't have time. It takes years to save a few thousand dollars and a month of unemployment to wipe those savings out. These problems didn't originate with Bush. They originated with greedy citizens and lack of oversight of policies put in place during Clinton's administration. that created a financial bubble during the Bush era that burst 18 months ago. Obama needs to quit taking vacations to Europe on Air Force One, and focus on creating jobs that are sustainable.
Polls are really becoming meaningless. You ask a question a certain guarantees a certain answer. All of those people should be asked the following questions:
*Will they return the tax cut they received as a result of the stimulus?
*Have they watched how the stock market is back up over 9000 points from its 6,000 point low early this year?
*How do they define success?
Of course it is working! Just about all the economic indicators are better, then before Obama took office. It is hard to right all the economic damage the Bush administration did in 6 months, but Obama is on the right track.
The conservatives have just become the party of do nothing an no. If you can't see that you are blind and have your head stuck in the sand.
I don't see how the people with working brains can stay in power. The Republican Party thrives on ignorance and stupidity.
Also, it is quite sad that CNN is reporting a poll, not whether the poll represents reality.
Yea... it's not like the stock market has not gone up, the jobless rate has not (temporarily?) leveled out, and a depression was avoided (while also not leading to inflation). Yup... it was a failure.
Man, are people blind.
I guess the fact that people did not see it all fixed in less than six months tells it all... everybody wants instant gratification. Fix it now or you are a failure... great... I guess a majority of Americans are just idiots. THAT is what we should be disappointed about... the American people, not the stimulus package!
You can't turn things around overnight! I think our situation is better...there is more hope out there. But then again, I don't expect miracles.
Pull the money back and PAY OFF THE NATIONAL DEBT.
OBAMA is a socialist who ONLY wants to control more of the GDP.
He is trying to take ALL of our money.
Politicians on both sides are inherently dishonest.
THE PEOPLE need more power.
THAT means less goverment.
Get out and write a letter to these clowns.
Take back our money.
THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DO ANYTHING BUT SPEND.
For all you liberals out there.
How many years will have to pass before you stop blaming Bush?
It's really pathetic how so many of your responses still cling to the Bush administration as a scapegoat.
If the majority in the polls say the stimulus is not working, you think them ignorant rather than contempating they may be right. If they thought it was working, I'm sure you would think them brilliant.
How about for once take responsiblity for your own missteps!!!
I challenge the same people who think the stimulus is not working to refute and repudiate the tax break they had with the stimuls. To go their mayors office and press them not to take any dime of the stimulus money or ask their parents who are living on extended unemployment benefit to forgo theis benefits.
Stupidity at it's best in America.
Many are entitled to their opinion. If nothing else, it shows where the weaknesses are. In the last few weeks, over a 1/4 million cars have been purchased due to the cash for clunkers bill which was part of the stimulus package. Those are real sales helping jobs here in sales and manufacturing. Roads are getting built and both public and private industries such as utilities are getting cash infusions that have to be used in the next 2 years to support growth investments like green tech or things like that. Of course a lot of people are still unhappy. We have an acknowledged unemployment of close to 11% and in some areas much worse. Those people dont feel it. Not yet. of course they are unhappy.
"You people should get together & go bowling, it would sound like a bowling alley."
Meant to say, you should all put your heads together, then it would sound like a bowling alley.
The idiocy of some of the posters here got to me.
Funny how people on this board think most Americans are stupid because they think it's not working but didn't most American's vote for Obama? SO let me get this straight.. most Americans are stupid and most Americans voted for Obama. Yeah ok... I agree.
I tend to listen to all Obamas speeches, but I also hear the negative comments too.
As far as I heard him say,the Stimulas is split into 3 parts.
Tax breaks – already Implemented / Increased Unemployment Benifits for people out of work.Already implemented – AND new projects.
So two thirds of the Stimulus has already had GREAT EFFECT on the American people hasn't it ??? I dont call that failure.
