CNN Poll: Is Bush still to blame for economy?
Washington (CNN) - Although nearly two-thirds of Americans still give the nation's economy a thumbs down, the percentage who rate the current economic conditions as good now stands at its highest level in six years, according to a new national poll.
And when it comes to the economic blame game, a CNN/ORC International survey released Thursday also indicates that the percentage of people who still blame former President George W. Bush and the Republicans more than President Barack Obama and the Democrats for the country's economic problems is dropping.
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Thirty-six percent of those questioned rate the current economic conditions as good. That's up four percentage points from December and it is the highest level since January 2008, a year before Obama entered the White House. Sixty-four percent continue to say the economy is in poor shape.
"Economic confidence seems particularly high in the Midwest, which might give an early boost to the Democratic Party's chances of holding on to two key Senate seats in Iowa and Michigan," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.
Five years into Obama's presidency, only a third of the public believes that Obama and the Democrats are primarily responsible for the country's current economic problems.
More Americans continue to blame former President Bush and the Republicans. But the number who say the GOP is more responsible - now at 44% - has dipped below the 50% mark for the first time since Bush left the White House. Fourteen percent blame both parties equally.
The CNN survey came on the eve of the release by the Labor Department of the January jobs report.
The poll was conducted for CNN by ORC International from Jan. 31-Feb. 2, with 1,010 adults nationwide questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.
CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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I can't wait to see the comments.
In other news...water is wet. It will take some time for us to dig out of the mess "W" dug for this country.
Oddly all calls were made to residents in the Liberal Northeastern states and were targeted to members of the Democratic party.
----–not only Bush, I blame Reagan too with entire Republican garbage. Let me tell you, yes, this president is a legend. This nation is on a right track now than ever before. Period.
Like CNN has any credibility. Would anyone like to buy some beachfront property in Iowa?
Bush drove the car off the Cliff. It's still a wreck, Obama just added Gas(QE), soon it will run out of gas.
Economy looking up, but try telling that to people who have been out of a job for years.
I am confused. If the current economic climate was good then why do two-thirds of Americans still give the nation's economy a thumbs down?
Gee, people who think Bush is to blame after leaving office 5 years ago? I don't think so! And yes, while many of our economic indicators look good, people are still struggling to make ends meet.
This indicates that these indicators don't mean that much – doesn't it?
Bush had nothing to do with the collapse of 2008. If you want to blame someone, blame the private federal reserve and their shareholders the too big to fail banks.
Start political talking points in 3...2...1...
Is Bush still to blame for the economy? For it's current condition, no. For causing the crisis, yes!
It would be interesting to see this poll broken down between business owners, people who work full or part time, those actively looking for a job and those receiving unemployment benefits. Would they all have the same view of the economy? Also, anyone who thinks both parties are not responsible for the economic crisis and the decisions that have been made over the last several years is crazy. It doesn't matter which party is in the White House or which party "controls" the House and the Senate. Everyone of them is to blame...
If people did their homework, they'd realize bush also stopped bleeding to the financial crisis before he left office and it was up to whoever was president after to build back up. obama still hasn't done anything to fix it
That's the most absurd thing that I have read lately. Obama is destroying America.
How does only 1000 people represent all of America? Not to mention people with landline phones. Doesn't make sense.
Presidents seem to get the blame or credit for the economy, though they have little to do with it. Congress has a much bigger impact as far as government influence in that area. I think the Republicans, at least during Obama's tenure, are primarily to blame. They won't do anything but oppose whatever Obama says he is for. This is no way to solve problems or get this country moving forward. The House won't even conference on a budget!
Yes. He screwed up the economy by running two wars at the same time.
They should do a poll on how many Americans believe these polls
I think Obama has done a great job rebuilding the nation after GW Bush left it a pile of smoldering ruins. Things have improved a lot since Obama took office.
Yeah, economic conditions are just swell.
I wonder who they call on their surveys. They don't call anyone I know
LOL – Libtards are STILL blaming Bush??? I wonder who these 33% are who like the economy? The rich getting richer? So THEY are not blaming Bush then. So of the 2/3s that say the economy sucks 1/3 of them blame Bush 6 YEARS after he is gone? These same people blame climatologists (guys who dropped out of med school) for global warming. First it was cow farts, then termite mounds, now human beings are the cause and once we get past the point of no return, global warming/climate change will cause the next Ice Age. Believe that?
Is this a joke?
What positive economic conditions? When my father was 18 in the 1960's he had the choice to work for Bethlehem Steel, a Pepsi Cola bottling plant or on the docks as a longshoreman. All three were good paying union jobs and that was the mid 1960's. Now Bethlehem steel is gone from our region as is the Pepsi bottling plant. The docks are now a closed shop where you need to know somebody because there's not enough jobs to keep up with the demand for them. So just because McDonald's, Walmart and Starbucks are hiring we are supposed to believe that we are having an economic boom?