CNN/ORC Poll: Majority say no to impeachment and lawsuit
Washington (CNN) - There’s not a lot of public appetite for a Republican push to sue President Barack Obama, or for calls by some conservatives to impeach him, according to a new national survey.
A CNN/ORC International poll released Friday morning also indicates that a small majority of Americans do not believe that Obama has gone too far in expanding the powers of the presidency.
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Earlier this month, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP's 2008 vice presidential nominee, called for Obama's impeachment, becoming the latest voice on the right to make the suggestion.
But according to the poll, only 35% want Obama impeached, with nearly two-thirds saying the President should not be removed from office.
There's an obvious partisan divide, with 57% of Republicans but only 35% of independents and 13% of Democrats backing a move to impeach Obama.
"Anti-impeachment sentiment is roughly where it was for past presidents - 67% opposed Bill Clinton's impeachment in September 1998, and 69% opposed impeaching George W. Bush when a few Democrats began talking about it in 2006," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.
"One reason may be that Americans take impeachment very seriously. Only about one in five say that impeachment is a valid response if Congress is dissatisfied with a president's policies or the way he is handling his job. Nearly eight in 10 say impeachment should be reserved for high crimes and misdemeanors," Holland adds.
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The poll's release came one day after the House Rules Committee approved – along a party line vote – a resolution authorizing Speaker John Boehner's lawsuit against the President. The GOP controlled House is expected approve it next week.
Boehner and House Republicans plan to sue Obama over his health care law. They claim he violated the Constitution by circumventing Congress and changing the law's employer mandate on his own.
By a 57%-41% margin, Americans say House Republicans shouldn't file the suit. As with the question on impeachment, there's a wide partisan divide over the lawsuit.
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When it comes to expanding the power of the presidency, has Obama gone too far? Forty-five percent say yes, with three in 10 saying the President's actions have been about right, and 22% saying he hasn't gone far enough.
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The poll was conducted for CNN by ORC International from July 18-20, with 1,012 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.
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If we didn't impeach Dubya I'm not sure where the ground are to impeach Obama...
nearly 40% of the country want a president impeached. that's higher than clinton and nixon.
Will the republicans please stop wasting the taxpayers money with these asinine repeals and impeachments. Do what we pay you to do. Do your jobs.
No shocker that the numbers for/against impeachment are virtually the same as for previous presidents. Everyone, even Republicans, knows that impeachment is generally a partisan witch hunt. If the Republicans want to remain looking like racists to anyone except Republicans, keep trying to impeach our first ever black president.
This is not a news station but just a lap dog of his worship. So forgive me if I don't take this poll seriously.
The fact that over 1/3rd of the country wants nothing more to do with Obama is alarming at the very least. I know his supporters will point to the 2/3rd's that don't want him impeached and claim it as a victory, but that's a pretty hollow victory.
33% are fox news watchers
Can we impeach an Incompetent Narcissist who has no need for our constitution and who betrays our friends and emboldens our enemies on international arena?!
CNN trying to whip up controversy. Gee that's new
Why conduct this useless, purposely disparaging poll in the first place. If the president was a white man, this would not even be entertained in such random fashion. Yes, it is because of all things he is black. Get over yourselves already, because he is a reality; here to stay.
99 per cent, wish that he never existed.
well they didnt ask me! an official vote may just come up with a different result by allllll the american people1
This proves how rotten obummer is. When a liberal propaganda rag like CNN can only show such a small margin of difference after asking mostly liberals this question,its obvious ovomit is on his way down the drain. It is highly likely obummer will make Carter look like a wiz kid.
The GOP never cared what the majority of people want.
If the poll was taken by a large majority of americans it would reflect 95% to 5% impeachment!
1 out of every three people want you fired is not a lot of public support?
Duh. How much time and money are the GOP wasting on this?
So in other words, two thirds of conservatives want Obama impeached. It's been like that since he was elected.
this lawsuit and call for impeachment will backfire on the republican party,,,i will vote Democrat in 2014 and 2016,,,the real republican party don't exist anymore,,,the devil has taken over the what use to be the republican party,,,
Must be a very slow news day CNN?
Cannot find enough news to print or broadcast?
Not enough is going on to report?
Ted Turner must be in a coma. !!!
How is this news....? 35% wanted him impeached the week he took office. They've been out to get him from the beginning. Nothing he does abates their disdain for him; nothing has changed except that a pol was taken asking about impeachment.
Let's get a poll on impeaching or firing Congress.
I think the liberals & the democrats did that poll
Ridiculous. Leave it alone. Congress sucks, Senate sucks, House sucks, Justices suck, President sucks. No news here. How about we talk about the real problems, such as lobbyists with deep pockets provided by the 1%. They own the country.
Dear CNN: Stop posting things like this.
Let's talk about facts. Let's talk about current events. Stop encouraging people to speculate wildly.
If 40% of the US believed that Barack Obama was from outer space – Well, they'd be wrong (probably). But by posting that 40% believe it, you just encourage those people and make them feel more strongly about their beliefs. And make the other side more adamant that those 40% are stupid. And suddenly we're all having an angry conversation about something stupid.
Stop trying to make money off of a bitterly embattled country, and report some real news. That's your job. And you're bad at it.