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.
Senior Obama adviser on impeachment: 'I would not discount that possibility'
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.
Boehner: Why we must now sue the President
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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Impeach, imprison, and throw away the key. And Obama's cell mates should include Harry Reid, Eric Holder, and Nancy Pelosi ... to name a few.
There must be far more idiots in the US than even I thought...Of course, if 35% think President Obama should be impeached, that means 65% do not...
The GOP/teabag/libertarian party is dead and too stupid to fall down.
Impeached and jailed for bankrupting this great country.
So let those rogue, horrble Republicans continue with their tantrum, and we will show them who's boss in Novermber. It's easy to do. I can't wait too.
If the Republican controlled House of Representatives would spend a quarter of the time that they use to have phony investigations, lawsuits against the president and impeachment inquiries and lastly taking breaks from being in session by doing something constructive this country would be a lot better off.
I'd bet that almost none of the people who are for impeachment knows what legal standards must be met to even begin the impeachment process and would there be grounds to sufficiently impeach. To most people it just means that they do not like the president because he has not found them a job etc., therefore he should be thrown out of office.
Sure let's impeach Obama and put the mavericks McCain & Palin in the White House. Just be prepared for an immediate Depression and at least 6 wars along with zero healthcare. We get what we ask for.
"Anti-impeachment sentiment is roughly where it was for past presidents."
That is to say, it's just the same as it's been for decades.
So much for our democracy. You see that is what this is about. It is about the Right Wing of the Country telling us who we can and cannot elect for President. The did the same thing to Clinton. They don't have a high crime or treason. They have Executive Orders. You know, the same thing Bush, Clinton, Bush and Reagan did and used, but in a smaller amount.
They have wanted him Impeached since day 1. The same as Clinton. They wasted have and continue to waste our time and money to tell us who we can and cannot elect. That is what this is about. Nothing More. Seeds of Fascism.
If anyone was impeached it should have been Bush and his cronies for starting the Iraq war in 2003, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of American soldiers and Iraqi people. Impeached and brought to trial for starting an unnecessary war which has destablized the region ever since!
It is absolutely astounding that this branch of the government (Congress) would have the audacity to sue the president or any one else in government for trying to carry out their duties that they were elected to do. I am not an Obama fan but I find the inept, dysfunctional Congress are far more egregious and have become a serious danger to the welfare of America. I hope that Americans will respond (with their votes) and as each and every member of Congress runs for reelection we simply fire them by electing someone new. Then perhaps we will be able to recognize some similarity to actual governance and how a democracy should function.
ONLY 35%????!!!! This is a catastrophe.
Funny. 8+ years ago any derogatory remarks made about the president were being called treason, but now it's ok....
Oh that's right, it's only wrong when your messiah is in office, when it's the other parties messiah, I mean great satan, then it's ok to make derogatory remarks and call for impeachment. (BOTH parties just as guilty)
"The poll was conducted for CNN by ORC International from July 18-20, with 1,012 adult Americans questioned by telephone." Only 1,012 people took this poll!? I see it lasted only 2 days. Did it only last that long because there was an increasing amount of people actually wanting his impeachment? Next time take a much larger sampling to get more credibility.
People actually need to learn what impeachment is. It means to stand before congress for a hearing to see if you violated your office.
It does not mean that the person in question will be removed from office.
Another example why the Republican Party has lost touch with reality. The GOP has nearly destroyed the country and Obama has fixed their mess.
This is Hysterical, Just goes to show how brainwashed and out of touch with reality some of the voters in this country are. I guarantee that some of these constitution, real american's probably couldn't even pass a basic civics test about their own country
A skewed poll! I say impeach now.
That sounds about right. 33% of Americans don't believe in evolution so we know who we're dealing with.
The over served speaker is an example of why republicans should never be in a position of leadership.
awww CNN...are you disappointed? Your bias resounds in every article about the President..
Poll conducted FOR CNN by phone over 2 days, with 1,012 people (don't know if they're American or not these days). Um, lots of Americans have ditched their landline phone and have spam protection on their cell/smart phone, so the poll is not a decent sampling. Now, extend that sampling to more than 1,012 over longer than 2 days and via other means of contact … you'd get a higher number than 33% in favor of impeachment.
if Shrub didn't get impeached after starting a $3 TRILLION war for NO reason – destabilizing the middle east and wasting 4000 US lives and tens of thousands of Iraqis in the process – why should O be impeached?
That's about right, %33 of America are as inbred and racist as they come!
LMAO! What are they going to sue or impeach the President for doing his job? Or for the conservatives lack of action and their little baby games they play. Please I punish my children for lying and behaving the way the conservatives party does. They don't have american values heart. They're all about greed and me me me! So why would I support them.