WIsh ordninary Americans would do their own homework instead of listening to "other" politicians who want their country to fail for their own power purposes.
what is this pork barrel paybacks for Democrat districts, how we either forgotten or just do not care about FACTS, but the largest 5 of 7 receivers of the pork was Republians. check out the FACTS.
The stimulus bill was never designed to work immediately.It was and always has been a 2 year plan.The stimulus bill should have been even higher but congress particularly republicans would have never voted for it.Many Americans have a very short memory for details.I wonder how many in that survey actually keep up with daily news and events.Many people do not even realize how close we were to a depression and complete collapse of the economy.As projected at the end of this year signs of progress will begin to show itself with 2010 being a much better year.
Sorry but having been following the ridiculous debate over health care, I can only assume that most Americans are not very smart. Stimulus measures in Europe, Canada and now Japan have started to show results. If your citizenry would be less concerned about protecting the profits of the very private corporations that have aided and abetted with Bush & Co and demand actions for the benefit of the people, you just might get some of that trickle down economic benefits that you were fooled into believing under Reagan.
Good luck.
Anyone who thinks that the stimulus isn't working because unemployment hasn't dropped doesn't understand how the economy works. Banks have stabilized, for now, as has the housing market. Some economic indicators are up. Factory production has started to rise. Unemployment will be the LAST thing to improve, after the rest of the economy improves enough so that companies have to hire again.
57% of Americans are stupid it would appear. Even economist who aren't fans of big spending say three things: The money Bush loaned to banks helped the economy from falling into an abyss. Obama's stimulus bill is still too young to know if it's flop or not but his willingness to be active and show he won't let the economy fall has given confidence in key sectors. No it hasn't reached people like me yet, but recent numbers show the slide is over. We just are in a big hole and it will take a while to crawl out.
Polls are great and all, but seriously, how many people really have enough understanding of the complexities of our economy to be able to reach an accurate conclusion about this? I like to think that I'm relatively well informed, but I certainly can't say if the stimulus is working or not. Would we be in a worse place right now had we NOT done it? I don't know. How long should it take for us to see drastic improvement? Again, no idea – but I don't think we should be expecting it to have happened already.
WOW! that's the understatement of the year. Resident Obongo is the quentisential flop....how's that hope and change workin out for ya?
I am constantly marveled by the lack of knowledge some citizens of this country have when it comes to their own political and economic well-being. The stimulus, and Obama's entire recovery plan, is a slow-moving one that, in fact, has made progress in many ways. Most of the economic indicators show that this recession is starting to ease up. That isn't to say that we're in the clear, but the fact is that we are on the right track. It will take some time. The average American has no idea about the complexity of their own economy so there's no point in taking this poll seriously. That's always how it has been.
The stimilus IS working.
Here in Arizona we are thriving and would never know there was a recession.
Road work is everywhere as far as you can see!
The resorts are thriving.
We can thank President Obama for this. It is just amazing!
JUST OFF THE AP NEWSWIRE. READ CAREFULLY DEMS AND LIBS.
Dr. Anne Doig, the incoming president of the Canadian Medical Association, said her country’s health care system is “sick” and “imploding,” the Canadian Press reported.
“We know there must be change,” Doig said in a recent interview. “We’re all running flat out, we’re all just trying to stay ahead of the immediate day-to-day demands.”
Canada’s universal health care system is not giving patients optimal care, Doig added. When her colleagues from across the country gather at the CMA conference in Saskatoon Sunday, they will discuss changes that need to be made, she said.
“We all agree the system is imploding, we all agree that things are more precarious than perhaps Canadians realize,” she said.
FACTS are in CANADACARE DOES NOT WORK.
Only the 51 percent of america that was stupid enough to vote for Obama could believe government programs can create jobs (pronounced handouts). If the billions spend on Tarp, soon to be health reform, bailing out GM & Chrysler, had simply not been withheld from american workers paychecks, the US economy would be blazing now. But the "stimulas" program was required to payback the unions & obama's dem friends for the election. Now the 51 percent of stupid americans will have years to payoff thier victory....directly to China.
