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.
Only CNN would trumpet a poll like this. Nearly 75% disagree with economic conditions but a sliver see the economy better than before. WTH is good about that?
Perhaps we'll reach a point when everyone who remembers what a good economy is will be dead. Opinions will be fabulous then!
Who else is to blame the great recession happened under Bush's watch and he took too long to react ,all President Obama has been doing is trying to fix what was broken with no help from any not one Rethuglican especially in Congress. They are a bunch of low lives who preffer to see this country fail than to see any of Obamas policies work. Well in spite of their obstruction things are definitely getting better. Ted Cruz is a nut job but then again it seems all of the Texas Representatives in the federal govt are crazy, just saying.
Why why why didn't President Obama make the economy his number one priority in his first term?
Wow CNN. Great poll. Your credibility is outstanding! If people really believe that the Bush administration had anything to do with the state of our economy six years later and Obama is squeaky clean, then ya'll are about fifteen cents short.
"The poll was conducted for CNN by ORC International from Jan. 31-Feb. 2, with 1,010 adults nationwide questioned by telephone." CNN calling their liberal, rich friends is not the same as taking a poll.
Bad News for the Haters.
"recent polls show that Liberals will blame anyone but themselves for the failed economy"
Yes, he is. Why? Because many of the reasons that the economy is not doing well come back to regulations that Bush or his father removed/loosened and which Obama can get no traction to fix.
Although this poll does not tell the bigger picture of the real truth, for a lot of people it is getting better now than 6 years ago for sure.
Yes, blame the president for a bad economy one month into his presidency and dont give him credit when it improves 5 years into his presidency LOL. Is this faux news? LOL
After 5 years it's obama and the Dem's own it all the way.
"Gee, people who think Bush is to blame after leaving office 5 years ago?"
Did the policies he put in place leave office with him? NO.
Did the GOP/Teatrolls in Congress desperately defend those policies and prevent us from getting rid of them? YES.
All this poll shows is that people are getting used to the poor conditions. Expectations are incredibly low right now for the present and future ... and that is NOT a good thing.
Must have been folks on the gov't arm!
Ur polls are meaningless.
Calling 200 people does not signify half the county.
cnn pull ur head out of ur butt before you suffocate.
i cant believe u call this breaking news
I am so sick of CNN. 5 years ago the recession was over according to CNN. 4 years ago unemployment should be down to 4% in a few months. 3 years ago everything was rosey. This organization is a bunch of liberal spewing, raw-raw democratic nutjobs.
Most of them aren't old enough to remember good times. Partially why so many young people are so messed up. They don't remember the good times. They weren't alive yet.
Did all the polling take place at ebt and laraza offices?
While we are still trying to recover from W's failures, I hate to give him so much credit.
You have to give credit (blame) the current crop of repugs, and especially the tea-baggers, for obstructing every attempt Obama had made to move forward since Ted Kennedy's seat went republican.
Who'd they poll, everyone in the Hamptons?
I never thought Bush was the blame – the first 6 years Bush had things booming- he had unemployment at 4.6- business people weren't afraid tp start a new project as they are now, people weren't losing their homes- we were making money on the market- gas was 2 something- and then the money wasting PELOSI came into being with all her Democrats-–the end
Read the link to the survey Mike. It says it also included folks with cell phones and in person interviews. Also take a class in statistics to learn what samples are....how a well taken snapshot of a smaller number of folks if done well can be attributed to the larger population with some accuracy.
The Kool-Aid from Washington DC must be spiked
"Oddly all calls were made to residents in the Liberal Northeastern states and were targeted to members of the Democratic party."
Kind of a weird comment, considering that the article specifically mentions that folks in the Midwest are even happier with things than folks in the NorthEast.
Lies work better when you make sure they aren't immediately disproved by the article they're attached to.