When Bush was a president everyday was dark knowing there is no end to it, at least now we got a hope and we still need to give it some time. It's too early to give up. It hard to trust any government, but after what Busch did with this country we need to have a little bit more patience and after we can judge.
What is sad we the people are struggling and government needs to do something to help us from all this sharks around us sending late payment notices. I want to pay but with what? I would wait and be patient, but who is going to help us and when.
I still hate Busch's era. Let's see what Obama will do for us and our country.
I hope and I prey something good and needs to be soon.
To bad the liberals do not realize that the democrats have controlled congress since 2006 , they created this mess. Borrowing money from the Chinese will only create more debt , union pay offs and prolong the pain
A low percentage of the stimulus money has been put to work–let's just give the rest of the stimulus money back to the American taxpayer who can put it to good use
What a dumb poll.
You mean the tactic of having Joe Biden spit out imaingary statistics didn't convince the American people the stimulus was a success? Maybe he needed to make-up higher numbers.
I wrote a speech for Joe: "To date the stimulus has saved or created 30 trillion jobs, unfortunately we still have a net 250,000 job loss this month. We'd all be dead if not for the stimulus though."
It' not Bush (or Obama) that are to blame for our current economic crisis and the loss of jobs. The responsibility for this mess falls on all of us who think that shopping at WalMart to save $3.00 on a pair of shoes will have no repercussions. WE built the Chinese and Indian economies into the juggernauts that they have become. Buy imports, the jobs go overseas, buy imports and grow other economies, they need more oil so then we get to pay $4+ per gallon of gas like last summer. Want to create American jobs? BUY AMERICAN!
Way too early. 6-8 months to move the world's largest economy...when much less than 20% has actually been spent/invested? These projects are just rolling out now. Then people get paid. Then the spend money. Then the economy picks up. Then tax revenues rise. It takes time....certainly more than 8 months when something like $100B of the $787 has been spent.
What a bunch of morons. The stimulus IS working. If they can't see it, they shouldn't be voting.
Economists estimated that the economy would be recovering in the Fall of 2009 even if there was no stimulus package. Obama has wasted OUR money.
And we want this guy remaking our healthcare sector?
This poll reflects the distrust and anger seen at the town meetings on healthcare. People voicing their opinions strongly are NOT some right wing radical group, but, ordinary citizens upset with their government.
The Bush Administration's prescription drug plan adds $10 trillion to the deficit over a 10 year period – that was their estimate and they were the ones who decided that the program should be banned from negotiating lower prices for pharmaceuticals.
Where were all the deficit hawks then? While Bush was nearly doubling the deficit from the $5 trillion (Clinton had begun to reduce it) he inherited, I don't recall all this concern over deficits. It's such a mystery why it's suddenly noticed.
I'm pretty sure that Obama is not going to turn it around in 6 or 7 months. It a little late for the deficit hawks to be whining now.
They are wrong. The stimulus could have been better had Republicans gotten out of the way, but even what passed helped avert a serious crisis from getting significantly worse. The impact of the stimulus will grow over the next six months, too. People are simply misinformed (poor media coverage and dishonest politicians), as is the case on health care, too.
USA Today? Their "most popular" story of the day is: ABC unveils new cast of 'Dancing With the Stars'
Enough said.
ya think !!!! what a waste of time and money,,, good greif ..when will this bunch get a clue what american wants and needs...
Stimulus IS working! My 401k is back to growing leaps and bounds...
I agreed with GCV…. Most of us Americans do not know what the Stimulus suppose to do.... to help this blog, I took a poll amongst my teammates asking if they knew what the stimulus suppose to do and they all said create jobs….. So I understand what most think the Stimulus is not working cause “IT SUPPOSE TO CREATE JOBS WITHIN 8 MONTHS”…. But how many have checked CareerBuilder, monster.com to see the amount of openings compare to the beginning of the year…. We all agreed it’s hard time but let us be logical that it’s too soon to PULL THE PLUG ON HOPE!!!